JUBES

This recipe evolved from one of our kids begging for ‘gummy bears’. We decided to make our own with freshly picked raspberries and homemade apricot jam. You can fashion the jubes into any shape you like — once the mixture is ready, pour it into lined moulds of your choice, be they semi-sphere, teddy bear or heart shaped…

Makes 200 pieces

550 g (1 lb 4 oz) caster (superfine) sugar, plus extra for rolling

15 g (½ oz) pectin

15 g (½ oz) citric acid

300 g (10½ oz) seedless fruit purée

75 g (2½ oz) apricot jam or raspberry jam

juice of 1 lemon

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

75 g (2½ oz) liquid glucose

Line the base of a 34 x 24 x 3.5 cm (13½ x 9½ x 1¼ inch) tray with baking paper.

Put 50 g (1¾ oz) of the caster sugar in a bowl. Stir in the pectin and citric acid.

In a saucepan, bring the fruit purée, jam, lemon juice and vanilla seeds to the boil. Stir in the pectin mixture and bring back to the boil. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Put the remaining 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) caster sugar in a heavy-based saucepan. Add the glucose and 80 ml (2½ fl oz) water and bring to the boil. Continue boiling until the mixture reaches 121°C (250°F) on a sugar thermometer.

Add the reserved fruit mixture and whisk to combine. Continue cooking until the temperature reaches 108°C (227°F), then pour into the lined tray. Leave at room temperature for 5 hours to set.

When set, cut into your desired shapes — we cut our jubes into 2 cm (¾ inch) cubes — then roll in extra caster sugar.

Store your jubes in an airtight container at room temperature; they will keep for up to 2 weeks.