Old Fashioned Hard Candy

Ingredients

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

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.

Caramel Candies

Cook Time: 20 Min
Prep Time: 45 Min

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 2/3 cups white sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup corn syrup
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

Combine brown sugar, white sugar, butter, corn syrup, cream, milk and vanilla in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Heat, stirring occasionally, to 250 to 265 degrees F (121 to 129 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a rigid ball. Pour into an 8x8 inch pan. Let cool before cutting.

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recipe from allrecipes.com

Cracker Candy

This "candy" has a saltine cracker base topped with syrup, chocolate and almonds. Break apart and serve.
INGREDIENTS:
• Saltine crackers
• 1c. packed brown sugar
• 1c. real butter
• 1 12-ounce pkg. semisweet chocolate pieces
• 1 small bag chopped almonds

METHOD:
Line cookie sheet with foil to cover. Brush foil with cooking oil. Arrange saltine crackers over the foil to cover whole area. Preparation: Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a nonstick pan add brown sugar and butter and bring to a boil. Boil, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Remove and pour over crackers; bake for 5 minutes. Take out and pour chocolate chips on top of brown sugar mixture; let melt then spread evenly over mixture. Sprinkle almonds on top, then put in refrigerator till firm. Remove from foil and break into pieces to eat.

NOTES:
Never use anything other than real butter; margarine won't work. Should taste like a toffee candy bar. Enjoy.

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I've tried a slightly different version of this recipe in the past and it is very good! It's definitely a new spin on candy! I'll try to find the other version and post it.