Jelly Slugs

Today's new item appears during Harry's first (illegal!) moments inside Honeydukes:

"'And get another box of Jelly Slugs, dear, they've nearly cleaned us out--'" said a woman's voice" (Prisoner of Azkaban 196).

Jelly slugs are one of the Harry Potter treats for which I cannot find an existing recipe. So I made one up!

You Will Need:

1.5 cups water

2.5 cups granulated sugar

1/2 oz (1 Tbs) plain gelatin

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup your favorite juice

vegetable oil (for greasing the pans)

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and gelatin, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until boiling.

2. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 230 degrees. This will take a long time.

3. When the mixture reaches 240, place the pan in a large bowl of ice to stop the cooking action. Immediately stir in the juice and salt. Allow the mixture to cool.

4. Grease a mini-muffin pan (or a slug mold) with vegetable oil. Use a tablespoon to fill the muffin cups with the cooled mixture. Place the pan in the refrigerator for several hours.

5. When the "jelly muffins" have set a bit (several hours later), use a sifter to sprinkle cornstarch on top to help them set further. Place in the fridge overnight.

6. Pop the jelly "slugs" out of their molds (using a toothpick helps) onto a sheet of wax paper. They will be like less-firm Jell-O Jigglers. 

These Jelly Slugs are really silly. They taste just like jelly (and are extremely, almost painfully, sweet!). They don't, however, last very long out of the fridge-- they'll eventually liquify. They end up being like the texture of the slime left behind by real slugs, which I find thoroughly amusing. Oh well, it was a fun experiment, but it's probably a better idea to leave the Jelly-Slug-making to Honeydukes!