Simple Gift: Stained Glass Hard Candy

This gift stemmed from reviving an old, childhood tradition at my house - making hard candy.  As an adult, the part I remember most is the wonderful scent of wintergreen and cinnamon infusing our entire house.

This year, I decided it was time to introduce this tradition to my kids.  I want them to know the smell of Christmas as I knew it when I was growing up.  So during our traditional Christmas weekend with my family, we got to candy making.

It’s a really simple process.

Here’s what you need:

• 4 cups of granulated sugar*
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp. of the flavoring of your choice
• food coloring
• candy thermometer
• powdered sugar
• foil

* Near the end, we used only 3 cups of sugar because we were running out and it worked out great. It made the flavor stronger. Wished we did that with the cinnamon. That was the one flavor that was barely there for some reason.

Here’s what you do:

• Cover your kitchen table in foil.  Dust it with powdered sugar.

• Combine the ingredients in a sauce pan.
• Bring to a boil over medium heat.
• Boil until the candy thermometer reaches 310 degrees.
• Add food coloring and flavoring.  It will spatter a bit when you mix it.
• Pour it directly on your foil creating long ribbons of candy.

  

• Wait for it to cool, then crack into bite size pieces.
• Mix it around with the powdered sugar leftover on the foil.

• Package it up and you’re done!

I packaged it up in a mini paint can from Target’s dollar section and filled it with the blue wintergreen candy.  Taped a snowflake ornament to it along with a little tag of holiday greetings using glitter tape.  Perfect for bus drivers, teachers, neighbors – anyone you want to give a little sweet sentiment to for the holidays.