candy

Calibrate your thermometer!!!
At sea level, water boils at 212º. Recipes are written for sea level. To check the accuracy of your thermometer and to adjust for differences in elevation, follow these steps:

1. Pour a couple of inches of water in small pan.
2. Clip candy thermometer to side of pan.
3. Bring water to boil. Boil 5 minutes.
4. Checking at eye level, note the temperature of the boiling water.
5. Adjust the temperatures in your recipe accordingly.
6. Discard water and dry pan and thermometer.

For example: If your recipe tells you to cook a syrup to 242º, but your water boiled at 203º, subtract 9º from the final temperature on your recipe. You will boil your syrup to only 233º.

NOTE: Watch all candies carefully, especially the last 10º of cooking, as temperatures can spike quickly.

FOR RECIPES USING A THERMOMETER: Use both the thermometer AND the cold water test.

3 ¾ cups powdered sugar = 1 pound
2 ¼ cups brown sugar = 1 pound

Old Fashioned Taffy



1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cups corn syrup

1/2 cup cold water

2 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. vinegar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 drop red food coloring concentrate



1. In a 4-quart saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, water, butter and vinegar.

2. Stir and cook on high heat until the mixture boils rapidly. Wipe down the sides of the pan, the thermometer, and wash your candy paddle. Turn down your stove temperature to medium/high.

3. Stop stirring and let boil to 252° F, or until a bit tested in cold water forms a fairly hard ball.

4. Remove from heat and add flavoring and coloring.

5. Without scraping the saucepan, carefully pour hot syrup onto buttered marble slab.

6. Fold cooled edges to center with dinner knives on the cutting board until mixture is cool and thick enough to pull by hand. Butter hands and pull by hand until taffy lightens in color becomes difficult to pull.

7. Form into a rope and, using greased kitchen shears, cut into 1-inch lengths. Spread out on marble slab so pieces don’t touch each other. Allow to cool a bit before wrapping.

Sugared Walnuts
3 cups walnut halves
1 cup sugar
½ cup water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla

1. Heat oven to 350º. Place nuts on baking sheet and bake nuts in oven for 10 minutes, stirring often. Remove from oven and let cool.

2. Meanwhile, cook sugar, water, cinnamon and salt in 2 quart saucepan over medium heat to 236º without stirring.

3. Remove from heat and add vanilla and nuts. Stir to coat nuts.

4. Turn nuts out onto waxed paper. Separate and let cool.

English Toffee
2 cubes butter
2 Tablespoon water
1 cup sugar
½ bag (12 oz.) milk chocolate chips (1 cup)
1 cup chopped walnuts

1. Put half of the nuts in the bottom of a buttered 9 x 13 metal pan.

2. Measure and set chocolate chips aside (these will be used on top of the toffee – the heat of the candy will melt them when placed on the candy).
3. Put butter, water, and sugar in 4 quart saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and immediately wash down the sides of the pan.

4. During cooking, the candy will brown on the bottom of the pan. Cook on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until candy smokes and becomes the color of a brown paper grocery bag. This takes between 10 and 20 minutes.
5. Pour syrup over the nuts. Do not scrape the pan.
6. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top. Spread. Cover this with chopped nuts. 6. Place in refrigerator or freezer to set.
Tips: Stir until caramel color, keep the heat on medium-high, and don’t scrape sides of pan while boiling or pouring into 9x13 pan.



Super-Easy Fudge – Adapted from BCC pg. 189

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

1 bag (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)

1 ½ cups chopped nuts, if desired

1 teaspoon vanilla



1. Place a sheet of waxed paper in bottom of 8-inch square pan, allowing sides to stand up. When your fudge has cooled, this will allow you to easily lift the fudge out of the pan for cutting. Spray with cooking spray.

2. In 2-quart saucepan, heat milk and chocolate chips over low heat stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth; remove from heat.

3. Quickly stir in nuts and vanilla. Spread in pan. Refrigerate or freeze about 1 hour 30 minutes or until firm. Lifting with wax paper, remove from pan and cut into 1-inch squares.



Variations (NOT used in lab, but fun at home):

Super Rich Fudge: Add one ounce unsweetened baking chocolate with chocolate chips. Mint Fudge: Use ½ chocolate chips and ½ mint chips

Peanut butter Fudge: Use ½ chocolate chips and ½ peanut butter chips.



Marshmallows

1 cups sugar 1 egg whites, beaten stiff

1 tablespoons corn syrup 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup hot water dash of salt

1/3 cup chopped pecans

1 envelopes unflavored gelatin 3 tablespoons cup coconut

1/4 cup cold water 3 tablespoons decorative sprinkles

1/4 cup powdered sugar



1. Calibrate thermometer. Combine the sugar, corn syrup and hot water in a heavy small saucepan over high heat. Place lid on pan and allow steam to escape for 2 minutes (this will wash the crystals off the sides of the pan). Remove the lid and boil on medium-high heat to soft ball stage, 238°.

2. While the above mixture is cooking do the following: In a large mixing bowl (use your KitchenAid with the wire whip attachment), beat the egg whites until stiff, but not dry, and add the vanilla and salt to them.

3. Transfer the beaten egg whites to another bowl.

4. Combine the unflavored gelatin and the cold water in the large mixing bowl (use the KitchenAid with the wire whip attachment again). Whip until foamy and stiff.

5. As you continue to whip the gelatin mixture, pour the hot syrup slowly (the stream should be no bigger than a wooden match stick) into the gelatin mixture. Do not scrape the pan.

6. Beat on high until the mixture begins to thicken. It will look like whipped cream. While continuing to beat, and before mixture cools too much, add the beaten egg whites to the mixture.

7. Lightly spray a 9 x 9 cake pan with cooking oil spray. Pour the candy into the pan.

8. Place in refrigerator or freezer to set quickly.

9. Prepare a 2 cup measuring cup with boiling water.

10. When the marshmallows are thoroughly set, dust with powdered sugar and cut with scissors into 1 inch squares.

11. Roll the marshmallows in nuts, coconut, decorative sprinkles, or powdered sugar.

Rolo Turtles
25 rolo candies
25 small pretzel
25 pecan halves

Arrange the pretzels on a cookie sheet. Place a rolo on the top of each pretzel. Place in the oven at 250 degrees until the rolo starts to melts, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with a pecan half.

Divinity
4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light (not dark) corn syrup
3/4 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
3 egg whites (room temperature)
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 tsp vanilla

1. Calibrate thermometer. Combine sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt in 4 quart saucepan. Stir and cook on high until sugar is dissolved. Wash down the sides of the pan. Turn the heat down to medium/high and cook to 265°.

2. While the sugar mixture is cooking, beat egg whites in a large KitchenAid mixer with wire attachment until stiff, but not dry.

3. When the syrup mixture reaches 265°, remove from heat and pour in a fine stream (no bigger than a wooden match stick), beating constantly, into stiffly beaten egg whites. Do not scrape the pan.

4. Continue beating until mixture holds its shape and looses its gloss. Watch carefully; stop beating the instant it begins to lose its gloss!

5. Gently stir in the vanilla. Scoop out half the batch to serve without nuts. Add the nuts to the remaining divinity and scoop onto waxes paper. Have three people ready with two spoons each. Immediately drop by teaspoons onto waxed paper. Do not allow the candy to set before it gets dropped onto waxed paper.

Peppermint Bark – Adapted from BCC pg. 194
1 package (16 oz) vanilla-flavored candy coating (almond bark), broken into pieces
24 hard peppermint candies

1. Place peppermint candies in heavy plastic bag; crush with rolling pin or bottom of small heavy saucepan.

2. Pour crushed candies into wire strainer. Shake strainer over melted coating until all of the tiniest candy pieces fall into the coating; reserve the larger candy pieces to top candy.

3. Cover cookie sheet with waxed paper.

4. In 8-cup microwaveable dish, place candy coating.

5. Microwave uncovered on high about 1½ minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Until almost melted. Stir until smooth.

6. Stir coating and peppermint to mix evenly.

7. On wax paper-covered cookie sheet, thinly spread coating mixture. Sprinkle with remaining candy pieces. Let stand about 1 hour or until cool and hardened. Break into pieces.

Peanut Brittle – Adapted from BCC pg. 191
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups sugar
1 cup water
1 cup light corn syrup
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 cups unsalted raw Spanish peanuts



1. Calibrate thermometer. Heat oven to 200 degrees F.

2. Grease two 15 ½ x 12-inch jelly roll pans with butter; keep in oven. (Keeping the pans warm allows the candy to be spread 1/2 inch thick without it setting up).

3. Grease long metal spatula with butter; set aside.

4. In small bowl, mix baking soda, 1 teaspoon water and vanilla; set aside.

5. In 4-quart saucepan, mix sugar, 1 cup water and the corn syrup.

6. Cook over high heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils. Wash down sides of the pan and wash your stirring spoon. Turn the heat down to medium/high. Cook, stirring occasionally, to 240 degrees F. on candy thermometer or until small amount of mixture dropped into cup of very cold water forms a soft ball that flatten when removed from water.

7. Stir in butter and peanuts. ***THIS IS MOST TYPICALLY WHERE YOU WILL BURN THE RECIPE. BE CAREFUL!!!*** Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, to 300 degrees F or until small amount of mixture dropped into cup of very cold water separates into hard, brittle threads. (Watch carefully so mixture does not burn.)

8. Immediately remove from heat. NOTE: As this syrup is extremely hot and continues to cook itself, you may wish to remove your brittle 5º sooner than the recipe indicates and watch the thermometer to get to right temperature off of heat. Quickly stir in baking soda mixture until light and foamy.

9. Pour half of the candy mixture onto each cookie sheet and quickly spread about 1/2 inch thick with buttered spatula. Do not scrape the pan. Cool completely, at least 1 hour. For lab, you may place in freezer for quick cooling. Break into pieces. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.



Buckeye Candy

Candy:

1 stick softened butter

1 3/4 c. (1 18 oz. jar) creamy peanut butter

1 tsp. vanilla

3-3 ¾ cup confectioners' sugar

Chocolate Coating:

1 (12 oz.) pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips (2 cups)

1 tbsp. vegetable shortening



Candy:

1. Cream butter, peanut butter, and vanilla together, adding confectioners' sugar gradually until proper consistency is reached. It should be stiff enough to form into a ball and keep its shape, but not dry and crumbly.

2. Roll candy into 3/4-inch balls and place on wax paper-lined cookie sheet. ..


Coating:

3. In your smallest saucepan, melt chips and shortening together over low heat.

4. Keep chocolate mixture over low heat while you dip each candy.

5. Using a toothpick, dip each ball, covering all but the tip of the candy ball or using a zip-lock bag with the corner barely cut away (1/16 inch), pipe the chocolate over the balls.

6. Place candy on sheet to cool in freezer or refrigerator.

Crunchy Peanut Clusters – Adapted from BCC pg. 193
1 package (24 oz) vanilla-flavored candy coating (Almond bark)
¾ cup creamy peanut butter
4 cups Cheerios cereal
2 cups miniature marshmallows
2 cups dry-roasted peanuts

1. In 4-quart sauce pan, melt candy coating over medium-low heat, stirring frequently.
2. Stir in peanut butter until mixture is smooth. Take off heat.
3. Add remaining ingredients; stirring until completely coated.
4. On waxed paper or cookie sheet, drop mixture by heaping teaspoons.
5. Let stand about 1 hour or until firm. Store tightly covered.

Easy Caramel Popcorn Balls



2 ¼ cups brown sugar

1 cube butter

1 cup light corn syrup

1 can sweetened condensed milk

4 batches (1/3 cup each) of unpopped popcorn



1. Pour 1/3 cup of popcorn into popcorn popper. Turn on and pop the popcorn. Repeat 3 times, until you’ve popped 4 batches of 1/3 cup of popcorn. Put popped popcorn in multiple bowls. Don’t overfill bowls, or you won’t be able to stir hot caramel sauce into popcorn.

2. Calibrate thermometer. In a 4-quart saucepan, boil the brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup on medium-high heat. When the mixture boils, wash down the sides of the pan and the thermometer. Wash your spoon.

3. Add the sweetened condensed milk and cook, stirring constantly to the soft ball stage (235º).

4. Pour over the popped popcorn. Do not scrape the pan. Stir well. Form into popcorn balls and wrap individually in plastic wrap.



Microwave Lollipops
1 C. sugar

1/2 C. light corn syrup

desired flavoring and coloring



1. Insert sticks in molds, and place on greased marble slab or foil-lined cookie sheet.

2. Stir ingredients together in a clear 8 C. glass, microwave safe, mixing bowl.

2. Cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 3 minutes.

3. Being careful of the hot steam, carefully remove plastic wrap and stir.

4. Cover with new plastic wrap and microwave 3 more minutes. Watch carefully and remove from the oven before the 3 minutes if the syrup becomes darker than a medium yellow color.

5. Remove plastic wrap. Stir in food coloring and flavoring. Do not measure in advance.

(1/8 tsp. oils, 1/2 tsp. extracts)

6. Pour candy into molds until the molds are halfway full. “Free form” any candy that is left over. (If necessary, roll each stick to coat the back with candy.)

7. Repeat all of these steps and make another batch, using different flavor and color. DO NOT save time and double the recipe. Remember your readings about doubling candy recipes? It’s not a good idea. Just make two separate batches.