Candy Ribbon Recipes

HARD CANDY RECIPE

Steps:

• 1. In a heavy (good quality) 2-quart saucepan, mix together sugar, corn syrup and water. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves.
• 2. Insert candy thermometer if using, making certain it does not touch the bottom of the pan. Bring mixture to a boil without stirring.
• 3. Early in the cooking process, 'wash down' any sugar crystals that form on the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush.
• 4. Continue to cook the syrup, without stirring, until the temperature reaches 260F; add drops of coloring until desired hue is achieved. Do not stir; boiling action will incorporate color into syrup.
• 5. Remove from heat precisely at 300F (temperature will continue rising), or until drops of syrup form hard, brittle threads in cold water (hard crack stage). After boiling action has ceased, add flavor and stir. USE CAUTION WHEN ADDING FLAVORING TO AVOID RISING STEAM.
• 6. Carefully pour syrup into prepared molds or onto the prepared greased and foil lined cookie sheet. (As the sugar mixture begins to set up, you may want to score with a large knife to mark squares.) Do not refrigerate.
• 7. Cool completely. Break sheet candy into small pieces and dust with powdered sugar, if desired. Store in airtight containers between waxed paper. If making lollipops, do not dust with powdered sugar, but place in sucker bags and secure with twist ties. Store hard candy in a cool, dry place. Do not refrigerate.

BLUE RIBBON CREAMY CARAMELS

Steps:

• Spray a large loaf pan or 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
• Stir white sugar, 3/4 cup cream, corn syrup, butter, vinegar, and salt together in a heavy pot; bring to a boil. Stir in remaining cream. Cook, stirring constantly, until caramel is 244 degrees F (117 degrees C), or until a small amount of caramel dropped into cold water forms a firm but pliable ball, 10 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool briefly.
• Stir walnuts and vanilla extract into caramel; pour caramel into prepared baking dish. Cool completely, at least 1 hour. Turn baking dish over onto a flat work surface to remove cooled caramel from dish; cut caramel into serving pieces.

CANDY RIBBON

Steps:

• Before you begin this recipe, please take a class from a professional on working with sugar. This is a skill that professional pastry chefs develop after years of experience. Working with sugar will burn your fingers so know before you start that your fingers will develop burn blisters. Place the sugar, vinegar and water in a saucepan over high heat. Insert a candy thermometer and cook until the sugar reaches 320 degrees F. Use a pastry brush to keep the inside of the saucepan clean as the sugar cooks or the sugar may recrystallize. To do this, dip a clean brush in cold water and brush the inside of the pan clean. Pour the cooked sugar onto 3 or 4 silicone baking mats. If you want to color and/or flavor the sugar with food colors and/or flavored oils, this is the time to do so. Add a few drops of color to the sugar. Mix with a wooden skewer. To get started, push the sugar from the sides toward the center. This process takes a little while. Try to keep the sugar divided by color. Use the mat to push the firm sugar around the edges toward the center. Use a folding motion to accomplish that task. The next step is to pick up the sugar with your hands. Place each color under the heat of the sugar lamp. Pull the sugar until it becomes glossy and the color is evenly distributed. You will need to pull the colors simultaneously. Keep them under the sugar lamp but keep an eye on them. The lamp can melt the sugar so it is important keep rotating it and folding it onto itself.
• Start with 2 colors. I used green (mint) and yellow (lemon). Place the sugar pieces side- to-side. Pull and lengthen. Cut in half. Place them side-to-side again. Pull to lengthen. Cut in half and place them side-to-side. Now you have a flat piece of sugar that you are pulling long. Cut off the ends, (they are bulky), when the sugar starts to harden. Make some waves to create the ribbon. Join the 2 edges to make a circular ribbon. Voila! Beautiful for the holidays.