Jordbærdrops til jul - Småbruket Gård

One of our preparations for Christmas is making candy drops. It is a very nice tradition and because they are so sweet, it's a good thing to only make them for Christmas. And they are a welcome gift for family and friends. We often make a couple of different kinds, but my absolute favourite is strawberry.

Making candy drops is not difficult, as long as you prepare well and have all the necessary equipment nearby. I always put out everything I'll need before I start heating the sugar mixture. And I keep a little checklist of tips and ideas that I update. By now I've developed a pretty good routine. Read the whole recipe before you start.

Recipe

Equipment

A saucepan with a lid. A glass lid is best.
Kitchen scale.
Thermometre up to 200 degrees Celsius.
Trivets, strategically placed.
A bowl and brush for cooking oil.
Silicone mat for baking.
A towel to place under the silicone mat.
At least two plastic scrapers.
Pipettes to measure colour and aroma.
Two good scissors.
At least one good helper.
A small flour sieve and a bowl for powdered sugar.
Glass jars with lids.
Enough gloves to go around. I use light cotton gloves under two layers of clean dishwashing gloves. The sugar mixture will be really hot!

Ingredients

1 dl water
450 g sugar
125 g dextrose
Cooking oil
2 tsp citric acid
1,5 ml (30 drops) red food colouring
2 ml (40 drops) strawberry aroma
Powdered sugar for rolling

Method

Start by getting everything ready for making the candy drops. Put a towel under the silicone mat to protect the kitchen counter form the heat. Place a trivet, scrapers, scissors, a brush and a bowl filled with cooking oil nearby. Make sure the gloves are easy to reach.
It is easiest to measure up the colouring and aroma before you start. Sieve the citric acid to avoid lumps.
Coat the silicone mat, scrapers and scissors with cooking oil. Be generous.
Get your pot, another trivet, and thermometer, and measure the ingredients for the sugar mixture, water, sugar and dextrose.
To make the sugar mixture make sure you pour the water into the pot first. Then add the sugar, and finally the dextrose. Do not stir!
Put on a lid and let the mixture boil for a minute or two. Then remove the lid and keep boiling, while keeping a close eye on the temperature. Stop when you reach a place between 157 and 165 degrees Celcius. 162 degrees is perfect! Do not let the temperature rise above 165 degrees or the candy will have a burnt taste.
When the sugar mixture has the correct temperature, it is time to pour it onto the silicone mat. Put on your gloves before you do this.
Keep the oil coated scrapers ready and use them to keep the mixture on the silicone mat. After about one minute you can add the citric acid. Use the scrapers to fold the mixture into the middle of the mat. The heat will melt the powder. Add food colouring and mix until combined. Add more cooking oil to the mat and scrapers as needed.
Make a small dent in the sugar mixture and add the aroma. Keep mixing.
When the sugar mixture is cool enough to handle with gloves, it's time to make the candy drops. Stretch the sugar mixture and cut into drop-sized pieces with the scissors. You will have to work fast as the sugar mixture is about to harden. Make sure the candy drops are scattered on the mat or they will melt back together.
Roll the candy drops in a bowl of powdered sugar to coat. Sieve and place them in an airtight jar.