Sunday, July 24, 2011

pioneer recipe: apple candy


I think I've started a tradition. Remember last year's Pioneer Day recipe? Washboard cookies. They were yummy.

I decided to try something else this year. I found a recipe for apple candy that looked pretty easy so I gave it a try. I have no idea why I've now become obsessed with pioneer recipes. I might change my mind when I run out of sweet yummy ones.

The recipe just below apple candy was called Bread and Milk. As if pouring milk over bread and eating it wasn't bad enough, the recipe calls for adding crumbled cheese and onions. Gross. I won't be making that next year...or ever.



Apple Candy


2 tablespoons gelatin

1 1/4 cups cold applesauce

2 cups sugar

1 cup chopped nuts

1 tablespoon vanilla

Soak gelatin in cold applesauce for 10 minutes. Combine remaining applesauce and sugar and boil 10 minutes. Add gelatin and applesauce mixture and boil 15 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add nuts and vanilla, and pour into slightly greased pan. Let set overnight in refrigerator. Then cut in squares and roll in powdered sugar.


My notes: I didn't read ahead and chill the applesauce. I'm not sure it mattered in the end. All that boiling and constant stirring is no fun. I'd make a horrible candy maker. Hot boiling sugar is a little scary to me. Don't start this recipe right before dinner time. It'll probably delay your meal by quite a bit. Read ahead and plan...unlike me. Good thing Dan is perfectly capable of reheating pizza in the microwave or we would have starved while I stood there stirring the hot boiling sugar mixture.

I have no idea why it's necessary for this to sit in the fridge overnight. It was very hard after only a few minutes in there. I really wanted a taste so I pulled it out and then promptly broke a knife trying to get it out of the pan. Parchment paper on the bottom and then cooking spray on top would have been a good idea. Live and learn.

As for the "cut into squares and roll in powdered sugar part," I don't think so. See that hammer up there? That's what I used instead. It was kind of fun to bang the crud out of a big slab of hardened sugar. I'm not sure what I did wrong to have it turn out so hard and uncuttable but it's ok. It tasted pretty good. Danny and Cate both thought so.

And since I enjoy playing with my food...



Pioneer apple candy in the shape of the great state of Utah! I'm a weirdo. I know.

Happy Pioneer Day!

3 comments:

(V.Kerr) School Time Adventures said...

I'm really happy you decided to try something new and share it with the rest of us!

Arlene said...

That is the same recipe for apple candy that I made for our Trek last month. It was a big hit. Carl wants it for Christmas.

kaycee.lee said...

Hey! I tried that! It was good! My dad LOVED it too!