Hello to all the ghosts and goblins out there ; ) It is the week of a very spooky holiday…HALLOWEEN !! We don’t have this holiday back in Italy, but I do enjoy scaring my friends and getting to dress up — speaking of which, I don’t have a costume yet !! What should I be ?? Maybe I can dress up like my best friend Richard Blais : )
When you think of Halloween, 2 things come to mind…the color orange because of the pumpkin and lots of CANDY. My recipes this week are very orange-focused, like carrots and pumpkin and all of that. But, I thought I should give you the lowdown on the temperatures for making your very own candy since it is such an important part of this holiday. Maybe this will just be for yourself on Halloween or maybe you will go to the extreme and be the best neighbor on your block with your very own professionally made candy for trick or treaters. Either way, homemade candy is DELICIOUS !!
You must first make sure that your candy thermometer is accurate or else your candy won’t turn out right !! Place your thermometer in boiling water- it should read as 212 degrees F or 100 degrees C. If the temperature is reading differently, just take the difference into account when you take the temperature while making your candy.
THREAD STAGE: Binding agent for fruit pastes
Will form a fine, thin thread when drizzling a spoonful of sugar over a plate. 223-234 degrees F (106-112 degrees C)
SOFT-BALL STAGE: Fondant, Fudge
Will form a ball that flattens immediately when you press it between your fingers after you drop a spoonful of sugar into ice water. 234-240 degrees F (112-116 degrees C)
FIRM-BALL STAGE: Caramel Candy
Form a ball that stays firm and pliable but is still sticky between your fingers by placing a spoonful of the caramel dropped into ice water. 244-248 degrees F (118-120 degrees C)
HARD-BALL STAGE: Marshmallow
A spoonful dropped into ice water will form a ball that is sticky, yet won’t be pliable. 250-266 degrees F (121-130 degrees C)
SOFT-CRACK STAGE: Taffy
Once dropped into ice water, the syrup can be pulled between your fingers and separated into elastic strands . 270-290 degrees F (132-143 degrees C)
HARD-CRACK STAGE: Barley Sugar
Syrup will solidify when dropped into water. 300-310 degrees F (149-154 degrees C)
LIGHT CARAMEL STAGE: Glazes, coating agent
When poured onto a white plate, the syrup will be a honey-golden color. 320-335 degrees F (169-170 degrees C)
DARK CARAMEL STAGE- Glazes, coating agent
When poured onto a white plate, the syrup will be a deep reddish amber color. Up to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C)
Hope you enjoy making your own candy for Halloween this year !! Join in on the conversation about this week’s blog and recipes at @fabioviviani with hashtag #HalloweenByFabio. Make sure to tweet me photos when you make my dishes, I love seeing them !! You can find this week’s recipes on Facebook, @FabioViviani, and Pinterest.
