With Halloween approaching I am sure many of you will be purchasing hard candy or lollipops for Trick-or-Treaters. If you feel adventurous give this recipe a try.
Ingredients: 1 1/2 lb (3 cups) Sugar * 10 oz (3/4 cup) Light Corn Syrup * 4 oz (1/2 cup) Water * 1 1/2 teaspoon peppermint, cinnamon or lemon extract paste food coloring~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Directions: Combine the sugar, corn syrup and water in a 2-quart saucepan. Stir while bringing to a boil. Cover the saucepan and boil for 4 minutes. Remove the cover, insert a thermometer and cook without stirring until the temperature reaches 310 degrees (F). Remove from the heat and shock the saucepan in ice water for 20 seconds to prevent carryover cooking. Allow the cooked sugar to sit undisturbed for 5 minutes to cool and for bubbles to subside. Gently mix in the paste food coloring until the batch is uniform in color. Pour the candy into an oiled 9-inch square pan and allow to cool until the candy is firm yet still pliable. Turn the slab of candy out of the pan and cut into 1-inch strips using shears. Cut the strips into 1-inch pieces to make 1-inch square individual hard candies. If necessary, the candy can be gently warmed in a 200 degree (F) oven to maintain pliability. Allow the candy to cool fully and either wrap in plastic individually or store at room temperature in an airtight container. For lollipops pour the cooled candy onto a piece of oiled aluminum foil on the counter top. Pour into disks the desired size and push a lollipop stick into the sugar before it hardens. NOTES: Be careful to cook the sugar accurately. If the candy is cooked to a temperature too high it will have a caramel color and flavor. If cooked too low it will stick to your teeth rather than break cleanly. If using fruit flavors the addition of 1/2 tsp. of citric acid after cooking will enhance the flavor. DO NOT stir the sugar during the cooling stage. Now I know this seems like a lot of work but just think how much fun it can be with the kids. ~ Chef ~
