How To Make Old Fashioned Hard Candy Food

HOW TO MAKE OLD FASHIONED HARD CANDY

Steps:

• Before you make candy of any kind, read through the entire instructions for the individual recipe. You need to be thoroughly aware of what the recipe requires before starting because candy needs precise temperature control and precise actions at the times that the recipe states. Most importantly, remember that candy not attended to is candy that burns!
• Check the temperature before making candy. Candy should not be made when the weather is high in humidity or rainy or it has a hard time setting. Check the room temperature--it should be around 60ºF-68ºF (15.5ºC-20ºC), with low humidity. If you have no choice about cooking in sub-optimal temperature conditions, you may be able to compensate by cooking the candy 1 to 2 degrees higher than recommended by the recipe. Altitude will affect the outcome; if you live at high altitude, you may need to make adjustments in accordance with the usual recommendations for high altitude cooking.
• If you don't already have one, purchase a candy thermometer of good quality. You need to be happy about working with great precision when making candy--it's a science as well as an art. For more details on selecting a candy thermometer, see How to choose a candy thermometer. Never touch the base of a saucepan with a candy thermometer. The pan must always be long enough that the thermometer does not reach the bottom when hung on the pan lip.
• Avoid changing the ingredient amounts in a recipe. They are precise because they work. Even doubling ingredients in a candy recipe can result in a failure.
• For the heat source, choose the burner that is wider than the cooking pan you're using. This ensures more even heating.
• Know how to test the hardness of candy. This can be done manually or using a thermometer. The thermometer is easiest, but it's handy to know how to test the temperature manually, which you can learn to do before using a recipe by reading How to test candy hardness stages.

OLD FASHIONED HARD CANDY

Steps:

• Generously coat a cookie sheet with confectioners' sugar, and set aside.
• In a heavy bottomed saucepan, stir together the white sugar, water and corn syrup until sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil over medium-high and cook to a temperature of 300 to 310 degrees F (149 to 154 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms hard, brittle threads. Remove from heat, and stir in the flavored oil and food coloring.
• Immediately pour the sugar mixture onto the prepared cookie sheet in a thin stream (this helps it cool). When the candy is cool enough for the outer edge to hold its shape, cut into bite size pieces with scissors. Let cool completely, then store in an airtight container.

OLD FASHIONED HARD CANDY

Steps:

• Butter two 15x10x1-in. pans; set aside. In a large heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, water and food coloring. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reads 300° (hard-crack stage). , Remove from the heat; stir in flavoring. Immediately pour into prepared pans; cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar; break into pieces. Store in airtight containers.

OLD-FASHIONED HOMEMADE HARD CANDY

Steps:

• In a heavy 2 quart saucepan, combine the sugar, water and corn syrup. Cook, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved; then cook without stirring, lowering the heat and cooking more slowly during the last few minutes, to the hard crack stage (300 degrees F), If sugar crystals form on sides of pan, wipe them off with a damp brush.
• Remove from heat, add oil flavoring and enough food coloring to color; stir only to mix. Pour into 2 well buttered 9 inch pans. Set one pan of candy over a sauce pan containing hot water (unless you have a helper to help cut the candy). As soon as the other pan of candy is cool enough to handle, cut it with scissors into 1-inch strips. Then snip the strips into pieces. Work fast. Drop the pieces onto a buttered baking sheet. If the candy cools too quickly, set it on a saucepan over hot water to soften it, but if it gets sticky, return at once to the work counter.
• Toss in a small amount of powdered sugar to keep from sticking together. Repeat with the second pan of candy.

OLD-FASHIONED RIBBON CANDY RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Prepare four cookie sheets by spraying them with nonstick cooking spray or covering them with a light layer of oil.
• Preheat oven to 200 F. Combine sugar, corn syrup, and water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring continuously, until sugar dissolves.
• Insert a candy thermometer and continue cooking without stirring until candy reaches 285 F (soft-crack stage).
• Once the proper temperature is reached, remove candy from heat immediately and stir in peppermint extract.
• Pour 1/3 of the mixture onto a prepared cookie sheet and place it in the heated oven to stay warm.
• Pour another 1/3 onto a second sheet and sprinkle green food coloring on top. Place this sheet in the oven as well.
• Add red food coloring to remaining 1/3 of candy.
• Pour candy out onto a marble slab or heat-safe cutting board. Allow it to sit briefly until it forms a "skin."
• Spray a bench scraper or heat-safe spatula with nonstick cooking spray, and use the tool to begin spreading candy out and pushing it back together, working it across the board and allowing it to cool. Don't forget to check out the instructions showing how to pull candy if you get confused about the process.
• As soon as the candy is cool enough to handle, but still quite hot, begin to pull it. If you have plastic gloves, put them on and spray the gloves with nonstick cooking spray-this will help prevent overheated or burned hands. Take candy in both hands and pull hands in opposite directions, stretching candy into a long rope.
• Bring ends of strands together and twist candy into a rope.
• Then pull rope out into a long strand.
• Continue to twist and pull candy until it has a satin-like finish and is an opaque red color.
• Once candy is still pliable, but barely warm, pull it into a strand about 2 inches thick, and place it on remaining prepared baking sheet. Put this sheet back into oven, and remove baking sheet with uncolored candy syrup. The pulled candy will remain pliable in the warm oven while you work the second portion.
• Repeat pulling procedure with the second, uncolored portion of candy. In the end, candy should be a pearly white color.
• Form into a log 2 inches in diameter, just like red candy.
• Repeat pulling procedure with last, green portion of candy. In the end, candy should be an opaque and satiny green color.
• Form into a log 2 inches in diameter.
• Remove candies from oven. Cut a 5-inch segment from each of the green, white, and red logs, and place them next to each other on fourth greased cookie sheet, with the white in the middle.
• Begin to pull candies together, gently molding them together as candy gets thinner. Try to end up with a very thin piece of tri-colored candy 1-inch in height.
• Once twisted candy is the shape you want, use oiled kitchen shears to cut them to into approximately 6- to 8-inch lengths.
• Immediately push them into a ribbon shape and place them on a baking sheet to set at room temperature.
• Repeat pulling and cutting with remaining candy.
• If candy gets too hard to pull, place in the warm oven for a few minutes to soften, but don't let it sit too long and melt.
• The ribbons will get very hard at room temperature, but if left out for long periods of time they will get soft and sticky, so be sure to wrap them in cellophane once set.

OLD FASHIONED MACINTOSH TOFFEE

Steps:

• Grease an 8" cake pan.
• In a large heavy saucepan, soften the butter.
• Stir in remaining ingredients.
• Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium high heat.
• Candy thermometer should reach 260 degrees or hard ball.
• Stir constantly as it will stick to the pan easily.
• Pour into pan quickly and cool.
• You may make a softer toffee by decreasing cooking time slightly.

OLD-FASHIONED LOLLIPOPS

Steps:

• Place lollipop sticks in hard candy molds or arrange sticks 3 in. apart on greased foil-lined baking sheets; set aside., In a heavy saucepan, combine corn syrup and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cover and cook for 3 minutes to dissolve sugar crystals. Uncover and cook over medium-high heat, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reads 300° (hard-crack stage). , Remove from the heat; stir in flavoring and food coloring, keeping face away from mixture as odor is very strong. Immediately pour into prepared molds or pour free-form over ends of lollipop sticks on baking sheets. Let cool before removing.

OLD FASHIONED MOLASSES CANDY

Steps:

• Butter a jelly roll pan.set aside.
• In a heavy pan, combine sugar,corn syrup and vinegar.
• Cook over low heat till sugar is dissolved, stirring frequently, increase heat to medium.
• cook until candy thermometer reads 245* stirring occasionally.
• Add molasses and remaining butter (2 tbls) and cook, uncovered, until 260*, stirring occasionally --
• Remove from heat and add baking soda, beat well.
• Pour into prepared pan.let stand 5 minutes or cool enough to handle.
• Butter fingers, pull until candy is firm but pliable.
• Color will be light tan.
• When candy is ready for cutting, pull into a 1/2" rope.
• cut in 1" pieces and wrap in waxed paper or colored candy wrappers.

SPONGE CANDY

Steps:

• Line a 9×9 baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
• In a medium heavy-bottomed, tall sided saucepan over medium heat, stir together the corn syrup, brown sugar, and vinegar. Stir frequently, bringing mixture to a boil.
• Once the mixture is boiling, attach a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan, making sure the tip of the thermometer is in the boiling liquid, but not touching the bottom of the pan.
• Continue to cook on medium without stirring the candy until it reaches 300°F on your candy thermometer.
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the baking soda. Mixture will bubble up creating the bubbles and texture in the candy. Mix only until the baking soda is evenly combined, careful not to over-stir as this will deflate the bubbles.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared pan as evenly as you can. Tilt the pan around to help the candy spread, but don't hit the pan or use a spatula to spread, as this will deflate the bubbles. It's ok if it's not perfectly even.
• Sprinkle with flaked sea salt if desired, and allow the candy to cool in the pan for at least an hour.
• Remove candy from the pan using the parchment paper to lift it out and break the candy into pieces using a mallet or a knife. I don't worry too much about the pieces being perfectly shaped.

OLD FASHIONED HARD CANDY

Steps:

• 1. In a heavy 2 quart saucepan, combine the sugar, water and corn syrup. Cook, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved; then cook without stirring, lowering the heat and cooking more slowly during the last few minutes, to the hard crack stage (300 degrees F), If sugar crystals form on sides of pan, wipe them off with a damp brush. Remove from heat,
• 2. add oil flavoring and enough food coloring to color; stir only to mix. Pour into 2 well buttered 9 inch pans. Set one pan of candy over a sauce pan containing hot water (unless you have a helper to help cut the candy). As soon as the other pan of candy is cool enough to handle, cut it with scissors into 1-inch strips. Then snip the strips into pieces. Work fast. Drop the pieces onto a buttered baking sheet. If the candy cools too quickly, set it on a saucepan over hot water to soften it, but if it gets sticky, return at once to the work counter.
• 3. Toss in a small amount of powdered sugar to keep from sticking together. Repeat with the second pan of candy.

OLD FASHIONED MOLASSES CANDY

Steps:

• 1. Stir the brown sugar, molasses, butter and vinegar together. Boil them to the hard ball stage (drop forms a hard ball in ice cold water). Add the baking soda and stir rapidly. Turn the mixture at once into a buttered shallow pan 8" square. If desired, spread chopped nuts over the top. Cool the candy and break it into pieces for serving.

OLD FASHIONED HARD CANDY RECIPE

Steps:

• In a heavy 2 quart saucepan, combine the sugar, water and corn syrup. Cook, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved; then cook without stirring, lowering the heat and cooking more slowly during the last few minutes, to the hard crack stage (300 degrees F), If sugar crystals form on sides of pan, wipe them off with a damp brush. Remove from heat, add oil flavoring and enough food coloring to color; stir only to mix. Pour into 2 well buttered 9 inch pans. Set one pan of candy over a sauce pan containing hot water (unless you have a helper to help cut the candy). As soon as the other pan of candy is cool enough to handle, cut it with scissors into 1-inch strips. Then snip the strips into pieces. Work fast. Drop the pieces onto a buttered baking sheet. If the candy cools too quickly, set it on a saucepan over hot water to soften it, but if it gets sticky, return at once to the work counter. Toss in a small amount of powdered sugar to keep from sticking together. Repeat with the second pan of candy.