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Pâte de fruits (Auvergne apricot fruit jellies)
Intense apricot jellies set with pectin and rolled in sugar
Clermont-Ferrand, the capital of the Auvergne, built a name for pâtes de fruits in the nineteenth century using apricots from the Limagne plain, and the jewel-bright squares remain a favourite in Christmas boxes and with coffee at the end of a meal. Good pâte de fruits tastes more of fruit than of sugar: dense, tender and clean-cutting, with a sparkle of sugar crust and a sharp edge of acid. Serve them on a plate of petits fours, or pack them as a gift. They are naturally egg-free: pectin, the fruit's own setting agent, does all the work once the purée is boiled with sugar to 106°C and the acid is added. Use yellow pectin for pâte de fruits if you can find it; it sets slowly enough to pour. Chef's tip: stir in the citric acid only off the heat, right before pouring; the common mistake is adding it early, so the jelly sets in the pan.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
- 1 tsp neutral oilfor the tin
- 1 ⅛ lb apricot puréefrom about 650 g ripe apricots, stoned and blended, or frozen purée
- 1 ¼ lb white sugar
- 3 ½ oz liquid glucose
- ⅛ oz citric aciddissolved in 5 ml water, or 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 ½ oz caster sugarfor coating
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Line a 20 x 20 cm tin with baking paper and brush with 1 tsp neutral oil.
Step 2: Warm 1 ⅛ lb apricot purée in a heavy pan over a medium heat to about 104°F, just warm to the touch.
3 minStep 3: Mix ⅜ oz yellow pectin for fruit jellies with 2 oz white sugar (about 55 g), then whisk it into the purée in a steady rain so no lumps form. Bring to the boil, whisking.
3 minStep 4: Add the rest of 1 ⅛ lb white sugar in three batches, letting the mixture return to the boil each time, then add 3 ½ oz liquid glucose.
4 minStep 5: Boil, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, for 8-12 minutes, until it reaches 225°F, darkens slightly and falls from the spatula in thick sheets.
10 minStep 6: Take off the heat, stir in ⅛ oz citric acid quickly and pour at once into the tin. Smooth the top.
Step 7: Leave to set at room temperature, uncovered, for at least 1 hour, until firm and clean when pressed. Don't refrigerate; it makes the surface weep.
60 minStep 8: Turn out and cut into 2.5 cm squares with an oiled knife. Toss in 3 ½ oz caster sugar and store in an airtight box, between layers of baking paper, for up to 1 month.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 195 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 49 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pâte de fruits (Auvergne apricot fruit jellies) take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 70 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of white sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of citric acid?
- Juice of 1 lemon or 1 tbsp white vinegar per tsp (for curdling milk).
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