Holiday Hard Candy
Servings: 45 candies
Calories: 49kcal
An easy, sweet treat that makes a beautiful food gift. If you can boil water and measure sugar, you can make holiday hard candies!
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Equipment
- Saucepan
- Candy thermometer
- Candy Molds (optional)
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups granulated white sugar
- ½ cup light corn syrup light-colored, not "lite"!
- ½ cup water
- 1 tsp. food-grade flavored oil
- Liquid food coloring 5-15 drops, depending on desired intensity
Instructions
- Line an 8x8x2 inch pan with foil. Use oil or cooking spray to grease it. (If using candy molds, set them on a baking sheet for support and lightly coat them with butter or cooking spray.)
- Combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally.
- Clip a candy thermometer onto the edge of the pan, taking care the bulb doesn't touch the bottom of the pan. Continue to boil, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 300°F/150°C (hard crack stage). To make sure it's reached the proper stage, drop a tiny amount in a cup full of ice water then fish it out with a spoon. Take a bite -- if it crunches, it's ready. If not, wait a minute then try again.
- Working quickly, remove the pan from the heat. Take out the thermometer and stir in the coloring and flavoring. Pour the candy into the foil-lined pan or sprayed molds.
- If using a foil-lined pan, score the candy into 1/2-inch squares using a pizza cutter or butter knife. If the lines don't hold shape, wait 2 minutes then try again.
- Wait 20 minutes then separate the candy into squares, or pop it out of the candy molds. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 49kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 3mg | Sugar: 13g | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 1mg