Last week, I shared these Pink Grapefruit & Blood Orange Pâte de Fruit on Instagram in honor of Valentine’s Day. Initially, it wasn’t my intention to share these on Now, Forager, but after being repeatedly asked for the recipe it seems some of you are very interested in making pâte de fruit- which is great! However, the main reason it wasn’t my plan to share this on the blog is that some of the ingredients are hard to source. Disclaimer aside, I’ve decided to go ahead and share the recipe for those of you who are committed to making amazing pâte de fruit and are up for the challenge of sourcing the ingredients.
Years ago, I came across a fascinating article about pâte de fruit by one of the pastry industry’s most talented and creative pastry chefs, Michael Laiskonis. He had created a layered pâte de fruit and it’s stuck in my mind ever since. Valentine’s Day was the perfect chance to create my own version: Pink Grapefruit & Blood Orange Pâte de Fruit rolled in infused vanilla bean sugar. The results were winter citrus magic. Mouth-puckering tart grapefruit flavor on one side and sweet deep blood orange on the other. All coated in an aromatic vanilla bean infused sugar. As your mouth opens to take the first bite their flavor can be tasted before they even hit the tongue.
Pâte de fruit (fruit jellies) are a French confection made from fruit puree, sugar, and pectin. Traditionally, they’re made using a single fruit puree flavor, cut, and rolled in basic granulated sugar. I find that there are two kinds of pâte de fruit eaters: people who love this basic traditional candy and people who find traditional pâte de fruit boring to eat. I find myself in the ‘boring to eat’ group most of the time. It has a tendency to be overly sweet and a bit mushy in texture, but it doesn’t have to be this way. With the best ingredients and more interesting flavor elements it can turn out spectacularly. Pâte de fruit should be bursting with clean fruit flavor and silky in texture.
To make sourcing ingredients easier, included in the recipe are links to online websites for ordering or to use as a reference. Try and search in your own city first though, because ordering online can be more expensive. For example, Boiron purees can sometimes be found at local restaurant supply stores or specialty grocers. It’s usually half the cost of buying online, so call around first. Food grade citric acid helps to set the final candy and can be found at most health food stores. Yellow pectin is the other main ingredient that’s challenging to find. It’s specific to making pâte de fruit and is essential to giving it that final silky texture, so your best bet is to purchase it online.
Pâte de fruit isn’t difficult to make and is similar to making jam. It’s boiling sugar and fruit puree to a specific temperature in order for it to set. As with all confectionery recipes, make sure to read the entire recipe first, have all the ingredients measured out before beginning, and have the candy thermometer ready to go. Since you’ll be working with hot boiling fruit sugar it can’t hurt to have a bowl of ice water nearby in case of the stray burn either (to plunge your hand into). Often times, pâte de fruit has the tendency to “weep” after it’s set. This is usually due to not cooking the final mixture to the proper temperature or adding the ingredients too quickly. To prevent this from happening, make sure to use a thermometer and allow the mixture to return to a boil when specified. Basically, follow the instructions and all will be a success. Enjoy!
Pink Grapefruit & Blood Orange Pâte de Fruit
Makes 48 (1-inch) squares
Vanilla Bean Sugar
7 oz (198g) sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
In a bowl, combine sugar, vanilla bean seeds, and scraped vanilla bean pod using your fingertips to distribute the seeds and infuse the sugar. Transfer vanilla bean sugar to an airtight container and set aside until ready to use.
Stored any leftover vanilla bean sugar, in an airtight container, at room temperature indefinitely.
Blood Orange Pâte de Fruit
1 oz (28g) sugar #1
3 tsp (7g) yellow pectin
7 oz (199g) blood orange juice, such as Boiron Puree
2 oz (56g) lemon juice
2 Tbsp (36g) glucose or light corn syrup
11 oz (313g) sugar #2
1/2 tsp (2g) citric acid
Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper on all sides.
In a small bowl, combine the sugar #1 and yellow pectin (this prevents the pectin from clumping up when added to the liquid).
In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together the blood orange juice, lemon juice, and sugar-pectin mixture. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Whisk in glucose and bring back to a boil. Whisk in half of sugar #2 and continue whisking until mixture returns to a boil. Add remaining half of sugar #2 and continue to whisk until mixture returns to a boil. Continue cooking the mixture until it reaches 223F (106C), whisking constantly to prevent scorching.
Immediately remove from heat and whisk in citric acid. Evenly pour hot blood orange pâte de fruit mixture into prepared 8×8 baking pan and set on cooling rack. Let cool for at least 20 minutes, or until set to the touch, before adding the second layer. While the blood orange layer cools prepare the pink grapefruit pâte de fruit.
Pink Grapefruit Pâte de Fruit
1 oz (28g) sugar #1
3 tsp (7g) yellow pectin
7 oz (199g) grapefruit juice, such as Boiron Puree
2 oz (56g) lemon juice
2 Tbsp (36g) glucose or light corn syrup
11 oz (313g) sugar #2
1/2 tsp (2g) citric acid
Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper on all sides.
In a small bowl, combine the sugar #1 and yellow pectin (this prevents the pectin from clumping up when added to the liquid).
In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together the grapefruit juice, lemon juice, and sugar-pectin mixture. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Whisk in glucose and bring back to a boil. Whisk in half of sugar #2 and continue whisking until mixture returns to a boil. Add remaining half of sugar #2 and continue to whisk until mixture returns to a boil. Continue cooking the mixture until it reaches 223F (106C), whisking constantly to prevent scorching.
Immediately remove from heat and whisk in citric acid. Evenly pour hot grapefruit pâte de fruit mixture on top of the set blood orange pâte de fruit layer. Allow to cool completely, on cooling rack, for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Coating Pink Grapefruit & Blood Orange Pâte de Fruit
Vanilla Bean Sugar
Pink Grapefruit & Blood Orange Pâte de Fruit
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Fill a large bowl with the vanilla bean sugar.
Using the parchment paper as handles, gently pull the pâte de fruit out of the baking pan and set on a cutting board. Generously sprinkle the pâte de fruit with vanilla bean sugar and rub it across the entire surface. Carefully, flip the pâte de fruit over and peel off the parchment paper. Again, generously sprinkle with vanilla bean sugar and rub it across the entire surface. Tip: Coating both sides of the pâte de fruit with vanilla bean sugar will make it easier to handle while cutting. Flip the pâte de fruit right side up on the cutting board (grapefruit on top).
Using a large chef knife, cut the pâte de fruit into 1-inch squares (cut 1-inch strips vertically, then cut 1-inch strips horizontally). Tip: For perfectly clean cut edges rinse and dry off the knife blade between cuts. Drop a few cut squares into the vanilla bean sugar bowl and roll around until all the sides are completely coated. Place the coated squares on the prepared baking sheet, evenly spaced, and not touching.
Repeat the coating process until all the squares are coated and lined up on the baking sheet. Let finished pâte de fruit set out, uncovered and at room temperature, for at least 24 hours. The candies can be eaten right away, but allowing them to dry out in the meantime creates a very thin crust around the candies and helps to prevent “weeping.”
Next day, store the coated pâte de fruit in a single layer, in an airtight container, for up to two weeks.
Can’t wait to try them out !! Tough to find ingredients but will keep eyes open. I just want to reach out to screen and grab a piece.
Thank you, Suchi!
Just gorgeous, I love the jeweled layers!
Thank you, Laura! They do look like jewels don’t they?:)
Hi, I’m confused about what refers to Sugar #1 and Sugar #2. Which sugars is it referring to? I would love to try this !
Hi Stephanny, sugar #1 and sugar #2 refer to two separate weights of sugar. This means that you’ll weigh out two separate bowls of sugar before starting the recipe. For the blood orange pâte de fruit, the bowl with sugar #1 will have 1 oz (28g) in it and a separate bowl will have sugar #2 with 11 oz (313g) in it. From there, you’ll add it to the recipe when specified.
So beautiful, Teresa! Love the colours!
Thank you, Anastasia!
Thank you so much for the recipe Teresa! Blood Orange Pate de fruit has been on my radar for a while, but I just didn’t know how to go about it! Thanks to you, I can try it now ! I cant wait to make these! They are just pretty jewels, that I would be so afraid to eat haha!
You’re very welcome, Amisha! It was tough trying to decide if I should share them since the ingredients are hard to source, but figured it was worth it for those who really wanted to make them. Hope you enjoy it when you have a chance to make them.:)
Hi, Do you use juice or puree? According to a couple of companies that sell the purée they say it should never be boiled on the back of the can as it can cause the flavors to change. Is this true with all brands? Do you know anything about the disclaimer? Does this apply to purée only or to juice?
Hi Carrie, the blood orange and grapefruit are a juice with the name label ‘Boiron puree’. I’m not familiar with other brand disclaimers regarding boiling puree. All the professional pastry kitchens that I’ve worked in have used Boiron specifically for making their pâte de fruit. It’s excellent and produces great flavor.
Hi Theresa! I would love to try this as well, but can’t I just use fresh juice? Hand-pressed? Or won’t that work? You’re such an artist!! I love to see more of the “advanced” and harder stuff, cause I’d love to learn a bit from a talented person like you (; love! Eva || Food Swings
Hi Eva, since I didn’t use fresh juice for this recipe, I didn’t recommend it. However, you should be ok to use freshly squeezed juice. Go for it!
I agree with Laura…they look like jewels. Beautiful Theresa. xox
Thank you, Rebecca!
My mom is obsessed with these! Her birthday is coming up and I want to surprise her.. can they be made out of any fruits, let’s say rapberries, and if so, will the amounts of the recipe be altered?
Hi Carmen! Pâte de fruit can be made with most types of fruits; however, the recipe does need altering depending on the type of fruit. The amount of pectin in each varies, so swapping out for raspberries may not set properly in these finished candies. The good news is there are a bunch of great raspberry pâte de fruit recipes out there and you can layer to your heart’s desire.:) That’s the fun thing about recipes: inspiration and creativity. Have fun & happy birthday to your mom!
The advice here is so good. I made some pineapple pate de fruit the other day and it didn’t set. I wasn’t using your recipe I followed a different one, it said the mix should be heated to 104C and it didn’t include the citric acid, it did specify the right pectin though.
I will have to try your recipe as I think mine wasn’t cooked at the right temperature for long enough and I have some citric acid I need to use up.
I wondered, have you made nougat? I tried that and it set, but when I cut the nougat it was much softer than I expected and it started to lose shape a couple of hours after I’d cut it – it was stored in an airtight container. Do you know what might have gone wrong? It was almost marshmallow like.
Thanks!
Hi Angela! Pineapple pâte de fruit is notorious for not setting properly. It contains little to no pectin and tropical fruits also have an enzyme that break down proteins that make setting more difficult. Adding acid should help it to set properly, as will cooking it for a longer amount of time (to the proper required temperature).
As for nougat, my guess would be that it needed to be cooked to a higher temperature for a firmer set. Candy recipes are all about the final temperature. If that’s not it, then maybe try a different recipe and see how that goes. Best of luck!
These are stunningly beautiful! Reading through the recipe I see your hesitation to post for the home kitchen. Still perhaps this is what it will take to have everyone making their own pâte de fruit~
You are so sweet. Thank you, Cynthia!:)
So is it juice or a thick puree? I am confused. I have a ton of plums in the summer. May I cook down and then put through a sieve to get plum puree to use?
Hi Michelle, this recipe calls for juice. Boiron puree is the name of the product. I can see how that’s confusing though! Each fruit has its own amount of pectin, so I wouldn’t recommend swapping out fruits for this recipe. Especially since this recipe is using juice and not a thick puree. You can definitely use this recipe as inspiration though and find a new plum pâte de fruit recipe to try and pair it with a complimentary second fruit flavor to layer on top. Have fun with it.
Can I use freshly squeezed blood orange juice? Same with the pink grapefruit juice?
Hi Agnes! You should be ok to use freshly squeezed juice in this case. I didn’t recommend it since I used Boiron and haven’t tested it myself. It should work though.
Hi Teresa! Can’t wait to make these. The restaurant supply I go to carries a lot of Boiron varieties and I wanted to ask you if this recipe can work with Boiron pear puree and passionfruit puree, I’ve been craving pear pate de fruit since I had it in France last year. Your blog is amazing!
Thank you, Mariel! Excited for you to have access to the Boiron purees. It’s a fruit puree wonderland. I’d recommend using Boiron’s pâte de fruit recipe chart (from their website) when making new flavors to layer together. This recipe can definitely work as a guide for technique though. Since the pectin amounts are different for each fruit it’s safer to go with specific ingredient amounts that have been tested for each fruit. That way each layer sets properly. Enjoy!
Teresa I had to come back and tell you that this recipe is legit! Made it with the passionfruit puree following your recipe to the T and it came out fantastic! Thank you so much!
Aww! That just made my day, Mariel. So happy that you enjoyed it and passion fruit sounds delicious!
Hi Teresa, great recipe and I love your website!!!! :
Just one question for the above recipe,is there a way to substitute corn syrup in the recipe?
Thank you!
Hi Kat, thank you! If you’d prefer not to use light corn syrup, I’d suggest using glucose as it’ll produce the best results.
Hi..I had coated my Paté de fruits in sugar and kept in air tight boxes..next day the sugar had melted and become watery…why did that happen
Hi Archana! There are a few reasons that your pate de fruit may have dissolved the sugar. In this blog post, I mention not cooking the fruit mixture to the correct temperature may cause “weeping” and also recommend allowing the pate de fruit to set uncovered at room temperature for at least 24 hours. This allows them to dry out and creates a very thin crust around the candies; which helps to prevent weeping. Humidity also has a part to play, so be sure to store them in a cool dry place. The good news is, you can re-coat your wet pate de fruit in sugar again, let them sit out at room temperature to dry, and then enjoy. Hope this helps!