Home Made Candy Canes

This is a re-post from last year, but I have to say that it was so much fun I wanted to share it again! As you kneed the candy, and the air gets incorporated, it develops a sheen. It goes from clear and kinda drab, to a shiny almost opalescent candy. So pretty. And it's really fun to play with, (think glossy Silly Putty!)

Get the original recipe from here. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. You will use the oven to keep the candy soft while you work with the two batches. We started by dissolving the sugar in the corn syrup and water, and bringing the temperature to 285 degrees. (Use a candy thermometer)

Then we added a teaspoon of flavoring. We steered away from the usual peppermint and tried a Red Licorice flavor.

Then we poured half the mixture on to a greased cookie sheet. (in fact, grease everything with cooking spray ~ spatulas, silicone gloves, cookie sheets etc.) This half will be the white.

Then, with the remaining, we dropped a few drops of food coloring.

Working the two batches separately. With a pancake turner turn the candy puddle over and over upon itself until it cools down and firms up a bit. Enough so that you can handle it without being burned. (Maybe it's time to buy new cookie sheets?)

We have these nifty silicone gloves that we got free with a rotisserie we purchased some years back and they allowed us to handle the candy faster. Stretch and pull the candy like you would taffy, this incorporates air and makes the candy opaque and glossy. Return the candy to the oven for a few seconds if it seems to be getting too hard. We made two snakes and placed the white next to the pink, squished them together and started pulling from one end to make the candy cane. Pull and twist to get the traditional shape then bend into a cane shape and snip the end with scissors. It took us a while to get a rhythm going. Some are long, short, skinny, fat, twisted oddly, but overall it makes them cute. You could also make a lollipop by coiling the snake around itself and inserting a paper stick.

Let candy cool completely before storing.