Would this recipe found in an All States cooking resource and attributed
merely to one of the U.S. Dakotas turn out as a hard candy, or would it
retain the "gum-drop" texture I am wanting?

MEXICAN ORANGE DROPS

Heat in the top of a double boiler or a small saucepan and watch it, or
nuke it: 1 cup evaporated milk.
Melt 1 cup sugar in a deep saucepan.
When the sugar is a rich brown, stir in slowly:
1/4 cup boiling water or orange juice (juice is best)
Add the hot milk and stir in 2 cups sugar and 1/4 tsp salt until
dissolved.
Bring to a boil and cook covered for 3 minutes until the steam washes
down any crystals on the sides of the pan. Cook uncovered over low heat
without stirring to soft-ball stage 238=B0. =A0
Add grated rind of 2 oranges. Cool these ingredients, then beat until
creamy and stir in 1 cup chopped nutmeats. Drop from a spoon onto foil.
Makes about 2 pounds.

=A0=A0=A0Picky ~JA~

>"Richard's ~JA~" > wrote in message
...
>Would this recipe found in an All States cooking resource and attributed
>merely to one of the U.S. Dakotas turn out as a hard candy, or would it
>retain the "gum-drop" texture I am wanting?

>MEXICAN ORANGE DROPS

>Heat in the top of a double boiler or a small saucepan and watch it, or
>nuke it: 1 cup evaporated milk.
>Melt 1 cup sugar in a deep saucepan.
>When the sugar is a rich brown, stir in slowly:
>1/4 cup boiling water or orange juice (juice is best)
>Add the hot milk and stir in 2 cups sugar and 1/4 tsp salt until
>dissolved.
>Bring to a boil and cook covered for 3 minutes until the steam washes
>down any crystals on the sides of the pan. Cook uncovered over low heat
>without stirring to soft-ball stage 238°.
>Add grated rind of 2 oranges. Cool these ingredients, then beat until
>creamy and stir in 1 cup chopped nutmeats. Drop from a spoon onto foil.
>Makes about 2 pounds.

>Picky ~JA~

It sounds like it would *not* have the gumdrop type of texture you are
looking for.
Here's a recipe for orange gumdrops from Betty Crocker, and you can change
the flavor too.
Also you can use mini cookie cutters (the metal kind) to make different
shapes. Hope it helps,
kimberly
Advertisement

Orange Gumdrops
Ingredients
Vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup orange juice
1 package (1-3/4 ounces) powdered fruit pectin
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 drops red food coloring, if desired
Sugar

Instructions
Line loaf pan, 9x5x3 inches, with aluminum foil. Brush with oil. Heat 1 c.
sugar and the corn syrup to boiling in 1-1/2 quart saucepan over medium-high
heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Cook, without stirring,
to 280 degrees F. on candy thermometer or until small amount of mixture
dropped into very cold water separates into hard but not brittle threads.

While cooking sugar mixture, heat orange juice, pectin and baking soda to
boiling (mixture will be foamy) in 2-quart saucepan over high heat, stirring
constantly; reduce heat.

Slowly pour hot sugar mixture in a thin stream into orange juice mixture,
stirring constantly (this should take 1 to 2 minutes); remove from heat.
Stir in food color. Let stand 2 minutes. Skim off foam.

Pour mixture into pan. Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature 24 hours.
Lift foil from pan and remove foil from sides. Cut into 3/4-inch squares
with knife dipped into sugar. Roll squares in sugar. Let stand uncovered at
room temperature 1 hour. Store gumdrops in airtight container. About 72
gumdrops. 28 calories per gumdrop.

Grape Gumdrops: Substitute grape juice for the orange juice and blue food
color for the red. 28 calories per gumdrop.

Apple-Cherry Gumdrops: Substitute apple-cherry drink for the orange juice
and use red food color. 28 calories per gumdrop

Richard's ~JA~ wrote:
> Would this recipe found in an All States cooking resource and
> attributed merely to one of the U.S. Dakotas turn out as a hard
> candy, or would it retain the "gum-drop" texture I am wanting?
>
> MEXICAN ORANGE DROPS
>
> Heat in the top of a double boiler or a small saucepan and watch it,
> or nuke it: 1 cup evaporated milk.
> Melt 1 cup sugar in a deep saucepan.
> When the sugar is a rich brown, stir in slowly:
> 1/4 cup boiling water or orange juice (juice is best)
> Add the hot milk and stir in 2 cups sugar and 1/4 tsp salt until
> dissolved.
> Bring to a boil and cook covered for 3 minutes until the steam washes
> down any crystals on the sides of the pan. Cook uncovered over low
> heat without stirring to soft-ball stage 238°.
> Add grated rind of 2 oranges. Cool these ingredients, then beat until
> creamy and stir in 1 cup chopped nutmeats. Drop from a spoon onto
> foil. Makes about 2 pounds.
>
> Picky ~JA~

Soft-ball stage means the candy will be chewy, not hard. For best results
get a candy thermometer to gauge the temperature. I wouldn't recommend
doing this in the microwave until you're comfortable with the recipe and can
eyeball it.

Jill

"jmcquown" > wrote in message
.. .
> Richard's ~JA~ wrote:
> > Would this recipe found in an All States cooking resource and
> > attributed merely to one of the U.S. Dakotas turn out as a hard
> > candy, or would it retain the "gum-drop" texture I am wanting?
> >
> > MEXICAN ORANGE DROPS
> >
> > Heat in the top of a double boiler or a small saucepan and watch it,
> > or nuke it: 1 cup evaporated milk.
> > Melt 1 cup sugar in a deep saucepan.
> > When the sugar is a rich brown, stir in slowly:
> > 1/4 cup boiling water or orange juice (juice is best)
> > Add the hot milk and stir in 2 cups sugar and 1/4 tsp salt until
> > dissolved.
> > Bring to a boil and cook covered for 3 minutes until the steam washes
> > down any crystals on the sides of the pan. Cook uncovered over low
> > heat without stirring to soft-ball stage 238°.
> > Add grated rind of 2 oranges. Cool these ingredients, then beat until
> > creamy and stir in 1 cup chopped nutmeats. Drop from a spoon onto
> > foil. Makes about 2 pounds.
> >
> > Picky ~JA~
>
> Soft-ball stage means the candy will be chewy, not hard. For best results
> get a candy thermometer to gauge the temperature. I wouldn't recommend
> doing this in the microwave until you're comfortable with the recipe and
can
> eyeball it.
>
> Jill
>
>

It's actually going to be more like fondant than really chewy, from what I'm
reading in the recipe.
I do agree about the microwave, though!
kimberly

Thank you all for answers, and I do think I may make the "actual"
gumdrops recipe posted. As to the microwave, there's no way I'd
consider other than stovetop and a candy thermometer. Much
appreciation!

=A0=A0=A0Picky ~JA~

In article >,
(Richard's ~JA~) wrote:

> Would this recipe found in an All States cooking resource and attributed
> merely to one of the U.S. Dakotas turn out as a hard candy, or would it
> retain the "gum-drop" texture I am wanting?
>
> MEXICAN ORANGE DROPS
>
> Heat in the top of a double boiler or a small saucepan and watch it, or
> nuke it: 1 cup evaporated milk.
> Melt 1 cup sugar in a deep saucepan.
> When the sugar is a rich brown, stir in slowly:
> 1/4 cup boiling water or orange juice (juice is best)
> Add the hot milk and stir in 2 cups sugar and 1/4 tsp salt until
> dissolved.
> Bring to a boil and cook covered for 3 minutes until the steam washes
> down any crystals on the sides of the pan. Cook uncovered over low heat
> without stirring to soft-ball stage 238°. *
> Add grated rind of 2 oranges. Cool these ingredients, then beat until
> creamy and stir in 1 cup chopped nutmeats. Drop from a spoon onto foil.
> Makes about 2 pounds.
>
> ***Picky ~JA~
>

It's not going to be hard cardy at that temp. Not sure it will be
gumdroppy, either. I cook my caramels to 246 deg F. You're making
orange fudge.
--
-Barb
12-13-03: The first two days of Melba Does Manhattan have been
added to my site: <www.jamlady.eboard.com>
"If you're ever in a jam, here I am."