Flavouring oils are ideal for candy making because of their intense flavour. You can purchase them, as well as edible glycerin (also known as food-grade glycerin), where candy-making supplies are sold. Some essential oil flavourings, such as grape, come precoloured, so it's not necessary to add food colouring. To make traditional pastel-coloured candies, keep colouring to a minimum.
- Portion size 75 servings
- Credits : Canadian Livng Holiday Cookbook: Fall 2009
Ingredients
Method
In large heavy saucepan, stir together sugar, corn syrup, water, cornstarch, glycerin and salt. Bring to boil over medium heat; cook, without stirring but brushing down side of pan with pastry brush dipped in cold water, until candy thermometer reaches hard-ball stage of 260°F (126°C), or when 1 tsp (5 mL) hot syrup dropped into cold water forms hard ball, about 8 minutes.Remove from heat. Stir in butter until melted; stir in flavouring and colouring. Without scraping bottom, carefully pour onto rimmed nonstick baking mat–lined or greased baking sheet.
Let cool enough to hold indentation when pressed with finger, about 7 minutes. Using greased scraper or metal spatula, fold taffy over itself, turning and folding until cool enough to handle.
Using buttered hands, pull, fold and twist taffy until very pale (almost white), opaque, firm and more difficult to pull, about 15 minutes. (Candy becomes less sticky the more it is kneaded.)
On icing sugar–dusted surface, pull and twist into 1/2-inch (1 cm) thick rope. Using greased scissors, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces. Wrap each in waxed paper, twisting ends. (Make-ahead: Store, uncovered, at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.)
Nutritional facts Per piece: about
- Sodium 29 mg
- Protein 0 g
- Calories 26.0
- Total fat trace
- Potassium 0 mg
- Cholesterol 1 mg
- Saturated fat trace
- Total carbohydrate 6 g
