Making Hard Apple Candy

You can make your own hard apple flavored candy at home. This is a fun activity you can do on a rainy day with ingredients in your home as long as you have candy oil in the cupboard. Your children can help you to make these, but only if they are older than 7 or 8 years old, because the hot sugar used could cause a burn. Most of the supplies can be found in specialty candy making stores or in the baking section of a craft store or supermarket. Unlike most hard candies, which require cooking on the stove, you can make these with a microwave oven.

Things You'll Need

• 1 cup white (granulated) sugar 3/4 cup light corn syrup 1 tsp. apple flavored candy oil Microwave safe 4 cup glass container Microwave oven 2 spoons 2 to 3 drops green food coloring (optional) Plastic wrap Parchment paper 9 x 13-inch baking pan with raised sides Knife Powdered sugar for coating Air tight container Wax paper

Instructions

1. Combine the sugar and the light corn syrup in the microwave safe container and stir thoroughly.

2. Line the baking sheet with the parchment paper to completely cover.

3. Cover the container with plastic wrap and place in the microwave.

4. Heat on high for 3 minutes and 15 seconds.

5. Immediately remove from the microwave oven, pull off the plastic wrap and stir.

6. Discard the plastic wrap and recover the container with a new piece of plastic wrap.

7. Microwave on high for another 3 minutes and 15 seconds.

8. Immediately remove from the microwave, pull off the plastic wrap and discard. Stir thoroughly with a clean spoon.

9. Wait for the bubbling to stop before stirring in both the apple candy oil and the food coloring (if using).

10. Pour slowly onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet until all of the syrup is on the sheet. Draw light score lines in the top of the candy with the knife to the desired size for the finished candy pieces.

11. Wait for the candy to cool and harden. Break apart by lightly tapping the candy along the score lines.

12. Toss the candy in powdered sugar and store in an airtight container between layers of wax paper.

Tips & Warnings

• Use flavoring oil made for candy making. It is stronger than extracts seen on the spice aisle. If you cannot find candy oil at your local store, you can find it by doing a search for "candy oil" on the Internet. Parchment paper is a silicone coated paper that is nonstick and heat resistant. It is located next to the aluminum foil in most supermarkets. Do not substitute wax paper.