failed Apple candy

Last week I made Apple Candy from Bruce Weinstein's Ultimate Candy Book. I expected something soft and chewy (it's in the section of the book called "soft and chewy treats"). Instead, I ended up with gooey blobs. They are too soft to be chewy. They offer no resistance to the tooth. There is nothing chewy about them.

I don't know what went wrong. The flavor was good, though, thanks to good applesauce used as a base. I think the problem may have been with the cornstarch. Adding the cornstarch to the hot fruit and sugar mixture did not seem to do anything. The recipe also calls for gelatin, which I put in.

The picture at the top of this post shows the candies after they were dusted with powdered sugar. The sugar melted and turned into white sludge.

If anybody knows of a good recipe for chewy apple candy, please let me know.

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