Traditional Boiled Sweets Recipes

OLD FASHIONED HARD CANDY

Steps:

• Generously coat a cookie sheet with confectioners' sugar, and set aside.
• In a heavy bottomed saucepan, stir together the white sugar, water and corn syrup until sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil over medium-high and cook to a temperature of 300 to 310 degrees F (149 to 154 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms hard, brittle threads. Remove from heat, and stir in the flavored oil and food coloring.
• Immediately pour the sugar mixture onto the prepared cookie sheet in a thin stream (this helps it cool). When the candy is cool enough for the outer edge to hold its shape, cut into bite size pieces with scissors. Let cool completely, then store in an airtight container.

HOW TO MAKE OLD FASHIONED HARD CANDY

Steps:

• Before you make candy of any kind, read through the entire instructions for the individual recipe. You need to be thoroughly aware of what the recipe requires before starting because candy needs precise temperature control and precise actions at the times that the recipe states. Most importantly, remember that candy not attended to is candy that burns!
• Check the temperature before making candy. Candy should not be made when the weather is high in humidity or rainy or it has a hard time setting. Check the room temperature--it should be around 60ºF-68ºF (15.5ºC-20ºC), with low humidity. If you have no choice about cooking in sub-optimal temperature conditions, you may be able to compensate by cooking the candy 1 to 2 degrees higher than recommended by the recipe. Altitude will affect the outcome; if you live at high altitude, you may need to make adjustments in accordance with the usual recommendations for high altitude cooking.
• If you don't already have one, purchase a candy thermometer of good quality. You need to be happy about working with great precision when making candy--it's a science as well as an art. For more details on selecting a candy thermometer, see How to choose a candy thermometer. Never touch the base of a saucepan with a candy thermometer. The pan must always be long enough that the thermometer does not reach the bottom when hung on the pan lip.
• Avoid changing the ingredient amounts in a recipe. They are precise because they work. Even doubling ingredients in a candy recipe can result in a failure.
• For the heat source, choose the burner that is wider than the cooking pan you're using. This ensures more even heating.
• Know how to test the hardness of candy. This can be done manually or using a thermometer. The thermometer is easiest, but it's handy to know how to test the temperature manually, which you can learn to do before using a recipe by reading How to test candy hardness stages.