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Fruit Drop Travel Sweets

February 17, 2017 by Elizabeth 16 Comments

Post sponsored by Volkswagen.

Fruit Drop Travel Sweets

One of the key components of going on a road trip is that little tin of travel sweets hidden in the glove compartment or storage compartment in between the two front seats.

When we went on our epic road trip from Shetland to the Lake District and back up to Shetland via the Cairngorms a few summers ago we went through an awful lot of travel sweets. First, it gives you energy (driving can be really tiring), secondly, sucking on the sweets stops the kids from fighting with each other for at least ten minutes, am I right?

It’s really simple to make your own travel sweets. My sweets take about fifteen minutes to make, start to finish, and they taste fantastic if I do say so myself!

How to Make Boiled Sweets

Working with boiling sugar can seem rather daunting at first, but trust me, it’s really quite easy. Make sure you have everything prepared in advance because once that sugar is boiling things happen really quickly, and secondly, invest in a good digital thermometer or candy thermometer. The key to success when making your own sweets is to get the temperature right, and a decent thermometer will take the guesswork out of this for you.

Fruit Drop Travel Sweets

It also helps if you’ve got someone there with you to help roll the sweets in icing sugar. This step isn’t required, to be honest, but it helps the sweets from sticking to each other in the tin. Set up your workstation so that you’ve got a cold, oiled marble slab to pour your sugar syrup over, and get your friend to stand next to you ready and waiting with a bowl of icing sugar in front of them.

Traditional boiled sweets contain only a few ingredients – sugar, liquid glucose (available in the baking section of your supermarket), water and a tiny bit of cream of tartar as a stabiliser to help stop the sugar from crystallising.

I’ve added a few drops of flavourings and matching colourings to my fruit drops – a mixture of lemon, orange, and strawberry.

Fruit Drop Travel Sweets

Fruit Drop Travel Sweets
Fruit Drop Travel Sweets

Each batch of these fruit drop travel sweets makes around 300 grams of sweet, so there’s plenty to share with friends and family if you want. Mix them up and gift them in a nice bottle or travel sweet tin (my husband made me the lovely distressed looking one pictured in the first photo, above).

Fruit Drop Travel Sweets

What’s your favourite treat to eat in the car while you’re traveling? Let me know in the comments! For more travel-inspired recipes please visit the Volkswagen Pinterest community board – Food Bloggers for Volkswagen.

Fruit Drop Travel Sweets
Fruit Drop Travel Sweets
Print Recipe
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Making your own sweets is remarkably easy, once you get the hang of it. Colour and flavour these treats with your favourite flavourings, or just leave them plain.
Fruit Drop Travel Sweets
Print Recipe
Making your own sweets is remarkably easy, once you get the hang of it. Colour and flavour these treats with your favourite flavourings, or just leave them plain.
Servings Prep Time Cook Time Passive Time
300grams 5minutes 10minutes 15minutes
Servings Prep Time
300grams 5minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
10minutes 15minutes
Ingredients
  • for the sweets
  • 225 grams granulated sugar
  • 80 ml cold water
  • 1.5 tsp liquid glucose
  • 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
  • 5 drops flavourings (strawberry, lemon, orange, etc).
  • gel food colourings as desired
  • icing sugar to dust
  • you will also need
  • 1 candy thermometer or digital thermometer
  • 1 marble slab
  • vegetable oil
  • 1 dough scraper
  • 1 scissors
  • 1 wooden spoon
  • 1 timer set for 3 minutes
  • 1 friend to help roll the sweets in icing sugar optional
Servings: grams
Units:
Ingredients
  • for the sweets
  • 225 grams granulated sugar
  • 80 ml cold water
  • 1.5 tsp liquid glucose
  • 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
  • 5 drops flavourings (strawberry, lemon, orange, etc).
  • gel food colourings as desired
  • icing sugar to dust
  • you will also need
  • 1 candy thermometer or digital thermometer
  • 1 marble slab
  • vegetable oil
  • 1 dough scraper
  • 1 scissors
  • 1 wooden spoon
  • 1 timer set for 3 minutes
  • 1 friend to help roll the sweets in icing sugar optional
Servings: grams
Units:
Instructions
  1. Get all the equipment you need ready first. Lightly oil your marble slab (or a large baking tray), your scissors and a dough scraper. Place the lid for your pot nearby. Set a timer for 3 minutes. Place a bowl of icing sugar on your work surface beside the marble slab and a plate or silicone mat to place the finished sweets onto.
  2. Heat the granulated sugar, water and liquid glucose in a small saucepan over a medium-high heat (I use #4 on my hob), stirring with a wooden spoon until the sugar has dissolved.
  3. As soon as it begins to boil (it will happen quickly), add the cream of tartar, stir until it dissolves, pop the lid on the pot and switch the 3-minute timer on. Don't touch the pot!
  4. After the 3 minutes is up, remove the lid and check the temperature every 30 seconds or so. DO NOT STIR THE SUGAR or your sweets will crystalize.
  5. When the temperature has reached 150 C, switch the heat off, add your colouring and flavouring, if using, stir (and wait a moment while the bubbles subside).
  6. Carefully pour the hot sugar mixture over the marble slab, using the oiled dough scraper if it looks like it's getting too close to the edge.
  7. Leave to cool for a minute or so until it's cool enough to handle (don't leave it too long as it hardens quickly). Using your oiled scissors and oiled hands, work quickly and cut off small pieces of the sugar mixture, roll into a ball and place in the icing sugar.
  8. Leave the sweets to cool completely and store in an airtight container.
  9. Repeat two more times with the remaining colours and flavours.

 

This is a sponsored recipe post commissioned by Volkswagen, although all thoughts and opinions expressed are our own. Thank you for supporting the brands who make it possible for me to do what I love: mess up my kitchen and share recipe stories.

Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary

Have you made this recipe?

Take a photo and tag @tangoraindrop or use the hashtag #elizabethskitchendiary and share on Instagram and Twitter. It would make my day to see your creations!

Filed Under: All Manner of Sweet Things, Everything Else, Recipe Tagged With: Candy, Travel Sweets, Volkswagen

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Comments

  1. Michelle Waller says

    February 28, 2017 at 4:34 pm

    Oh yum!! I love buying these from the store! I didn’t know that they were this easy to make!

    Reply
  2. Sheri says

    February 28, 2017 at 8:38 am

    This is great and looks tasty. Love that they are so easy to make and both kids and adults would love them.

    Reply
  3. Laura says

    February 26, 2017 at 1:34 pm

    Im really excited to try these in the near future. They remind me of travelling with my Nan. Never without a tin of fruit drops! I don’t think I could skip the icing sugar. Licking the sugar from the bottom of the tin was always my favourite bit!

    Reply
  4. Nancy L. says

    February 24, 2017 at 4:21 am

    If I can find liquid glucose, I am definitely going to give these a try! They look soooo yummy! 🙂

    Reply
  5. Marielle Altenor says

    February 21, 2017 at 9:49 pm

    I just love this so much! I don’t have all the ingredients but when I do, I’m making these fruit drops!
    Marielle Altenor recently posted…Grateful Sunday: Cool School Unboxing With the Little ManMy Profile

    Reply
  6. Jill says

    February 21, 2017 at 12:23 am

    This looks inviting. I love sweets. Maybe I’ll make some in the future. I can use them when I travel. Yum!

    Reply
  7. CourtneyLynne says

    February 20, 2017 at 10:50 pm

    Omg can we say yum?!?! I must give your recip. Try

    Reply
  8. Angela Key Milnes says

    February 20, 2017 at 10:09 pm

    Omg, This is so interesting! This is the first time that I heard this and looks so much fun. I ould love to give it a try

    Reply
  9. Yona Williams says

    February 20, 2017 at 7:23 pm

    I think these candies look absolutely DELICIOUS! This is such a well put-together post. I love the ‘VW’ tin cover.
    Yona Williams recently posted…My New Favorite Gluten Free Sweet Treat: YummySnack Candy BarsMy Profile

    Reply
  10. Elizabeth O. says

    February 20, 2017 at 3:40 pm

    Wow! This is pretty awesome! It’s nice to be able to make handmade candies. Thanks for the detailed instructions, they’re really lovely.

    Reply
  11. Natalie says

    February 20, 2017 at 5:33 am

    I love having something to much on while travelling! I prefer crunchy and salty as opposed to sweets though.
    Natalie recently posted…Falling (Even More) In Love with 100% Pure | No Dirty BeautyMy Profile

    Reply
  12. Ivette Lopez says

    February 20, 2017 at 3:15 am

    Thank you for this, I will be trying this out when my grandson comes over I can have him help me with the icing sugar! They look simple, and delicious thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  13. Terri Beavers says

    February 19, 2017 at 10:31 pm

    I’ve never made anything like this before. I’ve got to try them because they sure do look good.
    Terri Beavers recently posted…Giveaway 2 Winners @MelodySusie Home Manicure Gift BoxMy Profile

    Reply
  14. Sylvia @ Happiness is homemade says

    February 19, 2017 at 8:21 pm

    They look scrumptious! I love having a little stash of sweets in my car, just in case I ever need a sugar dose while driving long distances 🙂 I had no idea it’s so easy to make them though…!
    Sylvia @ Happiness is homemade recently posted…Teriyaki Salmon with Courgette Noodles (Lean in 15 book review!)My Profile

    Reply
  15. Emma says

    February 19, 2017 at 7:00 pm

    Travel sweets are a necessity in our car! Never thought of making my own as I’m always worried about the booing sugar aspect but your directions make it sound fairly easy to attempt!
    Emma recently posted…Lemon Cauliflower Rice with Coriander (Cilantro)My Profile

    Reply
  16. Deal Man Unhappy Customers says

    February 19, 2017 at 4:22 pm

    There is so much goodness in that recipe. Wish I had this recipe last week for fruit drop.

    Reply

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About Elizabeth

Mum of three, daydream adventurer, OU Life Sciences graduate, fitness enthusiast, ex-pat Canadian & quite possibly Britain's most northerly food blogger. Read More…

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