Homemade Christmas Gummy Bears

I was making up this year's batch of Christmas gummies, using the candy molds saved from last year's Advent calendars...

...and a half batch of our favorite gummy recipe from Not So Idle Hands -

Combine in a small saucepan:

1 3oz packet of flavored gelatin

3 packets of unflavored gelatin

1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons water

Leave the gelatin and water for about 10 minutes, or until all of the water has been absorbed.

Place over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, just until the gelatin has melted.  Do not allow it start cooking.

Pour immediately into molds.

This year, I discovered Jolly Rancher Jello.  I didn't even bother to check the sugar content, because I'm sure it's ridiculously high, but Wow!  It makes for fantastically good gummy candy.

Anyway, while I was busy pouring the gummy into molds, it occurred to me, that if the Lego candies could have a Christmas make-over (see yesterday's post for that), then our giant gummy bears could too. 

So, I set the Advent calendar molds aside, dug out our bear pans (non-affiliate link), and poured a second set of half batches of melted candy into squeeze bottles (the ones we used for making gummy creations)...

...to make it easier for filling in details, like the bow ties, in one color...

...before filling the pan with another.

A few minutes in the fridge, and the bears were ready to pull right out of the pans.

The half batch of the gummy recipe (or the entire amount listed at the top of this post) is enough to fill one bear pan completely, for a nice thick bear, or two pans halfway, for thinner bears.

Oh, and you need to let the bow ties, or other details, set up for a few minutes in the fridge or freezer, before pouring in the rest of the gelatin, which should have cooled just a little by then too.  Otherwise the bow ties will run, or be completely absorbed into the new color. 

If the gelatin cools too much for pouring, you can remelt it, by holding the squeeze bottle down in a cup or pan of hot water.

Allow the gummies to set out for a few hours, to dry to whatever texture you like, and then store them in an airtight container.  I imagine they'd be good for a few days, but honestly ours are pretty much always all devoured before they finish drying, so I can't say for sure.