Candy canes are a seasonal treat that can come in a variety of flavors and colors. While the candy is generally seen around Christmas, you can easily make it at home any time of the year. If you want to learn how to make candy canes on your own, this page will guide you through the process.
Tips
if the candy gets too hard before you can work with it, you can place it in a warm oven (preheated to 200 degrees) to soften it. Do not let it sit too long in the oven though. You can even roll out the candy under a heat lamp.
Try different shades of food coloring or different flavors such as cinnamon oil or spearmint.
Candy Cane Making
In this video, the Columbia Candy Kitchen shows you how they make candy canes the old fashioned way. They cook larger batches at a high temperature (310 degrees or "hard crack stage") and have more complex equipment to help make the candy canes. A red strip of colored candy is placed on top and in the middle of a slab of white candy. It is then rubbed down with beeswax. The candy is then rolled out and formed into canes and can be made in various sizes.
Introduction
One of the most traditional and popular treats around the holiday season is the candy cane. A candy cane is a flavored, hard candy that is often twisted in two or more colors and shaped as a cane. The most common type of candy cane is the red and white peppermint kind. If you want to make your own candy canes, the recipe is fairly simple to follow and make.
Step 1: What You Will Need
Candy thermometer Large metal spoon Cookie sheet Powdered sugar Saucepan
Step 2: Ingredients
1 cup of corn syrup 1 cup of granulated sugar 1 cup of water ½ teaspoon peppermint oil ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar Red food coloring
Step 3: Preparations
Spread powdered sugar over cookie sheets to prevent the candy from sticking to the sheet. If you prefer a less sweeter way for non-sticking, use butter or a baking spray.
Step 4: Directions:
- In the saucepan, combine corn syrup, sugar, water and cream of tartar. Stir until blended together well.
- Heat the ingredients in the saucepan over medium heat until the temperature has reached 270 degrees.
- At 270 degrees, add the peppermint oil.
- Divide the mixture into two parts. You can carefully pour half of the ingredients in another saucepan.
- Add the red food coloring to one of the saucepans.
- Pour your separated ingredients into separate slabs on the prepared cookie sheet. Allow the slabs to cool a little until you can easily handle them, but still easily mold them. Another alternative is to use gloves while handling them.
- Place red slab on top and in the middle of the white slab and begin to twist and roll out the candy. If you are having a hard time working with the candy, you can slightly butter your hands for easily handling.
- Form the candy into canes and set them on the cookie sheets to harden.
References
Fast Facts
-
Tip 1
if the candy gets too hard before you can work with it, you can place it in a warm oven (preheated to 200 degrees) to soften it. Do not let it sit too long in the oven though. You can even roll out the candy under a heat lamp.
-
Tip 2
Try different shades of food coloring for an interesting twist.
-
Tip 3
You can also experiment with different flavors, such as cinnamon or spearmint.
