How do you make candy?

Answer 1

Candy is made many different ways depending on the type of candy. What most in the US refer to as candy is usually made with sugar and other flavorings. Chocolate candy is obviously made of chocolate or cocoa as the flavoring, along with the sugar and perhaps a few other ingredients like butter, nuts, or preserved fruits.

Hard candy is made of sugar which is heated with water until it boils for a certain length of time, which reduces the grainy texture of the sugar granules and makes it thicken, it can be heated to the hard ball or soft ball stage. This process is usually done using a candy thermometer made for the purpose to determine when the candy has been cooked long enough to make hard candy. It is usually quickly cooled down, flavored with peppermint or other flavorings, perhaps colored with food dye, and shaped into the balls, cubes, sticks or candy canes that you are familiar with.

See the link below in the related links section that will take you to a recipe for lollipop candies that is made like described above. At that site are also other recipes for making candy that are "kid friendly".

However, having said that, even kid friendly recipes for candy should be made with adult supervision. When sugar is heated to these high temperatures it can produce some very serious burns if even a tiny amount of it touches your skin. Please be very careful and don't try to make it the first time alone or without an adult to help be sure you are safe.