Candy sticks or candy canes?

by Diana McCollum

Ever wonder how candy canes got the hook on the end? For centuries candy canes were made by hand. Around 1920 Bob McCormack, residing in Georgia, U.S.A, decided to start making candy canes by hand  for his friends. As the popularity of his candies increased he opened Bob’s Candies.

Bob’s brother-in-law, a catholic priest named Gregory Harding Keller, invented a machine that worked on straight candy sticks into the beautiful curved ones of today. The automated machine is called the Keller Machine.

Bob’s Candies was bought out by Farley and Sathers in 2005.

Here is a recipe for making green or red candy canes.

http://bit.ly/2fOQfoB  this is the cooking site Taste of Home where this recipe was created. Go there for a printable copy.

Picture by Homemade Candy Canes Recipe photo by Taste of Home

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 25 min. Cook: 25 min.

MAKES: 16 servings

Ingredients

·         1 teaspoon butter

·         1 cup sugar

·         1 cup water

·         1 cup light corn syrup

·         1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

·         1 teaspoon peppermint or spearmint extract

·         6 drops red or green food coloring

Nutritional Facts

1 candy cane : 110 calories, 0 fat (0 saturated fat), 1mg cholesterol, 14mg sodium, 28g carbohydrate (18g sugars, 0 fiber), 0 protein.Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch.

Directions

1.    Grease two baking sheets with butter; set aside. In a large saucepan, bring the sugar, water, corn syrup and cream of tartar to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reads 280° (soft-crack stage).

2.    Remove from the heat; stir in extract and food coloring. Immediately pour onto prepared pans in eight 8-in. strips. Let stand just until cool enough to handle, about 1-2 minutes.

3.    Working quickly, roll each strip into a 10-in. log. Cut each into two 5-in. lengths. Curve the top of each to form the handle of a cane. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 16 canes. 

Editor's Note: We recommend that you test your candy thermometer before each use by bringing water to a boil; the thermometer should read 212°. Adjust your recipe temperature up or down based on your test.

Originally published as Homemade Candy Canes in Taste of Home's Holiday & Celebrations Cookbook Annual 2009, p83

http://bit.ly/2fOQfoB  web site red or green

If you are one of those people who say show me! Go to this ‘you tube video' for how to make candy canes.

http://bit.ly/2fBoNrN

And then after making some of those lovely candy canes, you might want to sit with a candy cane and a cup of hot chocolate and read one of the following books:

CANDY CANE CAPER                                              

Things go from crazy to insane in the Zimmerman household when Scooter's dad comes to town, Zoe tries to find the perfect gift for Zak while helping out with Hometown Christmas, and Levi finds the body of bakeshop owner Candy Kane dead in the pantry. It's funny, it's family, and it’s a Zak and Zoe Christmas mystery. (Amazon description)

DASHING THROUGH THE SNOW

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Savor the magic of the season with Debbie Macomber’s newest Christmas novel, filled with warmth, humor, the promise of love, and a dash of unexpected adventure.

CHRISTMAS ON CANDY CANE LANE

Review by Bette Hansen 

I loved it! It's the holiday season in Icicle Falls and the craziness is in full swing. There is no place in town that's as crazy as Candy Cane Lane. This is the story of three women, each trying to juggle the stresses of life, deal with crazy neighbors, and stay sane enough to still have a life!

I must say I've never tried to make candy. Cookies and cakes and pies, oh, my, yes I make all of those, but candy No.

Do you have a favorite Christmas candy? Do you make candy?