Candy Making

Ready for your first attempt at making candy? Try any of the easy candy making recipes we have prepared below:

Demerara Fondue with Peanuts

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. of water
• 6 tbsp. of cornstarch
• 4 tbsp. of peanuts (unsalted)
• 1 whole can of evaporated milk
• 4 tbsp. of golden syrup
• 3/4 cup Demerara sugar
• 1/4 cup butter

Steps:

• Combine the Demerara sugar, 4 tbsp. golden syrup and 1/4 cup of butter in a medium sized saucepan.
• Switch the kitchen range to low heat and allow the mixture to boil.
• Boil the mixture for exactly 60 seconds.
• Add the evaporated milk to the mix. Use your mixing spoon to integrate the dairy ingredient into the mix.
• Boil the mix for another four minutes.
• Add the unsalted peanuts.
• Combine water and cornstarch in a non-reactive mixing bowl.
• Add the cornstarch solution to the saucepan.
• Stir the fondue until the solution begins to thicken; do not increase the heat.
• Serve the fondue with any fruit of your choice.

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Creamy Chocolate Fondue

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. of heavy cream
• 1/4 cup corn syrup
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup, cocoa powder
• 5 oz. dark chocolate (chopped)

Steps:

• Use a metal strainer to sift the cocoa powder into a small mixing bowl.
• Combine the corn syrup, water and the granulated sugar in a pot.
• Set the temperature to low or medium heat and allow the mix to come to a boil.
• Simmer the mixture for a quarter of an hour. Within this time, the total volume of the solution in the pot will be reduced. Only 70% or less of the original solution will remain.
• Add the sifted cocoa powder into the reduced solution. Use a wire whisk to integrate the cocoa powder into the syrup.
• Next, pour the heavy cream into the new chocolate mix. Let the entire mix to simmer for another five minutes.
• Lastly, add the chopped chocolate and transfer to a serving bowl.
• Serve with cake or fruit.

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Easy Fondant

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. of corn syrup (light variety)
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups granulated sugar

Steps:

• You will need a waxed sheet or baking sheet for this recipe. Lightly sprinkle or mist the baking paper with water and set aside.
• Place a saucepan over a burner and set the stove to medium heat.  Combine the water and the sweeteners (corn syrup plus sugar). Stir the mixture to help dissolve the granulated sugar.
• Cover the saucepan. At this point, the mixture will begin to boil. Leave the cover on for 3 minutes.
• Remove the lid after 3 minutes and continue to cook the fondant, this time without stirring.
• Use your candy thermometer to measure the cooking temperature. The target temperature is about 240 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Once the target temperature is reached, turn off the range and pour the fondant over the moistened baking sheet.
• When the syrup has slightly cooled after three minutes or less, it’s time to work on the hardened syrup.
• Using a moistened rubber spatula, scrape the fondant toward the center of the baking sheet. Continue to do so and use an figure-eight movement to shape the fondant.
• Continue spreading and contouring the fondant for five to ten minutes. After the 10-minute mark, the fondant will be quite hard and will be much more difficult to shape.
• When fondant becomes creamy and crumbly, it’s time to work the fondant using your hands. Lightly moisten both your hands with some water and start kneading the fondant into a ball shape.
• You can stop kneading the fondant once a smooth consistency is achieved. The fondant can now be made into smaller candies or can be melted for a variety of purposes.

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Chocolate Mints

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. of vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. of peppermint extract
• 1 whole can of condensed milk (sweetened)
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 oz. of chocolate (chopped)
• 3 cups chocolate chips

Steps:

• Lightly grease a baking dish (preferably 8” x 8” or even larger).
• Place a medium saucepan on a burner and turn it up to low heat.  Add the chocolate chips, chopped chocolate, and butter.
• Allow the mixture to cook until the sugar and chopped chocolate has melted. The mixture should be relatively smooth, so use your mixing spoon to stir the batch occasionally.
• Turn off the heat and add the sweetened condensed milk to the chocolate mixture.
• Next, add the extracts and stir until the flavorings have been evenly distributed throughout the chocolate.
• Use an electric mixer and slowly mix everything for just 60 seconds. Then turn up the speed of the mixer for another 60 seconds.
• Pour liquid mint into a container and place in the refrigerator. Manually beat the batch every 5 minutes, until 15 minutes of chilling is attained.
• Take the mixture out of the refrigerator again and use the electric mixer again for two minutes.
• Pour the final batch into the baking pan and chill until the mint hardens.
• Cut the hardened mint into small squares and serve.

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Caramel Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp. of vanilla
• 1 pint ice cream
• 3 tbsp. of flour
• 1/2 cup glucose
• 2 tbsp. of butter
• 1 1/4 cups sugar

Steps:

• In a pot or saucepan, combine the sweeteners and just one cup of ice cream over medium heat. Allow the mixture to boil.
• In a bowl, lightly beat the egg yolk until it becomes completely liquid. Add the rest of the ice cream to batch, along with the yolk. Use a wire whisk to integrate the new ingredients without stopping the boiling.
• Clip your candy thermometer unto the cooking ware. The target temperature is 236 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Place the butter in a separate bowl and use a whisk to transform the consistency of the butter. The butter should be creamy before it is added to the batch.
• Add the flour and the creamed butter into the batch of candy. Let the entire mixture cook over medium heat until the temperature rises to 240 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Combine the vanilla. When the flavoring has been mixed well into the batch, pour everything into greased pans.
• Once the caramel has cooled and hardened sufficiently, you can proceed to cutting the caramel into small pieces.