Mother's Day Gift

Mother's Day.....
Time is going way to fast. 
It's almost June!  Can you believe it?  I certainly can't.  I'm still back in April, and I better fast forward fast. 

I did manage to get something done for Mother's Day.  You might recognize the gems form the treasure chest cake I made for Teacher Appreciation.  I got this brilliant idea (mostly inspired by Valentine blogs), but I thought it would be cute to give the ladies on my Devotional team at church these cute little bags.  Plus some Lemon cake balls, which I failed to take pictures of. 

If you've never tried making hard candy, it's not that hard.  You do need a good Candy Thermometer.  one that tells you when you reach the different levels of crack stages.  And some molds made for hard candy (not the chocolate ones).

Cook wear you will need:

Medium sauce pan (heavy bottom one is better)
Candy Thermometer
Hard candy molds
Wax paper/SILPAT mat
Wooden spoon
Something to protect your counter from the heat (I used a wood cutting board)


Here's the recepie:

1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup (Not the kind with vanilla already added.  That does funky things to your candy.) 
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon flavor extract (The oil based ones are better and more potent) 
Your molds and lollipop sticks

1. Combine sugar, corn syrup, and water in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. 
*I need to caution you, you will have the urge to mix with a spoon, but Don't Do It.  Let the mixture dissolve it's self with the boiling proses.  If you feel like the sugar is not getting wet before the boiling starts you can add a little bit more water, say about 1/4 cup.  The water will be evaporating any way and your crack stage will take a little longer.  Also stay close to your saucepan.  

  2. When the boiling begins insert your candy thermometer.  Continue cooking until the thermometer reads 270 degrees fahrenheit.  Don't let the candy cook any longer it will turn amber color. 

3.  Take the cooked sugar mixture off the heat and add the flavoring and the food color.  Mix. 

4.  Pour your candy into your hard candy molds.  Be careful not to get the candy on your skin.  It hurts!  You have sometime before the candy starts to harden say about 10-15 minutes.  If you don't get all of it poured you can scrape the extra with a wooden spoon and place it on your wax paper or SILPAT mat and mold it on to a lollipop stick.  My kids loved this part. 

It takes about 15 minutes for your candy to harden.

Clean up:  Run hot tap water over the cook wear you used (pan, thermometer, wooden spoon, etc.) and the water will melt the candy off your cook wear.  If your in a hurry, you can scrub the candy off while the water is running.  Just be careful the water will be hot.  

You can find most of these things at a craft store like Michael's, Hobby Lobby, or Joann Stores.  

And that's that.  

Hope you have a SWEET day!

Lola

Mamita's Next Thing:

Recipe for Orange Lavender Cupcakes.  The cupcakes I made for Teacher Appreciation.  I have a couple cakes I need to make.  And I haven't set up my gift from Mother's Day yet.  But for sure those Orange Lavender Cupcakes. YUMMM!