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Hard Candy Peppermint Twists

Hard Candy Peppermint Twists
It's fun to tuck a few of these twists onto a platter of Christmas cookies. The holidays in out home wouldn't be the same without peppermint candies.
8 ServingsPrep: 1 hour Cook: 40 min.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon red food coloring

Directions

  • Coat two 9-in. square pans with cooking spray; set aside. (Do not use
  • butter or foil to prepare pans.)
  • In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine water and vinegar. Add
  • sugar. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved and mixture comes to a
  • boil, about 8 minutes. (If sugar crystals are present, cover
  • saucepan for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes to allow steam to wash crystals
  • down.) Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reads
  • 300° (hard-crack stage), about 26 minutes.
  • Combine peppermint extract and food coloring. Remove syrup from the
  • heat; stir in peppermint mixture until well blended (mixture will
  • bubble up slightly). Immediately and carefully pour into prepared
  • pans (do not scrape saucepan or tilt pans to spread mixture evenly).
  • Cool for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes.
  • Using a sharp knife, score candy into 1/2-in.-to 3/4-in.-wide pieces,
  • about 3-in. long. Place both pans in a warm oven(150° or your
  • oven's lowest temperature) for about 5 minutes or until candy is
  • warm enough to cut but cool enough to handle.
© Taste of Home 2013

2 of 2

Hard Candy Peppermint Twists (continued)

Directions (continued)

  • Using a heavy-duty kitchen scissors, cut along scored lines, one
  • piece at a time. Immediately wrap each piece around the handle of a
  • wooden spoon; remove candy and place on waxed paper to harden.
  • Continue cutting and wrapping until mixture in pan begins to harden.
  • Return pan to oven for at least 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, remove second pan from oven. Cut and wrap as before until
  • mixture begins to harden. Return to oven and repeat with the first
  • pan. Repeat until all mixture is cut and formed into twists. Yield:
  • about 1/2 pound.
Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 ounce) equals 198 calories, 0 fat (0 saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 1 mg sodium, 50 g carbohydrate, 0 fiber, 0 protein.
© Taste of Home 2013