Sour Patch Kids are the ultimate movie theater snack for most people, and I’m no exception. Only most people probably don’t eat an entire 30-ounce bag of the astringent gummies so quickly that they have a stomachache before the movie is out of its introductory scenes, as I did when watching Ghost as an impressionable tween. My mom gave my dad hell for allowing me to see the racy flick, but truth be told, I had barely any recollection of the steamy pottery scenes. I was too focused on my stomach’s contortions and how I was going to make it through the movie without letting on how much pain I was in. Sorry, Swayze.
YIELD: about 6 dozen candies
TOTAL TIME: 2 hours 30 minutes, including setting time
DIFFICULTY: 2
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: candy/oil thermometer
JELLIES
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime, lemon, or orange juice, or bottled cherry juice
1/2 teaspoon citric acid (see page 13)
1/2 cup water, divided
4 (1/4-ounce) envelopes powdered unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup (3-1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
COATING
1 tablespoon powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon citric acid
MAKE THE JELLIES:
Whisk the fruit juice and citric acid with 1/4 cup water in a 2-quart straight-sided saucepan until the granules are fully dissolved. Sprinkle the gelatin as evenly as possible over the surface; it will absorb the liquid on its own without whisking or stirring.
Whisk the sugar with the remaining 1/4 cup water in a separate straight-sided saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, uncovered, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves. When the liquid starts to bubble, stop stirring and attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Cook undisturbed until the sugar reaches 300°F on the thermometer. You’ll notice the liquid thicken to a more syrupy texture as the boiling slows and the bubbles become less “furious”—but a thermometer is the most surefire way to know when you’ve reached the right temperature without undercooking or overshooting.
Carefully pour the hot sugar into the gelatin and place the saucepan over medium-low heat. The sugar will form a big, scary, hard clump when it hits the gelatin, but don’t worry: gently and continuously stir over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, and it will soften and dissolve until there are no more clear lumpy bits. If the liquid starts to boil, lower the heat.
Pour the mixture into an 8-inch square glass baking dish and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours.
COAT THE CANDIES:
Whisk the powdered sugar and cornstarch together in a small bowl, and whisk the granulated sugar and citric acid together in another small bowl. Set aside.
Set a wire cooling rack in a rimmed baking sheet, making sure the rack fits comfortably inside the “walls” of the sheet.
Lightly dust a cutting board with powdered sugar, spreading it with your hand to make an even dusting. Carefully lift a corner of the set gelatin block and peel the candy out of the pan onto the cutting board. Flip over once so that both sides have a fine coating of sugar. Slice into a dozen 1/2-inch strips and cut each strip into 5 candies, each about 1-1/4 inches long.
If the candies are starting to “weep” and get goopy and sticky, first dredge them in the cornstarch–powdered sugar mixture, a few at a time, tapping on the side of the bowl to remove excess powder. Then toss them in the sugar–citric acid mixture. If the candies are dry to the touch, simply coat them in the citric acid mixture.
Let the coated candies dry for 8 hours on the cooling rack until the coating is hard and crunchy.
Store the candies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week.