Candy Strawberries

Candy Strawberries bring me back to some of my earliest memories in the kitchen.  I associate these candies with the days my mom would open the window in the kitchen and a cool breeze would come through.  This was rare growing up in Florida, so I guess that is why the memory is so strong.  All of a sudden, it would feel like the holidays were here.  It was so fun to make these as a kid too.  Messy, sticky, sugary hands were delicious to lick clean.  That sounds so gross now as an adult! LOL!  These candy strawberries are gluten, soy and egg free.  Yay!  And read on for how you can try making them vegan as well.

Mix It Up!

All of the ingredients come together in one bowl.  The flavor and majority of the color comes from powdered Strawberry Jell-O.  Chopped pecans and coconut add more flavor and texture.  The "glue" that holds them together is sweetened condensed milk.  I recently found sweetened condensed coconut milk by Nature's Charm.  I haven't tried it yet in this recipe, but it would be worth a shot if you can't have dairy or would like them to be vegan.  You may need to adjust the quantities of wet and dry ingredients to get the right consistency though. Please let me know if you try it this way!  The bottom line is that all of the ingredients get combined together until a sticky, but rollable mixture comes together.

Roll, Shape and Decorate

In two separate small bowls combine sugar with a few drops of red and green food color.  Add a small amount at a time and stir to combine until you achieve the color you like.  Set these aside while you form the strawberries.  If you can't find green toothpicks, you can soak regular toothpicks in a mixture of water and green food color, then let them dry.

Take spoonfuls of the strawberry Jell-O mixture and roll into a ball.  Then taper the shape on one end to make a cone shape.  Gently flatten the top and shape to resemble a strawberry.  Roll or dip the bottom into the red sugar.  Then the top in the green sugar.  Place a green toothpick in the top for the stem and refrigerate until firm.

Some other fun and delicious gluten free treats and cookies for the holidays are my Dirty Snowballs, Almond Cut Out Cookies and Naked Cut Out Cookies, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, Pumpkin Whoopie Pies and College Dorm Cookies.  Check out my Quick Dry Cookie Icing for dressing up your holiday cookies;-)

Candy Strawberries

4.34 from 3 votes

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Servings: 30 candies

Calories:

Ingredients  

2x3x4x

• 2 boxes strawberry Jell-O
• ¾ cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoon sugar
• red and green food color
• 30 green toothpicks - See Note Below

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, combine jello, condensed milk, coconut and chopped pecans. Make a ball with the mixture and if it holds together, it is ready. If it is too dry and crumbly add a little more condensed milk.
• In two small bowls put ¼ cup sugar and a few drops of red food color. In the other, put 2 tablespoon sugar and a drop or two of green food color. Mix each until the sugar reaches the color you like. Set aside.
• Here’s where it gets messy! Form strawberries with the jello mixture. I start by making a cone shape, then rounding the point and smoothing the top edges.
• Gently roll the sides in the red sugar, then gently tap the top into the green sugar.
• Add a green toothpick for a stem if you want. Place finished strawberries in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.

Notes

Note:  If you can't find green toothpicks, you can place plain wooden toothpicks in a small container with a few drops of green food color and enough water to cover them.  Let them absorb the color for a few minutes, then remove and let dry on a paper towel before using them.