Making Your Own Candy Canes

by Valorie Delp | More from this Blogger

09 Dec 2007 06:19 AM

I love making candy at Christmas time. My friends frequently assume that their Christmas tin from me is filled with fudge and homemade bon bons. This is a fairly impressive feat considering the kitchen I have to work with. I don't even have a double boiler or a candy thermometer. (I use the old fashioned method for testing candy.) But I find it very satisfying to make my own candy canes.

This is definitely a recipe to save for AFTER the kids go to bed. It requires testing burning hot candy, working with very warm candy and all sorts of other things that are just not great for little kids to do.

Candy Cane Recipe:

6 c. sugar

3 c. cold water

2 tbsp light corn syrup

1/8 tsp. salt

1 tsp cream of tartar

peppermint flavoring (about 3 tsp.)

food coloring

Mix all ingredients except for flavoring, coloring and cream of tartar in a 6-7 qt. saucepan. After the sugar is dissolved, do not stir. Bring to a rolling boil, and wash down the crystals, then add cream of tartar. Boil until it reaches the hard crack stage (see below). Pour most of it out onto a greased cookie sheet or marble slab. Pour the rest into a small metal dish. DO NOT MOVE UNTIL PARTLY COOL. Turn the edges in, and add flavoring (2 tsp in the pan, 1 tsp in the bowl). Add food coloring if desired to the small dish. Pull the candy in the large pan until creamy, then form into a ball. (I like to use a greased pair of new rubber gloves normally used for cleaning.) Form the candy in the small bowl into one long strip. Wrap the colored strip around the middle of the ball. Stretch and roll, twisting to form the traditional stripe on the stick. Cut into several lengths as necessary using kitchen shears. When desired diameter is achieved, cut and form into canes. If the candy gets too cold to work, put on a wooden bread board in a warm oven.

Learn more about Valorie Delp

Hello everybody! My name is Valorie and I am one busy lady! When I'm not writing or editing for families, I am busy trying to get my brood of 5 in line.

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