Makes about 150 individual candies
This basic recipe can be used in many different ways: poured into molds, poured into pools with a stick for lollipops, put in a pan and cut before it completely cools, or dipped into to make candied apples or candy-dipped fruits, to name just a few.
Ingredients
- 1 lb 8 oz (3 cups) sugar
- 10 oz (3/4 cup) light corn syrup
- 4 oz (1/2 cup) water
- Color (see Keys to Success), as desired
- Flavoring (see Keys to Success), as desired
Directions
- Combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a 2-quart saucepan. Stir while bringing to a boil.
- Cover the saucepan and boil for 4 minutes. Remove the cover, insert a thermometer, and cook without stirring until the temperature reaches 310°F.
- Remove from the heat and shock the saucepan in ice water for 20 seconds to prevent carryover cooking.
- Allow the cooked sugar to sit undisturbed for 5 minutes to cool and for bubbles to subside.
- Gently mix in the color and flavoring until the batch is uniform in color.
- Pour the candy into an oiled 9-inch square pan and allow to cool until the candy is fi rm yet still pliable.
- Turn the slab of candy out of the pan and cut it into 1-inch strips using shears. Cut the 1-inch strips into 1-inch pieces to make 1-inch square individual hard candies. If necessary, the candy can be gently warmed in a 200°F oven to maintain pliability.
- Allow the candy to cool fully, and store at room temperature in an airtight container.
FREE-FORM LOLLIPOPS Pour the cooled candy onto a piece of oiled aluminum foil that has been flattened on a countertop. Pour disks the desired size, and push a lollipop stick into the sugar before it hardens.
MOLDED HARD CANDIES OR LOLLIPOPS After the candy has cooked and been allowed to cool for 5 minutes, pour it into molds made for hard candies or lollipops. Push a lollipop stick into the sugar before it hardens. Unmold when the candy has cooled.
Keys to Success
- Be careful to cook the sugar accurately. If the candy is cooked to too high a temperature, it will have a caramel color and flavor; if cooked too low, it will stick to your teeth rather than breaking cleanly.
- Exercise extreme caution when cooking sugar for hard candy, as it can cause severe burns.
- Paste colors are preferred, but liquid colors may be used as well.
- Flavorings vary greatly in strength, and so the amounts will vary. If using fruit flavors, the addition of 1/2 teaspoon citric acid after cooking will enhance the flavor.
- Do not stir the sugar during the cooling stage.
