Description

This classic hard candy recipe creates translucent, colorful, and flavorful sweets perfect for enjoying as a nostalgic treat or sharing at parties. Using basic pantry ingredients like sugar, corn syrup, and water, the candy is heated to the hard-crack stage for a satisfying crunch. You can customize your candy with anise, lemon, or orange extract and vibrant food coloring. The finished candies are dusted with confectioners’ sugar to prevent sticking and cut into bite-sized pieces for easy enjoyment.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Candy Base

2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water

For Preparation and Finishing

5 to 6 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 to 2 teaspoons anise, lemon, or orange extract
Red, yellow, or orange liquid food coloring (optional)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Prepare the Pan: Fill a 15x10x1-inch pan with 5 to 6 cups of confectioners’ sugar to a depth of 1/2 inch. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, create a continuous curved-line indentation in the sugar. This will serve as a mold to pour the candy into and help it set properly. Set the pan aside.
Combine Candy Ingredients: In a large heavy saucepan, combine 2 cups of granulated sugar, 3/4 cup of light corn syrup, and 1/2 cup of water. Place over medium heat and stir occasionally to begin dissolving the sugar.
Dissolve Sugar Crystals: Once the mixture reaches a boil, cover the saucepan and continue cooking for 3 minutes without stirring. This step ensures any undissolved sugar crystals melt and prevents crystallization.
Cook to Hard-Crack Stage: Uncover the saucepan and increase heat to medium-high. Cook the syrup without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 300°F (the hard-crack stage). This temperature ensures the candy will harden with a brittle texture.
Add Flavor and Color: Remove the saucepan from heat immediately. Stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons of your chosen extract (anise, lemon, or orange) for flavor. Add food coloring as desired to give your candy vibrant hues.
Pour Candy into Mold: Carefully pour the hot candy syrup into a glass measuring cup for easier handling. Working quickly, pour the syrup into the prepared indentation in the confectioners’ sugar-filled pan.
Coat and Cool: Cover the poured candy generously with more confectioners’ sugar to prevent sticking on the surface. Allow the candy to cool completely until it is firm enough to handle.
Cut and Store: Once cool, use scissors to cut the candy into bite-sized pieces along the sugar indentation lines. Store the candies in a covered container to maintain freshness.

Notes

Using confectioners’ sugar in the pan helps prevent the hot candy from sticking and makes it easier to remove and cut once set.
Be very cautious while handling the hot candy syrup to avoid burns.
The candy thermometer is essential for reaching the precise temperature to ensure the correct texture.
You can customize flavorings and colors to create different variations of the candy.
If you notice crystallization during cooking, cleaning the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush can help prevent it.
Store candies at room temperature in a dry environment to avoid melting or sticking.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 piece (approx. 10 grams)
Calories: 40
Sugar: 10 grams
Sodium: 0 mg
Fat: 0 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 10 g
Fiber: 0 g
Protein: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg