Aplets and Cotlets are a delicious Northwest candy that is made with gelatin, walnuts, and apples. Developed by two Armenian men, Armen Tertsgian and Mark Balaban, who bought an apple farm (called Liberty Orchards) in the small town of Cashmere in eastern Washington state, Aplet and Cotlet candies are considered a Northwest delicacy.

Times were tough in 1918 for most orchard growers, and Tertsagian and Balaban searched for new ways to make use of their surplus fruit. Apple dehydration seemed a logical first move, and coinciding with America's involvement in World War I, the orchard owners began providing apples for U.S. soldiers. After the war, they remembered the popular eastern candy they had loved as children called rahat locum or Turkish Delight.

After much research and development on their kitchen stove, they perfected a delicious apple and walnut recipe that they called Aplets.

In 1963, at the Seattle World's Fair, they introduced hundreds of thousands of people from outside the Northwest to this candy.

Northwest Apple Candy (Aplets)

1 cup chopped (red or golden) Delicious apples
Cold water
5 tablespoons reserved apple liquid
2 cups granulated sugar
3 envelopes of unflavored gelatin (approximately 2 1/2 tablespoons)
1 cup cold water
1/8 teaspoon rose culinary essence or 1 tablespoon rose flower water*
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
Powdered (confectioner) sugar

* Culinary rose essence can be found in Asian or Indian grocery and spice stores. If you are unable to find culinary essence or rose water, substitute 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice.
Butter an 8-inch square pan.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, add chopped apples and enough cold water to cover apples by 1 inch. Bring to a boil; boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Turn heat to low and simmer another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
Drain off liquid, reserving 5 tablespoons apple liquid. In a food processor, puree apples with reserved apple liquid until smooth. Return apple mixture back to saucepan over low, add sugar and heat and stir just until sugar is melted. Remove from heat.
In a small bowl, combine gelatin and cold water; add to apple/sugar mixture, stirring constantly until dissolved. Add rose culinary essence (or lemon juice) and walnuts; stir until well blended.
Pour into prepared pan; cool at least 2 hours but preferably overnight. With an oiled knife, cut into 1-inch squares, then roll in powdered sugar.
Store, covered, in the refrigerator.
Makes 64 candy squares.

Northwest Apricot Candy (Cotlets)

6 ounces dried apricots
Cold water
5 tablespoons reserved apricot liquid
2 cups granulated sugar
3 envelopes of unflavored g elatin (approximately 2 1/2 tablespoons)
1 cup cold water
1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
Powdered (confectioner) sugar

Butter an 8-inch square pan.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, add dried apricots and enough cold water to cover apricots by 1 inch. Bring to a boil; boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Turn heat to low and simmer another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until apricots are soft. Remove from heat.

Drain off liquid, reserving 5 tablespoons apricot liquid; set aside. In a food processor, puree apricots with reserved apricot liquid until smooth. Return apricot mixture back to saucepan over low, add sugar and heat and stir just until sugar is melted. Remove from heat.

In a small bowl, combine gelatin and cold water; add to apricot/sugar mixture, stirring constantly until dissolved. Add lemon juice and walnuts; stir until well blended.

Pour into prepared pan; cool at least 2 hours but preferably overnight. With an oiled knife, cut into 1-inch squares, then roll in powdered sugar.

Store, covered, in the refrigerator.

Makes 64 candy squares.

Northwest Apple and Apricot Candy (Aplets and Cotlets)

Northwest Apple Candy (Aplets)

Northwest Apricot Candy (Cotlets)