Christmas Baking: Gumdrops

I've never made gumdrops before, so this recipe appealed to me! These were very fun and rather easy to make...although there was a bit of waiting time in between work times, which I used to do other things. Again, I would recommend making smaller pieces of the gumdrops, as they are quite sweet.

2 1/2 cups sugar, divided

1 1/3 cups applesauce

2 packages (3 oz each) red or green gelatin

2 envelopes unflavored gelatin

1 tsp. lemon juice

1) In a large saucepan, combine 2 cups sugar, applesauce, red or green gelatin, unflavored gelatin, and lemon juice; let stand for 1 minute. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute. Immediately pour into a cold 11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in. pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Refrigerate for 3 hours or until firm.

2) With a spatula, loosen gelatin from sides of pan. To remove, invert onto waxed paper. Using kitchen scissors or small sharp cookie cutters dropped in hot water, cut into 1-inch squares or shapes.

3) Place on waxed paper. Dry at room temperature for about 8 hours (I did this overnight) or until slightly sticky. Roll in remaining sugar. Store in an airtight container. Yield: about 1 3/4 pounds.

Source: Taste of Home - Best Holiday Recipes 2007, page 174.