Sweets Made Simple Guide!

Tips & Tricks To Making Delicious Homemade Hard Candy

Here's the simple guide to using LorAnn’s Hard Candy Mix. That's right, it's Sweets Made Simple! All you need is your favorite LorAnn Super-Strength flavoring and water. This recipe will become your new favorite way to make delicious hard candy and gorgeous lollipops.

It's SO EASY to customize your LorAnn flavors and colors. LorAnn's easy-to-use Super-Strength flavors pack a powerful punch for all of your candy making needs; where our 1-dram bottle is enough to flavor 1.25 lbs. of hard candy.

Shop professional candy molds for your eye-catching treats.

 Our Top Tips:

  • The use of a candy thermometer is not essential, but highly recommended and accuracy is critical.  Test a thermometer’s accuracy by inserting it in a pan boiling water. After about five minutes, it should read 212°F or 100°C. If the reading is higher or lower, take the difference into account when testing the temperature of your sugar syrup.
  • When flavoring hard candy, A concentrated flavoring is a must. Using an extract is not appropriate as the flavor is diluted in alcohol and would mostly evaporate with the high cooking temperature.
  • Making candy is a safe and fun family activity! Grab the kids and head into the kitchen to get making. Hard candy making is easy, but it does involve high temperatures. Caution should be used at all times when cooking and handling the hot sugar. We recommend children can help prep the molds, measure ingredients and package the candy, but should not be involved in the cooking or pouring of the sugar syrup. We also recommend making candy in a well air-conditioned kitchen during the summer months. Heat and humidity are the enemies of hard candy!
  • For easy clean-up, soak your pan and utensils in hot soapy water until hardened candy has melted.   
Consider yourself a candy making pro now? Add the finishing touches to your hard candy and lollipops with our candy making accessories. 

How To Use LorAnn's Simple Hard Candy Mix

 

Step 1:
In a saucepan, combine candy mix and water. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Bring mixture to a boil. Insert candy thermometer. 

Step 2:
Cook without stirring. Remove from heat at 149 °C (300°F). Add flavoring when boiling stops. Add coloring if desired.

Step 3:
Pour mixture onto lightly greased cookie sheet or into lightly oiled hard candy molds.

Step 4:
Cool completely, but do not refrigerate. Remove candy from molds or break sheet candy into small pieces and dust with powdered sugar.