How to Make Hard Candy

Birthday Parties. Graduation Parties. Holiday Celebrations. Baby and Wedding Showers. Unique candies always make these events more festive. Making hard candies allows you to personalize these candies, using a variety of candy molds, flavors and colors. While you're out shopping for supplies, it's a good idea to purchase several different candy molds; once you have the basic supplies, it is easy to whip up a few candies.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Large, heavy sauce pan
• Dry measuring cup
• 2 c. Granulated sugar
• Liquid measuring cup
• 2/3 c. Light corn syrup
• ¾ c. Water
• Wooden stirring spoon
• Hot pads
• Pot holders
• Candy thermometer
• Measuring spoons
• 1 tsp. Candy flavoring
• ½ tsp. Food coloring
• Candy mold (not chocolate molds) or large cookie sheet
• Cooking spray (vegetable oil)
• Glass measuring cup with a pouring spout
• Table knife (optional)
• Waxed paper (optional)
• Powdered sugar (optional)

1. Measure the granulated sugar and add to the large, heavy sauce pan. Measure light corn syrup and add to the saucepan. Measure water and add to the saucepan. Mix well.

2. Place saucepan on the stove. Attach the candy thermometer to the sauce pan, making sure that the bulb of the thermometer is in the sugar/water mixture, but does not touch the bottom of the saucepan.

3. Turn the stove on to a medium heat. Stir the sugar/water mixture constantly until the sugar dissolves and makes a syrup. Stop stirring and continue cooking the syrup until it comes to a boil.

4. Watch the thermometer. When the temperature of the syrup reach 260 degrees, add the food coloring. Do not stir. The boiling action will incorporate the coloring.

5. Continue to boil the syrup until the temperature reaches 300 degrees; remove the sauce pan from heat. (You can also tell when it is ready to remove by dropping some of the syrup into a cup of cold water; it will form hard brittle threads in the cold water). The temperature will continue to rise after you remove the saucepan from the heat, so remove the sauce pan precisely when the thermometer reaches 300 degrees.

6. Wait until the syrup quits boiling. While you are waiting, spray the candy molds or the cookie sheet. Once the syrup quits boiling, add the flavoring. Stir the syrup gently to incorporate the flavoring.

7. Pour the syrup into the glass measuring cup that has a pouring spout. Carefully pour the syrup into the prepared candy molds. If you prefer, pour the syrup onto the cookie sheet and then score it with a table knife to indicate where it will be broken later. The pieces from the cookie sheet will have an irregular shape.

8. Allow the candy to cool before removing from the candy molds or breaking the candy on the cookie sheet. You can dust the candy with powdered sugar to help prevent sticking. Store in an airtight container.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure the glass measuring cup is completely dry before pouring the hot syrup into it; any moisture can affect the syrup.
• You can make lollipops by using a sucker mold and adding a candy stick after pouring the syrup into the molds. It would be difficult to do this for syrup poured onto the cookie sheet as the stick would need to be supported until it hardens.
• Be careful when adding the flavoring as the rising steam can burn.
• The hot syrup can burn.

Resources

• Get Suckered
• Sugar Craft
• Confectionery House

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