Hard Candy- Christmas Cookies-December 2009

We had a friend of the family who always made hard candy as a gift for Christmas.  It was always several color coded flavors which were broken into shards and coated with powdered sugar.  I figured I’d try to replicate that candy.  I could only find two flavors that interested me:  peppermint and watermelon.

Here’s the basic recipe:

2 cups of sugar

1 cup of corn syrup

1 tablespoon of water

1 teaspoon of candy flavoring

food coloring

Pretty simple really mix the sugar, water and corn syrup in a sauce pan and heat to Hard Crack Stage (302 degree F). 

 Add the candy flavoring and food coloring.  Pour into mold.  Chill.  Break out of mold. Coat with powdered sugar.

It’s kind of magical.  When candy flavoring hits the sugar mixture the aroma fills the house.  Also, it gets in your eyes and in the case of peppermint leaves you crying like an infant while you pour the molten sugar into molds.

 The molds didn’t turn out so good. 

 If anyone has any experience with candy making and mold usage I’d love to have some tips/tricks.

 They were tasty and I'll try more flavors next year.