 |
Clear Toy
Candy
Ingredients
- 2 cups
granulated cane sugar (don't use beet sugar)
- 2/3 cup
light corn syrup (preferably Karo red label)
- 2/3 cup
water
- good
quality olive oil
- paper
towels
- rubber
bands
- few drops
of peppermint, wintergreen or cinnamon extract
- few drops
red or green coloring
- wax paper
and parchment paper
- wooden
sticks (optional for lollipops)
- 8 or 9
inch lengths plastic fishing line (optional for sugarplums)
- Tools/Equipment
- heavy
saucepan
- candy
thermometer
- candy
molds
- screwdriver
- cookie
sheet (optional)
Method
In a
heavy saucepan, preferably one with a good pouring lip, combine the sugar,
syrup and water. Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly,
until the sugar is completely dissolved and you can see that the mixture
is getting hot. Insert a candy thermometer, and do not stir after the
candy reaches 200 °F. Meanwhile, prepare the molds. Brush each
liberally with olive oil and turn them upside down for a few minutes on
paper towels to drain off any excess oil.
Turn them right side up and
fasten together with rubber bands.
Place them in a row, closely
together, so they prop each other up.
Cook the candy to 290° F if it
is a clear day, and to 300° F if it is the least bit humid. (This took
nearly 40 minutes on my stove over medium low heat.) When the candy
is within 10 degrees of the desired temperature, add the flavoring and
coloring. Do not stir in; the bubbling of the mixture will do the
combining. No color is required for yellow candy. If making
molded candies, quickly pour the candy into the molds; the mixture might
foam up a bit in the molds, so be careful. Allow the candy to stand
for approximately 15 minutes. The candy should not be allowed to cool
completely in the molds or you won't be able to get it out. If you
take it out too soon, the figures will bend; keep checking them, and you
will soon be able to discern when it is time to remove the candy. Remove
the rubber bands and, with a screwdriver, pry the molds apart. With a
small knife, carefully lift out the candy. The little pieces will be
quite firm, the larger pieces a tad soft. For very large molds such
as a ship or train mold, allow the candy to set in the molds for a few
minutes longer. Store unwrapped on wax paper lined plates. To
make lollipops, arrange wooden sticks (available at hobby and food
specialty stores) in rows on parchment lined or greased cookie sheets. Pour
the hot syrup in a thin stream over each stick, forming rounds of candy as
large or as small as you like. Let cool. To make sugar plums for
hanging, make loops of the fishing line on parchment covered or well
greased baking sheets, or in miniature muffin cups. Drop the candy
mixture from the tip of a teaspoon over each loop. Let cool.
Yield: 10
molded candies; 20 lollipops, or 100 sugarplums
Hints
for Making and Testing Homemade Candy
|
