Growing up, making hard Christmas candy with my Grandmother, Mom, and Brother was one of my favorite traditions. It was even my first entrepreneurial adventure. I sold it one year when I was in middle school to buy Christmas gifts for the family and friends.
Fast forward a few years. I found myself a stay at home mom with children not quite old enough to help make the wonderful hard candy. So I enlisted the help of our homeschool group. And a new tradition was formed.
When the homeschool group first started making Christmas candy it was just a few families around our kitchen table with the mom's doing most of the work. Boy have we come a long way.
This year the kids took over the project almost completely!
Above Sarah and Shannon cook the first batch. Below the fun begins as everyone helps to cut the candy into bite size pieces before it hardens.
Hannah, Chase and Alexis mixing their batch. In all we made 6 batches of the sweet stuff. Cherry, Watermelon, Root beer, Butterscotch, Cinnamon, Wintergreen!
Of course no one could resist tasting!
I love all the colors. And the dusting of powdered sugar adds a snowy touch!
Thanks to everyone who has helped keep this tradition alive for my family!Ada's Old Fashion Christmas Candy
3 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup water
1 tsp candy oil flavoring
food coloring of choice
Mix the first three ingredients in a heavy bottom pot. Heat on med-high heat until it reached 290 degrees. Remove from heat immediately and stir in flavoring and coloring. Pour into a well butter pan. (We like to use an electric skillet as air can circulate under the pan.) Allow the candy to cool for just a few minutes until you can lift and cut strips. Toss the strips into powdered sugar and let your helpers cut the strips into bite size pieces. When cool shake off the excess powdered sugar. Store in an aire tight container.
That is soo neat!! Reminds me of our homeschool group!! Great blog:)
ReplyDeleteWhat fun! I may have to try this with my children.
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