Clif Shot Bloks Clones (Attempt #1)

Here's another item David enjoys on his rides, but is a special treat due to its price. $1.50 for a bag of six chews. Having tried one, they have a gumdrop consistency, the ingredients weren't usual pantry staples, but attainable (well, most of it.) They have in them: Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Organic Brown Rice Syrup Solids, Citric Acid, Green Tea Extract (for the caffeine), Colored with Black Carrot Juice concentrate, Natural Flavor, Coconut Oil, Carnauba Wax (to prevent sticking.) 33 calories per blok.
I found a recipe for orange gumdrops, a good place to start. Recipe as follows:

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil
1 c. sugar
1 c. light corn syrup
3/4 c. orange juice
1 pkg (1.75 oz) powdered fruit pectin
1/2 t. baking soda
2 drops red food coloring (optional)
Powdered sugar

1. Line loaf pan 9x5x3 (I used 8" square pan), with aluminum foil. Brush WELL with oil. Heat 1 c. sugar and the corn syrup to boiling in 1-1/2 qt. saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Cook, without stirring, to 280*F (those at high altitude need to adjust accordingly) on candy thermometer or until small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water separates into hard but not brittle threads.

2. While cooking sugar mixture, heat orange juice, pectin and baking soda to boiling (mixture will be foamy) in 2-qt saucepan over high heat, stirring constantly; reduce heat.

3. Slowly pour hot sugar mixture in a thin stream into orange juice mixture, stirring constantly (this should take 1 to 2 minutes0; remove from heat. Stir in food color, if using. Let stand 2 minutes. Skim off foam.

4. Pour mixture into pan. Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature 24 hours. Lift foil from pan and remove foil from sides. Cut into 3/4-inch squares with knife dipped in sugar. Roll squares in sugar. Let stand uncovered at room temperature 1 hour. Store gumdrops in airtight container. Makes about 72 gumdrops. 28 calories per gumdrop.

VARIATIONS:

Grape Gumdrops: Sub grape juice for OJ, and add blue food coloring.

Apple-Cherry Gumdrops: Sub apple-cherry juice of the OJ, and add red food coloring.

Recipe by Bruce Weinstein from Betty Crocker's 40th Anniversary Edition Cookbook



Next time, I will do a better coat of oil, since the foil stuck to half of it. Or pour it into molds. I overcooked it a little bit, so they were a little harder than a typical gumdrop, but they soften up after you pop one in your mouth. I cut mine into 48 pcs, about 43 calories each. My only gripe is that it is a pain in the a** to cut. They tasted pretty close to Clif's. Next time I'll add green tea extract, and try subbing brown rice syrup for the sugar, and play around with different juices for different flavors. About $2.50 for a batch of 48 pieces. I hope David likes them and it'll work. He's out with them right now.