This simple recipe for hard candy teaches you how to create candy. Waiting for the sugar to reach the right temperature is the most difficult step. For great candy, be patient and use a candy thermometer. By substituting other flavor extracts and food colorings, this recipe is highly adaptable.
| Prep Time: | 5 mins |
| Cook Time: | 25 mins |
| Additional Time: | 15 mins |
| Total Time: | 45 mins |
| Servings: | 36 |
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 3 ¾ cups white sugar
- 1 ½ cups light corn syrup
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon orange, or other flavored extract
- ½ teaspoon food coloring (Optional)
- ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray.
- Stir together white sugar, corn syrup, and water in a medium saucepan. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until sugar dissolves, then bring to a boil.
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- Without stirring, heat to 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.
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- Remove from the heat and stir in flavored extract and food coloring. Pour onto the prepared cookie sheet. Dust top with confectioners’ sugar.
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- Let cool until hardened, about 15 minutes. Break into about 36 pieces and store in an airtight container.
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Reviews
I did not have a thermometer, but judging by the other reviews I think that was for the best since apparently 300 degrees is not enough or too much. As I let it boil, I’d periodically check to see how quickly it would harden under cold water/if it would harden at all. After 10-15 minutes, I would check every two minutes. Definitely don’t let it boil for more than 20 minutes, or else you run the risk of burning everything and ruining your batch. Also, don’t skip any steps at all. When waiting for the sugar to dissolve, make sure the liquid is as clear as can be (I used brown-ish sugar so mine was a bit golden-brown, but still clear). I also recommend slowly building up the heat as the sugar finishes dissolving. Also the minute it starts foaming (not boiling, foaming), take it off the heat ASAP because it will boil over and make a mess (I wish the recipe mentioned this because I appear to not be the only one who experienced this).
I made this using small silicone molds that look like Lifesavers, and flavored it with butter rum, which is my wife’s favorite! They turned out great!
If the candy does not harden after 45 minutes it it most likely because you didn’t get the candy to 300 degrees, hope that helps
Planning to make mint candies with this it turned out good last time
Made peppermint and rum (butterscotch) hard candy with this recipe! It was super easy to make and the instructions were easy to follow. Happy Holidays!
Liked it haven’t made any changes.
Easy, and delicious. The syrup should turn brown slightly when nearing completion on the stove. Also, Be sure to be liberal in your extract use. I now have enough candy to last me for the next three years.
I absolutely love this recipe so easy to make and exactly how my aunt use to make it when I was a little girl
really helpful to have a candy thermometer. cleaning the dishes afterwards, however, is a little difficult because the pan needs to be soaked and washed in really hot water in order to get the candy off
More color more hotter,& peppers to the water& one very hot pepper stays in .as for watermelon more color and watermelon in the water I cook the water before adding sugar.than put the water in a cup to see how much add or take.real good.
We use this recipe every year and it turns out perfectly!
This was so easy to make and taste great!!! New family favorite for sure!! Thank you
This is just so perfect! For those who are having troubles, candy crack stage is very important. Also, for those using extract, you will lose your flavor with an extract as these are made with an alcohol and will evaporate at such hot temps. Try using candy flavoring. You have so many delicious flavor choices!
I ended up using orange extract (didn’t measure how much, but at least double what was called for) and maybe two and a half teaspoons of citric acid, and it turned out AMAZING. Clean up was a nightmare, though; I couldn’t boil the pan, so I filled the sink with hot water and let it sit for a few hours. Note that the candy has the gummy texture of a jolly rancher, and won’t shatter when you bite it like most suckers would.
I loved it and made a ice themed one!
I didn’t want to drive two hours just to get candy so I made some! I left out the dyes and flavorings and used peeled food processed ginger 2 tablespoons. It’s amazing! I added the ginger at the beginning. Takes about an hour cook.
So I personally think this recipe would be super awesome for beginners like me and it turned out super awesome and I had a perfect amount of candy syrup for a big silicone mold I had. If your candy turns out to be in a state of liquid it means you either added to much water or your syrup didnt reach the temperature it was supposed to reach, my notes for next time is let it boil on medium-high heat for 20 minutes and it should be a temp of 310°F which is perfect for this.
First time making hard candy. This was a great base recipe and I will make it again.
Easy Christmas candy!
I use this all the time. Everyone raves about my candies. I will say give it about a minute or two after it comes off the heat before adding flavoring. It let’s the flavors come through more.
It’s been about 10 hours and it’s still not hardened. I followed instructions to a T, so evidently something was left out that experienced people just already happen to know. Also these times are not accurate