This year make some Homemade Halloween Candy – Gumdrop Ghosts! These adorable, tasty treats are the perfect candy to stick in those trick-or-treat bags or simply enjoy for yourself.
I wouldn’t mind being haunted by a few of these gumdrop ghosts on October 31st or any time of year for that matter. These little guys look as sweet as they taste. So if my Brain Hemorrhage Gumdrops were a bit too gross for you to handle, these, should be more appealing.
In order to make these adorable Halloween candies, you first need to make a batch of homemade gumdrops. I mentioned in my last post that Sure-Jell makes a nice clear pectin which I used to make my brains. I only had one box, but had a box of pectin from Ball, so I thought I’d just use that. Well, when I opened it I noticed that the powder was light brown. I hoped it would turn clear as it cooked.
It didn’t and who ever heard of a brown ghost?
To make a ghostly white color, I had to add some white icing coloring. I’m betting this isn’t something many of you have in your pantry, so I do suggest just getting a clear pectin powder. If you do have the white coloring, you can add it to make your candies nice an opaque.
Gumdrop Ghosts
Ingredients: (makes about 20 ghosts)
butter (to grease pan and gingerbread man mold)
3/4 cup water
1 (1.75 ounce) package powdered fruit pectin (original not low or no sugar pectin)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup plus a small amount more to attach eyes
1/4 -1/2 teaspoon flavored oil (I used LorAnn Orange oil)
optional, white food coloring
granulated sugar to coat gumdrops
candy eyes
black food coloring marker
NOTE: You want pectin that is white or clear looking. Read the explanation in the post above.
Supplies:
1 Wilton 24 cavity mini Gingerbread Silicone Mold (lightly greased with butter)
optional, food handling glove to help with greasing your molds
1 1/2 or 2 quart saucepan, preferably a good quality stainless steel pan
2 or 3 quart saucepan
candy thermometer
glass bowl with spout or a glass mixing bowl
Instructions:
Make one batch of gumdrops (see recipe, here.) Add white coloring, if using, or just leave the mixture clear.
Carefully pour the hot mixture into a buttered gingerbread mold. Allow gumdrops to cool and harden for about 8 hours.To speed things up, you can allow them to cool for an hour then freeze them for about 30 minutes.
To un-mold your ghosts, turn the mold upside down and press the candies out onto a tray covered in granulated sugar. Coat ghosts entirely in sugar.
Use corn syrup to attach two candy eyes to each gumdrop ghost. Draw on a mouth using a black food coloring marker.
Store in an airtight container for up to a month.
Items used to create this project that are available on Amazon.com (commission earned for sales)
More Homemade Candy Recipes for Halloween
from Hungry Happenings
More Homemade Gumdrops
Adorable!! ~ Ashlee @ Thecrunchymoose.blogspot.com
These are really cute. I love them. Thanks for these. Trish Butler
Cutest ghosts I've ever seen! They look so sweet and harmless! I really like these! Thank you! : )
I never in a million years would have thought of using a gingerbread mold for ghosts! You are so creative!!! I love the added sugar. Pinning now 🙂
Can you believe I've never made homemade gumdrops? Well, I have that pan and so I'm thinking – gingerbread
gumdrops?? I better start now so I have it figured out before Christmas! 🙂
P.S. I wasn't finished…I love your happy little ghosts! 🙂
These are too cute, made me smile!
these are too cute! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Not scary at all. 🙂 So adorable!
These are so adorable!! I love the tiny little gingerbread man pan photo too..I think I need one! One of my favorite things to do is to recreate candies at home that I always thought had to be store bought. Great idea. :o)
Making homemade candies is really fun and they usually do taste much better than store bought stuff. I love that I can flavor these however I want. I made banana gumdrops once. I've never seen those in a store!
These are adorable! Almost too cute to eat (I think I'd manage though, lol!)
Those ghosts are too cute! I think I am going to use this idea with homemade marshmallows. 🙂
Thanks, Natalie. If you make the marshmallows, I'd love to share some pictures.
These are SO CUTE and so clever!! I had to click over from Tatertots and Jello! Pinning to my Fall & Halloween pin board! Thanks!
Thanks for stopping by, Jen and thanks for pinning!
Great project !!
I would love you to come and share @ Craft, Create & Inspire linky party !!!
Look forward to seeing you there 🙂
http://lemonpaperdesigns.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/craft-create-inspire-linky-party.html
Claire x
These have to be the cutest ghosts I have ever seen! How adorable are they, and they look pretty tasty too!