Field Guide to Candy: How to Identify and Make Virtually Every Candy Imaginable (95 page)

Recipe:

1.
Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

2.
Combine sugar, ½ cup water, and corn syrup in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.

3.
Continue cooking without stirring until it reaches 300°F, hard crack stage. Remove from heat.

4.
Add the cinnamon oil and red food coloring and stir to combine. Be very careful as the fumes from the oil and hot sugar mixture can be very hot. Do not lean over the saucepan.

5.
Pour out the mixture onto the baking sheet.

6.
Let the candy cool and harden. Break into pieces.

Yield:

About 2 cups of cinnamon candy

Storage

Store in a cool, dry place for up to 1 month.

Variation:

Molded Cinnamon Candies

Pour the hot candy mixture into molds in step 5. Let it harden before unmolding.

Storage:

Wrap in cellophane that is twist tied shut, and store in a cool dry place for up to 1 month.

General Description:

A mixture of melted chocolate and toasted coconut, these haystacks are pleasantly chewy and filling.
Haystacks can be seen as a simple version of
coconut macaroons; some macaroon recipes are even called
haystack cookies
.

History:

Coconut haystacks are an American tradition. Recipes for coconut haystacks were commonly found in cookbooks in the 1950s. Commercial and homemade versions have spread throughout North America and the United Kingdom.

Serving Suggestions:

You can dress up these haystacks by sprinkling slivered almonds, chocolate chips, or chocolate kisses on top. They are especially popular at picnics and potlucks.

Candy-Making Notes:

Stir the toasting coconut periodically; it can burn very quickly, and the bits at the edges invariably brown faster than the center.

Recipe:

1.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.

2.
Spread coconut on a clean baking sheet. Toast in the oven for 5 to 8 minutes until golden brown.

3.
Melt chocolate in a metal bowl set over a pot of
simmering water, stirring occasionally.