Since appearing in American candy stores in the late 1800s, jaw-breakers have been satisfying gourmands for more than a century. Candy lovers are able to enjoy just one of these extraordinarily tough treats for hours, letting the sugar layer melt, bringing out a new color and flavor. If you are already a deep connoisseur of these candies and are looking for a new challenge, try making some in your kitchen; just a few ingredients will be enough to satisfy your palate!
Ingrediants
- 490 g of sugar
- 240 ml of water
- Small muffin molds or heat resistant molds
- Food coloring (optional)
- Liquid flavorings for candies of your choice
Liquid flavorings are sold in specialty pastry shops and wholesalers. They are packaged in small bottles and are very colorful. However, if you are unable to find them in your area, you can order them online.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Basic Recipe
Step 1. Mix the sugar with the water in a saucepan
- Stir until the sugar is completely wet evenly.
- If you can, use filtered water. Although tap water is just as good, know that it can sometimes have a slight aftertaste that greatly influences the final result.
Step 2. Heat the mixture over "high" heat
As the temperature rises, the mixture will begin to boil and the ingredients will take on a syrup consistency. Stir frequently; sugar burns easily if you let it stick to the bottom of the pan.
Step 3. Cook the sugar up to the Gran_cass. C3. A8 "gran cassè" stage
- As you boil the mixture, the water evaporates and the syrup becomes thicker and thicker. Your goal is an almost completely water-free compound called "gran cassè".
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There are several ways to determine the doneness of sugar:
- Use a pastry thermometer; you should register a value of 149 ° C-154 ° C.
- Use cold water for the test; drop a drop of syrup into a bowl of cold water. Wait for it to cool down for a few moments and then take it off to check it. The syrup should have formed a hard but crumbly caramel strand that breaks as soon as you try to bend it. If you feel it is still soft, you need to cook it longer.
Make Jawbreakers Step 4 Step 4. Remove the pan from the heat
Avoid the syrup exceeding the stage of the grand cassè, otherwise it will start to caramelize. Although the rich and complex aroma of caramel is excellent for some preparations, it is not suitable for "jaw breakers"
Make Jawbreakers Step 5 Step 5. Add the flavors and colors
- Pour in a quantity between 10 and 15 ml of liquid flavoring and mix thoroughly. The more liquid you add, the stronger the flavor of the candy will be.
- You can also incorporate a few drops of food coloring in at this stage if you wish. However, it won't interfere with the flavor.
Make Jawbreakers Step 6 Step 6. Pour the liquid into each muffin mold or mold
While there is no right way to make a jaw breaker, pouring more liquid into each mold will give them a harder texture. Thinner candies are more crumbly and easier to chew
Make Jawbreakers Step 7 Step 7. Store the candy in the refrigerator
Depending on the thickness of the treats, it could take 30 minutes to two hours or more to completely bring down the temperature. Be patient, the colder they become, the more similar in consistency they will be to commercial jaw breakers
Make Jawbreakers Step 8 Step 8. When they are completely cold, take them out of the refrigerator and serve them
To remove the cakes from the molds, twist the molds as you would an ice cube tray. Enjoy your meal
Method 2 of 2: Creative Ideas
Make Jawbreakers Step 9 Step 1. Try layered candies
- Nowadays, many commercial jaw splitters are made up of multiple layers; if you cut a candy in half you would see different rings of the various layers. With a little more work you can achieve a similar effect.
- To get started, make a batch of candy by following the instructions in the previous section. Then prepare another dose of syrup but color it in a different shade and add a different aroma.
- When the syrup is cold enough to handle, roll the cold jaw splitter in it to coat them in an even layer. Place them on parchment paper and put them back in the refrigerator.
Make Jawbreakers Step 10 Step 2. Add a fizzy candy powder if you want to add some extra flair
To make your jaw crunchers truly "crunchy", add a generous pinch of sparkling candy powder to the syrup just when you incorporate the food coloring and aroma. When the treats are ready and you can eat them, this ingredient will give you a sizzling thrill
Make Jawbreakers Step 11 Step 3. Make a homemade liquid flavoring
- It is worth pointing out that if you are willing to experiment, you may not need the commercial liquid flavors. There are many ways to prepare these flavorings to add to jaw breakers and other types of candy; practically any thick and very aromatic oil, syrup or liquid can be used.
- A simple and inexpensive way to prepare the aroma is to add water to a pack of powdered drink mix. Mix this liquid with the water and sugar mixture before the cooking process and let the excess water evaporate.
- Another "trick" to obtain a fruit aroma is to add a sprinkle of fruit juice (and even a little grated zest, if you have it); again, allow the excess liquid to evaporate.
Make Jawbreakers Step 12 Step 4. Add the sticks to make lollipops
- The recipe described in the previous section is very similar to the one used for a wide range of hard candies. In fact, if you insert a stick into each jaw breaker while it is hardening, you will get a series of lollipops once they are cold; trial!
- Holding the sticks upright while the candy cools isn't always easy, so you can lay them sideways. Once cold, rotate the candies 90 ° and you will have your lollipops.
Make Jawbreakers Step 13 Step 5. Try using molds of different shapes
- The shape you can give to the jaw splitters depends only on the molds you have available; try using different shapes to make the candies more interesting!
- It is not easy to get perfectly spherical treats like those sold in stores. Each round mold leaves a “weld” line along the edge of the candy. Confectionery professionals use a process very similar to that of the preparation of sugared almonds; the candies are rolled in large pans with the necessary ingredients and for long periods. In this way their spherical shape is obtained. While this is instrumentation well beyond the reach of amateur candy makers, if you are serious about making your own jaw breakers you should consider investing in these rotating boilers.
Advice
- If you want to give candy as a gift, try different types of gift boxes and packages. You can also prepare the jaw breakers with special colors in theme with the holidays or for a special occasion.
- Eat these sweets in moderation; due to their extremely hard consistency, high sugar content and the time required to dissolve them, they are particularly aggressive towards the teeth when compared with other types of candies.
