Description
This Cinnamon Rock Candy recipe creates vibrant, spicy-sweet crystalline treats with a bold cinnamon kick. Perfect for candy lovers who enjoy a unique twist on traditional rock candy, it involves boiling sugar syrup to the hard crack stage, flavoring it with cinnamon oil, and cooling it into crunchy, colorful shards dusted with powdered sugar.
Ingredients
Scale
Liquid Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/4 cups light corn syrup
- 1 tsp red food coloring
- 1-2 tsp cinnamon oil (adjust for spice level)
Dry Ingredients
- 3 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Others
- 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 ensure the candy doesn’t stick after setting.
- Make the Candy Base: In a large saucepan, combine the water, sugar, corn syrup, and red food coloring. Stir over medium-high heat to begin dissolving the sugar evenly throughout the mixture.
- Heat to Hard Crack Stage: Attach a candy thermometer to the saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Continue heating without stirring until the temperature reaches 300°F, indicating the hard crack stage. This usually takes about 20 minutes. If the syrup threatens to overflow, carefully remove it from the heat briefly.
- Add Cinnamon: Once the mixture reaches 300°F, remove the pan from heat. Immediately and carefully stir in the cinnamon oil, being cautious as the aroma is strong and potent.
- Pour and Cool: Quickly pour the hot candy syrup into the prepared buttered and parchment-lined pan. Allow it to cool undisturbed at room temperature for at least 4 hours until completely hardened.
- Break and Dust: After the candy has fully cooled and hardened, dust the surface with powdered sugar. Flip the candy slab onto a cutting board, peel off the parchment paper, and use a knife to break it into bite-sized pieces. Optionally dust with more powdered sugar to prevent sticking.
- Store: Store the cinnamon rock candy pieces in an airtight container to preserve freshness and crunch.
Notes
- Be very careful when handling hot sugar syrup to avoid burns.
- The amount of cinnamon oil can be adjusted to taste but start with less as it is very strong.
- If you don’t have cinnamon oil, cinnamon extract can be used but may affect the texture.
- Use a candy thermometer for accuracy to achieve the perfect hard crack stage.
- Ensure the pan is well buttered to make removing the candy easier.
