Who doesn’t love candy? Gummy bears and lollipops got us through childhood. Chocolates help heal our broken hearts. What would Valentine’s Day be without truffles, Halloween without caramel apples, Christmas without peppermint bark? And at a time when we’re looking at the preservatives in pre-packaged foods, and the desire to create something ourselves that will personalize a gift, why aren’t more of us making candy?
Maybe we just don’t know how.
Master chocolatier Karen Neugebauer is here to help with that. Her new cookbook Candy Making for Beginners is packed with tips and insights into making fresh, homemade candy with real ingredients. She tells you what tools you’ll need to get started and offers tips for success for each chapter. For example, if you’re wanting to make caramels, you should know to use a pastry brush on the sides of the pot to catch any sugar crystals that didn’t get incorporated, or you can use a little bit of acid (vinegar or lemon juice) to keep crystals from growing in your smooth candy mixture.
There are chapters for all sorts of candy—hard candy, mints, chocolates, caramels, butterscotch, brittle, toffee, barks, fudge, and even gummies. You can make your own Rock Candy, Sour Gummy Worms, Lemon Drops, Peppermint Patties, Old English Toffee, Orange Truffles, Honey Caramels, or Fancy Dipped Strawberries.
There are also tips for tempering chocolate, which you can use for Cashew Clusters and Almond Truffles.
The recipes are good for kids (Pixie Sticks) and seniors (Root Beer Balls), but even adults who eschew candy as a rule could be tempted by the Cranberry Energy Chews, Microwave Champagne Gummy Bears, Espresso Caramels, or Whiskey Pops. There is truly something for everyone and every occasion in Candy Making for Beginners. I can’t wait to carve out some time to get started!
A copy of Candy Making for Beginners was provided by Rockridge Press through the Callisto Media Publisher’s Club, with many thanks.