As a child, I had a voracious appetite for squishy and gummy lollies.  Fruity, sugary, chewy.  Any type.  There was no discrimination in my book.  My little hand was happy to place any amount of sugar into my mouth.  So much so I am sure I had a stash lollies hidden away in my childhood bedroom.  I had quite a sweet tooth.  (Still do…)

I could almost guarantee that every kids party I attended as a child included a mix of lollies.  Sitting back reflecting on those parties, I could imagine even if I was not close friends with the birthday girl/boy, I was happy enough to attend the little gathering just to graze the sweet food table.

So summoning up a little nostalgia for my next kids party month installment, I include a selection of homemade lollies.  The choices probably reflect personal bias, as these are some of my ultimate sugar ladened sweets.

When the time really comes for me to whip up a selection of party lollies for baby Mélanger, I am sure her little friends will be happy with fluffy marshmallow and fruity jellies.  But I would question how well a group of pint sized people would enjoy the subtle rose flavour of Turkish Delight.  Though remembering parents often attend these celebrations, the slightly more sophisticated flavour of this sweet may appeal?

Either way, the beauty of this sugary trio is that they only take about 60 minutes to put together.  And once done, you end up with over 150 pieces combined.  Surely enough to satisfy the collective sweet tooth of even the largest party crowd?

{ Turkish Delight } Adapted from Australian Women’s Weekly

I was originally planning to make Claire Clark’s Turkish Delight recipe.  It was the only hard copy I had on hand of a more authentic version which is made without gelatin.  But when push came to shove, I knew I needed an hour to make Claire’s recipe, so opted for the short cut version here.  You do get what you pay for, so to speak.  This recipe produces a Turkish Delight that is not as soft as what you get when spending an hour stirring over the stove, but it is a pretty good substitute.

* Ingredients *
45g gelatin
60ml water
660g caster sugar
500ml water, extra
110g cornflour
2 tablespoons glucose
1 teaspoon rosewater
Pink food colouring
110g icing sugar, sifted

* Directions *
Grease a deep 20cm square cake pan.  Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small jug, stand jug in a saucepan of simmering water.  Stir until gelatin dissolves.  Combine caster sugar and 3/4 cup of the extra water in a saucepan, stir without boiling until sugar dissolves.  Bring to a boil without stirring until syrup reaches 116C.  Simmer for 5 minutes without stirring.  Remove pan from heat.  Meanwhile, place cornflour in another medium saucepan, and gradually blendin remaining extra water.  Bring to a boil, stirring until mixture thickens.  Gradually stir hot sugar syrup, gelatin mixture and glucose into cornflour mixture.  Bring to a boil, stirring.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and whisk in rosewater, and tint.  Strain mixtures through sieve into cake pan.  Allow to stand uncovered overnight.  Turn onto board dusted with icing sugar, and cut with knife into cubes.  Roll pieces into remaining icing sugar.  Store for up to two weeks in airtight container.

Makes 48 pieces

{  Pink Marshmallow } Adapted from Claire Clark, Indulge

* Ingredients *
350g caster sugar
150ml glucose
4 teaspoons gelatin
250ml water
2 medium egg whites
200g icing sugar
Pink food colouring, optional

* Directions *
Grease a 30x20cm baking tray, then line with parchment.  Grease well.  Put the sugar and glucose into a pan and stir well.  Place over allow heat and stir until melted.  Stop mixing, and turn up the heat until the sugar reaches 118C.  As soon as the sugar has started, start to prepare the other ingredients.  Put the water and gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer.  Allow to sit for 5 minutes.  Then add the egg whites and star the machine on medium speed.  Whisk until egg whites form soft peaks.  When the sugar has reached the correct temperature, turn down the machine and pour in the hot sugar into the whites.  Beat again for 2 minutes, then increase to high and beat for about 10-15 minutes.  Towards the end, add the food colouring if desired.  Spoon the mixture int the prepared ray, and leave to set uncovered overnight.  Cut the mixture into cubes using a knife dipped into warm water.  Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and toss the cut marshmallow in it to coat.  Leave on tray for a few ours to form a skin.

Makes 80 pieces

{ Raspberry & Strawberry Pâte de Fruit } Adapted from Claire Clark, Indulge

* Ingredients *
350g strawberries, cleaned and hulled
350g raspberries, cleaned
500g sugar
70ml glucose
150ml water
45g liquid pectin
1 teaspoon lemon juice
100g granulated sugar

* Directions *
Lightly grease a 20cm square baking tin, and line with cling film.  Put the berries in a food processor then pass through a sieve.  Weigh the fruit, you will need 500g finished weight.  Stire 50g of the sguar into the puree.  In a large suacepan, mix the remaining sguar with the glucose and water.  Bring to the boil stirring only until the sugar and gluocse have dissolved.  Boil without stirring until the sugar reaches 130C.  In a small bowl, mix the puree with the pctin.  Once the syrup as reached the termpature, add teh puree and stir to combine.  The termpatuer will drop. Bring it back to 103C.  Do not stir.  Add the lemon juice and continue to cook until 106C.  Stir the fruit mixture once or twice just berfore you put it into the tin.  Leve to cool and set overnight at room termpuatre, uncovered.  Cut the jellies into cutes and place into a bowl of granulated sguar to coat.  Leave on a tray to dry for an hour.  The jellies will keep in an airtight container for 3-4 weeks.

Makes 40-50 jellies