Jolly Rancher candies are a type of hard candy created with sugar and corn syrup. You can customize the flavor and color by following this recipe. Wrap them in individual papers or sprinkle them with powdered sugar so they don't stick to your hands.
Ingrediants
- 600 g of granulated sugar
- 355 ml of corn syrup
- 177 ml of water
- Food coloring
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of cherry, strawberry, lemon or other flavoring of your choice
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Cook the Caramel
Step 1. Grease a baking sheet with cooking oil
Place it near the stove on a flat surface.
Step 2. Place a thick-bottomed saucepan on the stove
Add the sugar, corn syrup and water. Heat everything over medium heat.
If the burner is a little weak, turn up the heat
Step 3. Attach the pastry thermometer to the saucepan
The tip should be dipped in the syrup.
Step 4. Continue mixing
The sugar must come to a boil.
Step 5. Let the syrup boil until it reaches 154 ° C
Be patient, it will take some time to reach the desired temperature.
It is essential that the caramel reaches 148-154 ° C to be considered "hard". At this point the sugar changes consistency
Part 2 of 3: Adding the Flavors
Step 1. Remove the caramel from the heat
Hold the saucepan by the handle and continue stirring.
Step 2. Pour the extract of your choice
Jolly Rancher are usually cherry, apple, lemon, watermelon, strawberry or grape and therefore you can prepare several batches to get a bag of mixed flavors.
Step 3. Add several drops of food coloring to match your chosen flavor
For example, put green for apple candies and red for cherry candies.
Step 4. Keep stirring until the caramel stops boiling
The consistency will be smoother just because you kept stirring; however the caramel should still be hot when you pour it into the pan.
Part 3 of 3: Separating the Candies
Step 1. Pour the caramel mixture onto the previously greased baking sheet
Let it cool down on a flat surface and wait until you can touch it. Test it with your finger. It should be firm but malleable.
Step 2. Turn the pan over onto the cutting board
Do it with a decisive and quick movement so as not to deform the caramel "sheet".
Step 3. Score the surface with a knife, making cuts at a distance of 2, 5 cm
Then turn the cutting board by 90 ° and repeat the process, but spacing the cuts by 1, 3 cm. These are the classic dimensions of the rectangular Jolly Rancher.
Step 4. Go over the incisions a second time to define the cuts
Wrap each candy in parchment paper or cellophane paper while they are still warm. Try to keep them separate and in an airtight container to prevent them from absorbing too much moisture.