Crafty Friday 12/10 - Holiday Hard Candy

Happy Friday y'all! That's me using a Texan accent (unsuccessfully I might add). :)

I hope this Friday finds you calm and mostly done with your holiday projects. I know I'm not. Too much still to do.

I've been in a baking mood the last couple days and I thought I'd share this easy hard candy recipe.



Hard Candy

2 cups sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup water
1 dram LorAnn Gourmet flavoring (1 tiny bottle found with the candy making supplies)
liquid food coloring
powdered sugar

Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. In a large saucepan, mix together sugar, corn syrup and water. Stirring constantly with wooden spoon until completely dissolved. Bring to a boil.

Boil until mixture reaches 260*F. Add food coloring (start with just a couple drops at first). Continue boiling until candy reaches 300*F. Remove from heat and stir in flavoring.

Pour candy onto the sprayed pan. Let sit until completely cooled. Crack into pieces and dust with powdered sugar to prevent sticking.


Tips for making hard candy:

• Invest in a candy thermometer. Also check the thermometer before each use by placing it in a pot of boiling water. If it reads anything other than 212* you need to adjust your final temp. (If it reads 214* add 2 degrees to your final temp etc.)
• Check you local weather. Really. Humidity wrecks havoc with candy making. Wait for a clear, dry day.
• Use a heavy bottom sauce pot to boil your candy in. This is not the time to use a cheap pan. Most pans don't handle the extreme heat of the sugar syrup very well.

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