Chocolate Coated Almond Gelees

You've been asking so here is my recipe. I devised it on my own from other jelly candy recipes I have found.

I box Sure Jell Pectin, use the YELLOW BOX, not the pink sugar free.

3/4 cup Solo Almond Filling, found in most supermarkets near the sugar and chocolate chips.
1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup light Karo Corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp almond flavoring

For the Sugar Coating:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp almond flavoring

For the chocolate coating:

1 cup chocolate candy coating wafers
1 cup Callebaut cooking milk chocolate, I imagine you could use other milk chocolate
1 square bittersweet chocolate

Line a 9x9 inch pan with aluminum foil letting it come up and over the edges. That way you can lift the candies out for cutting. Spray it with butter flavored Pam.

In a small saucepan, about a 1 1/2 or 2 quart, combine 1 c. sugar and the corn syrup. Cook on med heat till boiling, stirring constantly till sugar is dissolved. Try not to splash the mixture around the pan because if it crystalizes on the side of the pan it will effect your mixture negatively. Now keep cooking on medium low until it reaches soft crack stage, 280º on your candy thermometer about 5-7 minutes. When done add the almond flavoring.

While that is cooking start in another small saucepan combine the Solo filling, the pectin , water and baking soda. It will foam up and look weird. Bring to a boil.  Make sure its a real boil, not the air from the foaming. Turn off until the the first pot is close to soft crack stage. Then bring it back to a boil. You are maneuvering two extremely hot pots so be very careful.

When the first pot has reached the soft crack stage, pour in a stream into the boiling second pot with the pectin. This should take about 2 minutes. Boil one more minute when you are done, stirring constantly.

Pour hot liquid into the prepared pan on a trivet. This is hot stuff. Let stand two hours. I put mine in the freezer to rush it up.

Once the jelly has solidified and is cool lift it out of the pan with the foil sides. Cut into one and a quarter inch squares. I used a large carving knife dipped in hot water. Put them on a sheet of parchment as you work.

Put the sugar coating ingredients in the food processor and process until fine but not powdery. Put the sugar in a ziploc. Add about 5 candies at a time and shake well. Lay the sugared candies back on the parchment. I put them back in the freeezer at this point.

Once they are all sugared and cold its time to get the chocolate mixture going. Make or use a double boiler. I did a ceramic bowl in a pot of about two inches of water. Put this on your lowest stovetop setting. There is no rush here. Put the chocolate ingredients in the bowl and let barely simmer for 20 minutes or so. Then stir until smooth and shiny. Keep those fingers out of the chocolate as any moisture introduced can seize up the whole mess. Get your gelees out of the freezer and start dipping them half way in and lay them on the parchment. You can dip them all the way but it is easier and less messy to do them half way. As you lift them out of the chocolate give them a twist to get a little swirl.  Lay them back on the parchment to get solid. I put the tray into the freezer. When they were frozen I packaged them all up in ziplocs and back in the freezer until it is time to package them up as gifts. These really freeze well.

I  hope you enjoy this recipe. I think I have only published one other. Happy Holidays.