How to Make Candy Canes

For Christmas this year I wanted to make baskets for my husband's family. Which included my Mother-in-law and her husband, my father-in-law and his girlfriend, and my husband's grandma and grandpa. We didn't have a lot of money put aside as we just bought a new home and moved and also it was our sons second birthday when we moved, along with Thanksgiving.

I wanted to do something that showed thought and time. At first I was going to just make each of them a basket from world market and call it a day. Then I thought that with the amount of money I was going to have to spend the baskets would look cheap and crappy. I decided to make baskets but make everything myself. So I wrote my list of what I wanted to put in each basket and what I would need. My list consisted of eight different types of cookies, 10 different types of candies, five jams and one chutney.

One of the candies I decided to make was home made candy canes. I normally don't admit to when something was hard to make I just keep making it till I get it right or I call the pro... my mom. I asked her first what she thought the best way to make them would be and she admitted that she had never made candy canes and that I should call my grandmother. I called her and she told me that she had never made candy canes either and wanted to know what the recipe called for so I told her and she said it sounded like taffy that she had made as a child with my great grandmother. I figured either way it was going to be some type of candy. I did have a hard time making this candy. I made three batches and only one really turned out the way I wanted it to. I do believe that if I keep trying that I will be pretty good at making it. Don't give up if your first batch don't turn out. Try again. The second batch was my best batch. Also I would recommend getting help if you can my husband reluctantly helped me but all in all I think he kinda liked it especially when that second batch did turn out and I ran around the house going " oh my god look at them they turned out! There sooo darn cute! We did it babe we did it!" or when I called my whole family and told them that our candy canes had turned out and how excited I was. I think he felt pretty good at that moment making them with me.

Here is what you will need to make candy canes:

a pair of scissors

Rubber gloves

a heavy duty sauce pan

a rimmed metal cookie sheet or jelly roll pan

a metal spatula

a wooden spoon

a candy thermometer

vegetable oil cooking spray

2 cups sugar

½ cup Karo light corn syrup

½ cup water

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon any flavor pure extract you would like. You may also use oil I use lorann gourmet and any flavor you wish. Just add this with your own judgment as oil if more stronger than extract.

Food coloring.

First step you should make sure there is nothing in your way and if you have kids or pets to make sure they are in bed or somewhere where they cant get burned by the candy.

Second step spray the rimmed cookie sheet or jelly roll pan with your vegetable oil cooking spray. Make sure you get the sides and the bottom coated well as It will stick.

Third step put your sugar ,corn syrup, water in a sauce pan stir together with a wooden spoon and bring to a boil. Make sure to keep stirring till the sugars have dissolved and the liquid is clear. Once the liquid is clear continue cooking without stirring. Place the candy thermometer in the liquid if your pan is big enough and tall enough clip to the side.

Fourth step continue cooking until the candy reaches 305 on the candy thermometer. Once it hits 305 remove from heat and add in the lemon juice and the extract or oil. Stir again with the wooden spoon make sure that lemon juice and extract or oil is mixed in good.

Fifth step wait for the bubbles to stop in the liquid and then poor onto your cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. Spray your metal spatula with the vegetable oil making sure you have it well covered as the candy will stick to any spot that is not covered.

Sixth step start folding the edges of the candy from one side to the middle of the liquid. This is to try and cool it down enough for you to be able to handle with your rubber gloves on. Do this for two minutes.

Seventh step put your rubber gloves on. The mixture is still going to be very very very hot. Work quickly and pull the candy an inch or so apart and then fold back in and keep doing this as long as your hands will let you. Its still really hot and your hands are going to feel it. Pull this like this till candy turns white. I found that if I separated the amount I wanted to color before it was all the way white I had better luck with it. I did it when there was still a little of yellowish dirty tint to it.

To color the other bit use what ever color you want and add as much as you think you will need to make that color. Then pull it again spreading the color.

Last step make a rope about 12 inches long with both colors and place theme either side by side or you can put one on top of the other. You then want to fold it in half and start twisting from one side them together pulling a cord out and cutting it with a pair of scissors when you have reached the length you would like to use. Twist the top part to look like a u and you will have your candy canes.

Make sure to work fast as they cool down pretty fast and will no longer be able to twist. Save the left over you can place in a bag and take a rolling pin and hit it a time or two and have candy to suck on.

Make sure to place the finished product on a cookie sheet or a jelly roll pan to cool. Keep in a cool place.

I hope this recipe is easier than some of the ones I have found and that you will be able to make candy canes for your family.