Description
This homemade Cinnamon Rock Candy recipe delivers a delightful, crunchy treat infused with a warm cinnamon flavor and a vibrant red hue. Perfect for candy lovers and a fun project to make at home, these crystalized sugar rocks are flavored with cinnamon oil and coated with powdered sugar for an extra touch of sweetness and texture.
Ingredients
Scale
Candy Base
- 1 cup water
- 3 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 1/4 cups light corn syrup
- 1 tsp red food coloring
- 1-2 tsp cinnamon oil (adjust for spice level)
Finishing
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- Butter for greasing the pan
Instructions
- Prepare the Pan: Butter a 15x10x1-inch sheet cake pan thoroughly, then line it with parchment paper. Butter the parchment paper well to prevent the candy from sticking.
- Make the Candy Base: In a large saucepan, combine water, sugar, corn syrup, and red food coloring. Stir over medium-high heat until the sugar starts dissolving.
- Heat to Hard Crack Stage: Attach a candy thermometer to the saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Continue heating until it reaches 300°F (hard crack stage), which should take about 20 minutes. Watch closely and remove briefly from heat if mixture rises near the pan’s edge to avoid overflow.
- Add Cinnamon: Once at 300°F, remove the pan from heat and carefully stir in the cinnamon oil. Be cautious—the cinnamon oil is potent. Quickly pour the hot mixture into the prepared pan.
- Cool the Candy: Let the candy cool undisturbed for at least 4 hours until fully set and hardened.
- Break and Dust: Dust the top of the hardened candy with powdered sugar. Flip the candy onto a cutting board, peel off the parchment paper, and use a knife to break it into bite-sized pieces. Dust with additional powdered sugar if desired.
- Store: Store the cinnamon rock candy pieces in an airtight container to keep them fresh and crunchy.
Notes
- Use caution when handling hot sugar syrup as it can cause severe burns.
- Adjust cinnamon oil quantity to personal spice preference.
- Ensure the candy reaches the hard crack stage (300°F) to achieve the proper texture.
- Butter and line the pan well to prevent sticking and ease candy removal.
- Store in an airtight container to avoid moisture absorption and loss of crunch.
