More attempts at candy

So happy I didn't attempt this before the holidays........I found this recipe HERE

I thought ............how hard can it be to make jelly drops? I got my ingredients together. 

4 SHEETS OR ENVELOPES OF GELATIN

2 CUPS SUGAR

1/2 CUP WATER

JUICE OF A LEMON

 ZEST OF AN ORANGE

2 DROPS YELLOW FOOD COLORING

Sheets of gelatin weren't available at my grocers so I got the envelopes. These had to be bloomed in 1/2 cup water Now this could have be my FIRST mistake. Was this an additional 1/2 cup water? Or was I to use the 1/2 cup in the recipe? After deciding to play it by ear and see if more liquid was needed as I went along I bloomed the gelatin and found it to look like a white hockey puck............pretty solid .

While that was going on I choose a bright orange to zest. This was for color so I found the prettiest one at the market.

Zested away ..............

Stopped for a healthy snack



brought my sugar and additional 1/2 cup water to a boil...added my gelatin and continued to cook an additional 15 minutes ....stirring constantly as suggested.When thickened I added the zest  and lemon juice,poured it into the parchment lined pan and waited for it to cool.Hers was a beautiful shade of yellow.........looking more like gold then the deep dark amber color I got...............where did I go wrong?

She mentioned several times her need for perfection in making these for giving and although I too feel that need...............

A good coating of 10x sugar and a pat on the back for going where I had never gone before quickly erased any self thrashing I might have attempted. So......not very pretty but, 

darn tasty and that's why I like being in the kitchen by myself ...........said the hobbit