Field Guide to Candy: How to Identify and Make Virtually Every Candy Imaginable (50 page)

Store in an airtight container between sheets of wax paper for up to 2 weeks.

General Description:

Peppermints are refreshing candies made of nothing but peppermint extract and sugar
. Store-bought peppermints are easy to find, but homemade peppermints have a fresh, strong taste and are free of chemicals. Crushed peppermints are a common component of other desserts, mixed into peppermint ice cream, sprinkled over cakes and cookies, or substituted for the almonds in
almond buttercrunch
.

History:

In ancient Europe and the Middle East, peppermint was often mixed with honey and used as a medicine, as was
horehound candy
. Peppermint candies were popular sweets in Europe in the mid-1800s. Brandy balls were a common variation, made with brandy, peppermint, and cinnamon. The Altoids brand of “curiously strong” mints were first made in 1837. But until the advent of chewing gum in the 1830s and Lifesavers Mints in the 1840s, peppermints were typically a homemade treat. Nearly every housewife had a recipe for easy peppermint candy.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve fresh, homemade peppermint candies as an after-dinner sweet—alone or as an accent to a bowl of ice cream. Stock candy jars with instant breath fresheners. Peppermints can be crushed and used as an ingredient in
peppermint bark
or
peppermint marshmallows
.

Candy-Making Notes:

Without food coloring, homemade peppermint is an amber-colored treat.

Recipe:

1.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

2.
Combine sugar and ½ cup water in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue to cook to 280˚F, soft crack stage.

3.
Remove from heat and stir in peppermint extract and food coloring.

4.
Pour the mixture onto the baking sheet. Spread the mixture as evenly as possible, about ¼ inch thick.

5.
Let cool. Break peppermint into pieces.

Yield:

About 2½ cups of peppermints

Storage:

Keep peppermints between layers of parchment paper in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

General Description:

Rock candy is simply made of large crystals of sugar clustered together on a stick, like a craggy lollipop
. This pure-sugar candy is tinted a rainbow of bright colors and commonly sold at North American candy stores and souvenir shops.

History:

Rock candy earned its name because sugar crystals resemble rock formations. It is often introduced to children as a science experiment that shows how crystals form. Since rock candy is pure sugar, it has many culinary applications: It is often used like granulated sugar in sweetening hot dessert soups in Asia, and it is mixed with aniseed and used as a breath freshener in India. Rock and Rye liqueur is sold with a large piece of rock candy in the bottom of the bottle, sweetening the liqueur.

Serving Suggestions:

By adding food coloring and flavorings to the sugar solution, you can make a rainbow of rock candies. This is a fun experiment to do with children as they can watch the crystals slowly growing over time.

Candy-Making Notes:

The sugar crystals will take several days to grow. The formation of uneven crystals is the process you prevent by beating candies like
fudge
and
fondant
.

Recipe:

1.
Find a large glass jar, taller than it is wide. Be sure it is completely clean and dry. Ensure the wooden sticks are long enough to stick out over the top of the jar.

2.
Place 2 cups of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil at high heat.