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Old Fashioned Hard Candy

Read Reviews (40)

"This is an old recipe from my childhood. Many people have memories of cutting this candy with their mother's and grandmothers. I have passed it on and am now posting here for all to share in this classic Christmas tradition!" — Tami L. Smith

Ingredients Edit and Save

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Sugar and Sweeteners

Original recipe makes 1 1/4 pounds Change Servings

2 cups white sugar
1 cup water
3/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 drop red food coloring (optional)
1/8 cup confectioners' sugar

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Directions

In a heavy 2 quart saucepan, combine the sugar, water and corn syrup. Cook, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved; then cook without stirring, lowering the heat and cooking more slowly during the last few minutes, to the hard crack stage (300 degrees F), If sugar crystals form on sides of pan, wipe them off with a damp brush.
Remove from heat, add oil flavoring and enough food coloring to color; stir only to mix. Pour into 2 well buttered 9 inch pans. Set one pan of candy over a sauce pan containing hot water (unless you have a helper to help cut the candy). As soon as the other pan of candy is cool enough to handle, cut it with scissors into 1-inch strips. Then snip the strips into pieces. Work fast. Drop the pieces onto a buttered baking sheet. If the candy cools too quickly, set it on a saucepan over hot water to soften it, but if it gets sticky, return at once to the work counter.
Toss in a small amount of powdered sugar to keep from sticking together. Repeat with the second pan of candy.

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Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Dec 23, 2006

Excellent recipe, and very easy to make! Instead of cutting into strips, I let the candy harden completely, then broke it into pieces by hitting it with a mallet. My husband loves this! Strawberry oil flavoring is my favorite. Go to a local baker's store, and you can find ~50 different choices of oils to make this candy with. Don't be afraid to experiment! Thanks for sharing this recipe!

—Leslie Marie

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Dec 19, 2006

This was fun to try, but didn't turn out great for us. Powdered sugar ended up coating the candy and making it whitish, and our thermometer was off making it hard. Check your thermometer before starting and see at what temp it shows boiling and then adjust recipe.

—SOLLAMI

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48 Ratings

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Dec 13, 2007

I brought this to work for a 'treat day' and have spent the whole day blushing from the compliments! I used about a tablespoon of lemon extract and two drops of yellow food coloring, and spread it out on that new Reynolds 'release' foil, then cut it in squares when it was taffy consistency with a pizza cutter, broke them apart when they were cooled and dipped each in powdered sugar before putting them in the storage container. PERFECT!

—Rebecca M in AR

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Dec 03, 2005

We made this when I was a kid too!!! It was our special family tradition and we first learned it when my grandmother participated in baking for a church bazaar. One year, when I was ten and we were pretty poor, this was the only gift we gave to those beyond our immediate family. It was well appreciated by friends, teachers, and acquaintances. We made different colors and flavors - Peppermint was pink; raspberry red; spearmint green; wintergreen blue; lemon yellow etc. We placed them in small decorative jars and tied a ribbon around the neck of the jar. Very fun! It's been many years since we made this recipe. Grandma says this one is an exact match with hers, except with hers you used 1 whole cup of Karo instead of 3/4 cup.

—Chelle

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Dec 07, 2006

Our church circle made these years ago. Things I learned from them: 1)Remember - always use Cane Sugar - Beet sugar is a tiny bit different and doesn't harden the same way. 2) We put 1/2" of confectioner's sugar onto luncheon trays, made troughs with a dowel, connected the troughs in a continuous line, and poured the candy in an "S" in the troughs. When cool enough to handle, cut and toss in more confectioners sugar.

—Nancy Jo

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Dec 08, 2003

This recipe was exactly what I was looking for! I use a variety of candy oils/flavorings for an assortment of flavors and colors. Since I found this recipe, this WILL be a new Christmas tradition!

—BTTRFLY35

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Dec 18, 2005

This is an EASY & EXCELLENT recipe! As a first-timer at making hard candy, I burnt the first batch. My second batch came out perfect and was alot of fun to make. Knowing that I would probably mess it up- I halved the recipe. This may be a good tip for other first-timers as you need to work very quickly!

—Tracy

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Dec 16, 2005

Taste wise this is the best! I made candy for the first time tonight....I only came into 1 problem...All thw powder sugar stuck to the candy and is really white on most of it! Is this normal? But other than that my house smell's GREAT and the CANDY IS GREAT! OPINONS PLEASE ON WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE POWDERED SUGAR....Vicki

—VREYES

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Nutrition

Calories
116 kcal
6%

Carbohydrates
30.2 g
10%

Cholesterol
0 mg
0%

Fat
0 g
< 1%

Fiber
0 g
0%

Protein
0 g
< 1%

Sodium
8 mg
< 1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Old Fashioned Hard Candy

Serving Size: 1/20 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 20
Amount Per Serving
** Calories: 116
** Calories from Fat: < 1

% Daily Value *
** Total Fat 0g < 1 %
** Saturated Fat 0g < 1 %
** Cholesterol 0mg 0 %
** Sodium 8mg < 1 %
** Potassium < 1mg < 1 %
** Total Carbohydrates 30.2g 10 %
** Dietary Fiber 0g 0 %
** Protein 0g < 1 %
** Sugars 24g
** Vitamin A 0 %
** Vitamin C 0 %
** Calcium < 1 %
** Iron < 1 %
** Thiamin < 1 %
** Niacin 0 %
** Vitamin B6 0 %
** Magnesium < 1 %
** Folate 0 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.