Homemade Candy Corn
I fully admit that candy corn is one of those “love it or hate it” holiday sweets (that I personally love from the bottom of my heart) – but to me, this homemade rendition by Miranda Keyes on Food52 could convert even the staunchest objectors. Something about melting, boiling, rolling, cutting, and assembling the candy by hand just makes it taste that much better!
Homemade Candy Corn
1 cup confectioners' sugar
¼ cup instant skim milk powder
⅛ teaspoon salt
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons butter
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 2 drops orange food color
1 to 2 drops yellow food color
Place a Silicone baking mat on a large baking sheet.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar, milk powder, and salt, set aside.
In a small pot, mix together sugar, corn syrup, water, and butter. Place on high heat and stir with a Silicone spatula until everything has melted together and the sugar has dissolved.
Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pot. Boil the corn syrup mixture, without stirring, until it reaches 240° F, about 2 to 3 minutes. (In candy-making terms, this is the soft ball stage).
Quickly remove from heat and mix in the vanilla extract. Be careful, as it may sputter a bit. Pour the syrup into the bowl with the confectioners' sugar and milk powder. Using your Silicone spatula, mix until everything is combined and the mixture forms into a ball.
Dump the candy corn dough onto the prepared Silicone baking mat. Leave for 5 to 10 minutes, until cool enough to handle. Split the candy corn dough into three equal-sized pieces. Color one orange by adding a few drops of orange food color, and color the other piece yellow. Knead the food color into the candy corn dough until it is thoroughly mixed in.
Remove about 2 tablespoons of each color candy corn and roll into thin strands (about the width of a pencil). Wrap the remaining pieces in plastic wrap and set aside.
Stack the strips on top of one another starting with the white and followed by the orange and then the yellow. Press them together so they make one tri-colored strip.
Using a small paring knife cut triangles out of the strip to form your candy corn. Continue with remaining mixture. Leave candy corn pieces on the Silicone baking mat until dry, about 2 hours. Keep in a sealed container in a cool, dry place.
Makes 120 pieces
Top: Vixen by Micheline Pitt "Beat it Creep" baseball tee
Lips: Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in American Doll
Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer in Ebony
