Hello, everybody! You heard there was a rumor of lemon pie? Well, too bad! It's aplets and cotlets time. I don't care if you don't know what those are. I'm going to school you in a Northwest favorite... whether you like it or not.
*whew* That tough talk is hard. Let's give that a break, shall we?
So, if you're unfamiliar with the delicious delicacy, here's a little picture of what they usually look like... box included. I could eat these by the pound. But luckily for my scale, they're usually only available at Christmas time and then are about $5-8 a box. In the off-season, they're MUCH more expensive. So we enjoy them at Christmas.
But I did see a recipe on how to make your own, including different flavors. I thought, "Ha-HA! I shall beat those mean store employees who only bring out the Aplets and Cotlets at Christmas!"
You'll need
juice, any variety you prefer (I tried apple, pom, cranberry, white grape and cider flavors)
gelatin
walnuts (these are off our lovely black walnut tree)
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 TBS lemon juice
2 TBS lime juice
Follow the directions on the back of the gelatin package to dissolve FOUR packets.
Heat 3 cups of juice in a pan, add the sugar, lime juice, lemon juice and gradually add the gelatin until dissolved. Some recipes add apple sauce but I decided to just try the juice version. This is pomegranate and white grape mix.
Pour into a pan and either wait for it to half-set so the walnuts are mixed in, or add them right away. I add them right away and then chilled in the fridge over night.
At this point I was thinking I probably should have minced the walnuts instead of chopped. They're so... home made looking. But they taste delicious!
Hm. And the powdered sugar would NOT stay on. One recipe said that the cotlets (these are grapelets, I guess) could be rolled in regular sugar or add 1TBS to the powdered sugar to make it thicker. (I didn't try that last tip. I couldn't imagine eating plain corn starch, hahah!)
No matter how strange, they were met with eager taste -testers! And just like their literary cousins, Turkish Delight, they certainly charmed my little guy. Good thing there was no White Witch waiting to spirit him away. :)
Until next time!
I remember these! And now I can make ones I can eat. YAY! And they are good for you. At least better than a lot of things. And a little guy pic. Made my morning.
ReplyDeleteI would add half a cup of apple sauce. I prefer a little more of a chewy cotlet but the plain juice definitely hit the spot, too!
DeleteThese are new to me! Am I the only one who had to go look up what cotlets are?? LOL It's short for apricot! The company (on the pictured box) uses apple juice and apricot puree in theirs. They sound good!
ReplyDeleteWhat a cute photo!! Virginia, I'm impressed that your kids will eat nuts. I still can hardly get mine to eat them even in their teens and 20's!
The story of the company is pretty famous around here: two immigrant brothers who started out trying to recreate a candy from their childhood for their families, and started a NW tradition! I've never had traditional Turkish delight, but I hear the difference is more gelatin and some rosewater.
DeleteThey also come in different flavors now. My favorite is peach and blackberry!
Oh, as for nuts, some do and some don't I've never figured out the key to getting kids to eat nuts. I think it's a texture and taste buds thing. Both my husband and I enjoy them, but about half our kids will pick them out.
DeleteWait...you're messing with my brain, it's Thursday, isn't it? If it's Saturday I've missed two Speedbo days and that's not good. Ack!
ReplyDeleteNever heard of this Northwestern delicacy and thank you, Missy, for saving me a google research trip. LOL Loved the wide-eyed wonder pic. And I'm always amazed your adventurous spirit -- especially in the kitchen.
Ha! Yes, I had to sneak in on a Thursday so I can talk to Kav! And you'll have to get the full story from Ruthy. :)
DeleteI actually ship these to friends at Christmas time because once you've had them, you miss them at Christmas, even if you've moved away. I think they can be delivered through their website but it's really expensive, so we just ship our own. :)
Oh, this is a wonderful recipe and idea! I love gelled fruit things that taste amazingly good and these look marvelous! I'm going right into the cafe, MARCHING in and setting my post for Saturday, which means we'll have a Sour Cream Lemon pie weekend!
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm a dork.
But I'm blessed to have friends who've got my back!
I was just thrilled to not be the one who screwed up this time.
DeleteNot that you screwed up. You were just perfectly prepared for a different time than you meant to be.
And I want that pie.
I LOVE Aplets and Cotlets! They're a Christmas tradition around our house. And ever since I found out they're a version of Turkish Delight, my CS Lewis loving children latched onto them :)
ReplyDeleteI have to try this recipe. I love the idea of making different flavors.
And now we can all look forward to Ruthy's pie this weekend! Silver linings and all that....
I love their blueberry and peach, but I'm not sure how to reproduce those. Maybe with flavorings? I bet there's a peach flavoring out there. Hmmmmm....
DeleteMy dad read the Narnia series to us when I was very little and Turkish Delight came to represent all that was most delicious and alluring in the world. It's one of the few things that holds real "magic" for me. I'll never forget listening as Edmund took that first bite and my little heart was crushed that he would ever betray his brother and sisters! But what a glorious moment it was when Aslan welcomed the repentant traitor home, and he was reunited with them all.