Easy Gummies

Senties, Rowntree hard gums and particles and those tutti fruitys were my favourite gummy/chewy sweets.

Sweet, jelly-like shapes and different sizes. Everyone has that special, favorite. Those of old enough have had the opportunity to taste some of those gummies that are no longer on the market. And those that still exist don’t taste as good as it did!

We are now 2 months into lockdown, what better way to use time than to experiment whilst we have the time. There are a few kitchen gadgets I don’t own as yet, and some of the things we made made use of all those arm muscles lol or perhaps we gained some after all that elbow grease required without the correct machines. We explored into the land of pasta which I have shared with you already, sev and boondi which are Indian snacks as well as murkhoo. We made some gummies – both gelatin and vegan. Today I will share the gelatin gummies with you.

We were amazed by the simplicity and the results of the gummies. Just like that packet you buy in the store. 5 ingredients is all it takes… let’s get cracking…

Grab a saucepan and the following ingredients:

1 packet of jello/jelly, any flavor you like

1/3 cup of water

1/4 cup corn syrup, I used caramel syrup

1/4 teaspoon citric acid, for tartness

1 tablespoon gelatin

Grease moulds. Put all ingredients into your saucepan and leave it for 5 minutes so the gelatin can bloom. Heat it on the stove until all ingredients have dissolved (about a minute and a half). As soon as it comes to a boil, remove, take off any foam and pour into moulds. If you do not have moulds for this, pour the mixture into a heat proof dish and leave to set in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Once set remove from the moulds. If you used a dish, slice the gummies into cubes.

Source: copycat haribo gums but I changed my method to the stove rather than the microwave. I watched other videos as well which were all similar/same.

Royal Icing

Due to requests, here is the recipe for royal icing.
Any questions you may have, please submit it below and I will do my best to assist you.
Using egg white to make royal icing is much easier than making an eggless version. It’s about getting your consistency of the icing spot on.

ROYAL ICING :

1 egg white

Icing sugar (powdered sugar)

1/4 tsp lemon juice

I didn’t stipulate the amount of icing sugar because it may vary depending on where you are and sometimes the weather may affect it too.
Add 1 cup into the egg white and whisk or make mix with a spoon.
If you are going to use the icing for decorating then drizzle into the bowl and count to ten. If the mixture keeps its form you good to go. If not, add a little more icing sugar until you get the required consistency.
Pour into a bag, snip and pipe!

Coloring:
Royal icing, colors far more easily than chocolate does. You need a very tiny amount of coloring. Add in more colouring should you want a darker shade. When making darker shades, the icing may thicken up a bit more.

Troubleshooting :
– I added too much icing sugar.
Make sure you mix your icing very well before adding anything more. If you have added too much icing sugar and the icing is too stiff, add a few drops of lemon juice.
With royal icing, a little liquid goes a very long way. Please, please, please, becareful when adding liquid.

– Icing is too runny
Unfortunately, you have to keep adding icing sugar until you get the right consistency. You can pour half the runny icing into another bowl and work to fix half the amount. In this way, you are not left with too much waste.

– How much icing does one egg white make?
Enough icing to do alot of biscuits. Obviously,  also depends on how much icing you add on to a biscuit.

– Drying time
Thin patterns don’t take too long to dry, however, dots and thicker patterns will take longer. Either way, please leave biscuits to dry properly. If your icing is not dry and you pack away your biscuits, it will flatten and look a mess.

– Can I fix it?
Yes you can! Remove icing and redo. The only issue here is that the coloured icing does leave a stain. So, unless you really good at going over it…

– Pattern copying
This I find, is the biggest problem for unsteady, untidy patterns. Use your imagination or use patterns you see as inspiration. I can guarantee you that you will have a neater pattern.

I think I have covered enough for even a first time icing maker. Remember, practice makes perfect!

You don’t have to make too fancy patterns. Start of with lines and add a flower (purchase from store) to get your hand steady.  Unsteady hands make untidy patterns.

Play with the icing. Take a piece of wax paper and practice.