All Easy Recipes. Cook all that you can cook. Grape - And - Walnut Candies
(Chuchkella)
 
What You Need:            (To Make: 2 strings of candy)
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  • 36 whole walnuts or filberts, shelled
  • 3 pounds green or purple grapes
  • 1 tablespoon potato starch dissolved in 1 tablespoon cold water

    • How To Cook:
    STRING THE WALNUTS IN THE FOLLOWING FASHION:
    1. Tie a knot 1inch from the ends of two strings each 12 inches long. Then thread the end of one string through the eye of a strong needle.

    2. As if you were stringing beads, insert the needle through the center of 18 walnuts. Tie a knot after the last walnut and join the unstrung end of the string into a loop. Thread the second string and loop the other walnuts similarly.

    FILLING:
    1. A cup at a time, puree the grapes in an electric blender for about 10 seconds at high speed, or until they liquefy. Strain the puree through a cheesecloth-lined sieve set over a 2-quart saucepan and discard the grape skins.

    2. To make the puree by hand, rub the grapes through a fine sieve set over the saucepan, pressing down hard on the skins with the back of a spoon before discarding them.

    3. Bring the puree to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Boil briskly, uncovered, for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the puree has cooked down to 2 cups. Stir in the potato starch-and-water mixture and stirring constantly, cook another minute or two, until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon heavily. Set aside.

    4. Holding the looped end, dip the strings of walnuts into the sauce, coating them thoroughly. Hang the loops outdoors where they will dry quickly, or on a towel rack or other spot where they can hang undisturbed; set a plate or napkin beneath to catch the juice drippings.

    5. If you are drying them indoors, placing them in front of a fan will speed up the process. When the nuts have dried and are no longer sticky to the touch, warm the juice to lukewarm and dip in the walnuts again.

    6. Dry as before, then repeat the dipping and drying process two or three more times, until the nuts are completely coated and there is no longer any separation between them.

    7. Chuchkella are often left hanging for as long as 3 years in the Caucasus. When ready to serve, the sausage-shaped candies are cut crosswise into 1- inch rounds.
    		 
    		 
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