Description
This Hard Tack Candy recipe produces classic, crunchy homemade candy with customizable flavors and colors. It involves boiling sugar, corn syrup, and water to the hard crack stage, then cooling and breaking the candy into chunks coated with powdered sugar for a sweet, nostalgic treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Basic Candy Ingredients
- 3¾ cup sugar
- 1½ cup light corn syrup
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon food coloring
Flavor and Finishing
- 1 bottle oil flavorings (a variety)
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Instructions
- Combine Ingredients: Mix the light corn syrup, sugar, and water in a non-stick pan set on the stove.
- Dissolve Sugar: Turn the heat to medium and stir continuously until the sugar is completely dissolved, then stop stirring.
- Boil Candy Mixture: Allow the mixture to come to a rolling boil. When the candy thermometer reaches 260 degrees Fahrenheit, add the food coloring without stirring, letting the boiling motion mix it in.
- Reach Hard Crack Stage: Continue boiling until the temperature reaches 300 degrees Fahrenheit, then remove the pan from heat and allow the boiling to stop naturally.
- Add Flavorings: Stir in your choice of oil flavorings using a wooden spoon.
- Pour Candy: Pour the hot mixture onto a large cookie sheet that has been either greased well or coated with powdered sugar to prevent sticking.
- Cool Candy: Let the candy cool completely at room temperature. Do not place it in the refrigerator as this can affect texture.
- Break into Chunks: Once set, use a knife or other object to smash the candy into chunks.
- Coat Candy: Place the candy chunks in a ziplock bag with 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar and shake well to coat each piece, preventing them from sticking together.
Notes
- Use a candy thermometer to monitor temperature accurately for the perfect hard crack stage.
- Make sure the pan is non-stick or well greased to prevent the candy from hardening on the surface.
- Do not stir after the sugar is dissolved to avoid crystallization that can ruin the texture.
- Cool the candy at room temperature; refrigeration can cause cloudiness or sticky texture.
- Wear protective gloves if breaking the candy to avoid cuts from sharp edges.
- Flavorings can be customized with various oil extracts like peppermint, lemon, or cinnamon for variety.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece
- Calories: 60 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 0 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
