Dragonfly Reservation Gum 4.14 The Incredible Sinking Lorelais

“We're up and running!” “But you wrote it down on a gum wrapper.” “So?” “It's embarrassing. This is a historical document.” “Who cares what she wrote it down on?” “Big Red wrapper.”

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup gum base pellets

• 2 tbsp corn syrup

• 2 tsp cinnamon extract

• Red food coloring

• ¾ cup powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water and place over high heat to bring to a boil. Pour the gum base pellets into a heat-safe disposable container and place in the boiling water. I recommend using a disposable container because this will get very sticky.

2. Once the gum pellets have fully melted, remove from the boiling water and turn off the heat.

3. Add the corn syrup and stir to combine. I recommend also using a plastic spoon here because of how sticky the mixture will get.

4. Stir in the cinnamon extract and the red food coloring to reach your desired color.

5. Pour about half of the powdered sugar onto a clean surface. Carefully scrape the gum mixture onto the powdered sugar and begin to knead the mixture. Add the rest of the powdered sugar then knead to form a small ball.

6. Using a rolling pin (or a clean jar or wine bottle if you don’t have a rolling pin) to roll out the gum to about ¼ inch thick. This can take a while, but just be patient. If the gum becomes too sticky, sprinkle some more powdered sugar onto the surface and/or the rolling pin.

7. Trim the sides of the gum to create a square with smooth edges. Mine was about 6x6 inches.

8. Cut the square in half then each half into 6 even strips that are about 3 inches long.

9. Wrap the gum in foil to keep fresh!

This is what the melted gum base looks like, not the most appealing

The Dragonfly Inn has its first reservation! And Lorelai writes it down on a gum wrapper, so I thought what better way of celebrating this monumental moment than making my own gum. I researched a few different recipes to make your own gum, and they all required a gum base. I searched high and low to find it sold on its own, and everywhere sold it in giant batches for a high price point. I just couldn’t justify paying that much money, just to make my own gum. So, I found an affordable gum making kit that included the gum base pellets that I needed. I just had to add my own flavoring and coloring.

Once you roll out your gum to 1/4 in thickness, trim the edges.

The gum wrapper that Lorelai writes on is Big Red—a cinnamon-flavored gum. Instead of adding ground cinnamon, which would have turned my gum a weird brown color, I used cinnamon extract, which also provided a stronger cinnamon flavor than the ground stuff. I was running low on red food coloring (I blame the heart cookies from Hammers and Veils, the tye-dyed waffles from The Fundamental Things Apply, and all the pink icing I’ve had to make for this project). So, my gum definitely turned out a little more pink than red.

The gum can be difficult to cut through. Make sure you use a very sharp knife.

Season 4 isn’t my favorite of the show, but I do love how the Dragonfly starts to come together, and Lorelai begins to see her dream coming true. This scene, getting her first reservation, is such a special one, and I love watching her beam proudly at the gum wrapper. We’ve gotten some snow here in Texas, and while it hasn’t been as bad as last year’s disaster, it’s still a little nerve-wracking. I hope everyone is staying safe and warm!

Happy Cooking from the Hollow!

If you missed what I made last week, catch up here!

Do you think Lorelai's desk is neat or a little messy?