How to Make Homemade Candy Canes

Everybody loves the traditional red and white candy canes on their Christmas tree, especially Santa. So he tells us. Candy canes are a long-standing Christmas tradition, but like so many other things at Christmas time, they're just not what they used to be. Nowadays, we purchase our candy canes like we purchase our wrapping paper, mass-produced in generic boxes that are stacked in store corners collecting dust since Halloween. We don't really want those candy canes, do we?

Heck, they're even likely to be stale by the time we get them home. But what option do we have?

Why not have a really traditional Christmas and make your own candy canes? It's not hard. The kids will love to help and you can customize them to any color you like.

To get started, you are going to need the following items.

• A cup of sugar.

• A cup of corn syrup.

• A cup of water.

• A half a cup of peppermint oil.

• A quarter teaspoon of cream of tartar.

• Red food coloring.

• Powered sugar.

• A metal cookie sheet.

• A metal saucepan.

Sprinkle a layer of powdered sugar onto your cookie sheet. This keeps the candy from sticking and sweetens it as well. Combine the sugar, cream of tartar, corn syrup, and water in the saucepan. Stir. Then, heat your ingredients.

You should use a candy thermometer to check the temperature of your sugar, cream of tartar, corn syrup, and water mixture. Keep stirring until the thermometer reads between 270 degrees Fahrenheit and 290 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the soft crack stage, and your mixture should now form hard pliable threads if removed from the water.

Next, you want to add your food coloring and peppermint oil. This is done at the soft crack stage. First add all the peppermint oil to the mixture, combining it well. Then divide the mixture in half and add the red food coloring to a single half of the candy.

Pour the white and red mixtures (as strips) onto the cookie sheet. Remember, the powdered sugar will help keep it from sticking.

Let the candy cool until it is safe to handle.

Once cooled twist one white strip and one red strip together, forming a "U" at the top. Everyone knows what a candy cane should look like. That's your goal!

Once you have shaped a cane, set it aside to cool further.

Don't worry if they seem soft. Your candy canes will harden as they dry. Enjoy the sweet treat, and merry Christmas!

Resources:
From Miserly Moms: "Peppermint Candy Canes Recipe" by Jonny McCoy