Who gets Gourmet Magazine? I love it for the beautiful pictures, the fabulous recipes, and the great info about restaurants. This month’s issue had an amazing array of recipes for Christmas cookies and treats. If I had the time, I would have made everything. Hmmm… guess its good I didn’t make everything, or I’d be pulling out the “fat pants”… before Christmas even gets here. :)

I made the Passion-Fruit Gelees, as I’m a huge fan of Passion Fruit. I’ll admit… it wasn’t as Passion-y as I would have liked. It definitely could have used a little more passion puree. But all in all, it was tasty. Something I’ll make again, with minor tweaking.

Passion-Fruit Gelees Recipe

4-1/4 oz envelopes unflavored gelatin
1 c water
2 c sugar, plus more for tossing
3/4 c passion fruit (maracuya) puree, such as Goya

1. Lightly oil an 8 x 8 inch square non-stick pan. Sprinkle gelatin over water in a 2-quart heavy saucepan and let stand 4 minutes to soften. Heat Gelatin over medium-low heat, stirring until dissolved. Stir in 2 cups sugar, until dissolved, then stir in lemon juice.

2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, washing any sugar crystals down side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Reduce heat to medium-low and boil, uncovered, without stirring, 13 minutes (watch carefully so that mixture does not boil over.) Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes for bubbles to dissipate. (Skim any foam that remains after 5 minutes.) Stir in passion fruit puree (do not scrape the bottom of pan; leave any dark bits that stick.) Pour into baking pan and let stand at room temperature until set, at least 12 hours.

3. Run a sharp knife around edge of gelatin and invert onto a cutting board. Cut into 1/2 inch wide strips, then cut strips into 1 inch pieces. Just before serving, gently toss gelees in a bowl of sugar to coat, brushing off excess. Store, without sugar coating, in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Makes about 4 dozen Candies

Note: I would suggest using 1 cup to 1 1/4 cups of the puree to have a stronger passion fruit flavor.