Father Christmas' Candy Canes collected by Diane N. Tran
<escottish140@hotmail.com>
 © 16 August 2001

(Editor's Note: Rebroadcast, redistribution, or reproduction of this document, in whole or in part, is prohibited without prior, written permission. For educational use only.)


The English gift giver is called Father Christmas. He wears a long red or green robe, and leaves presents in stockings on Christmas Eve. However, the gifts are not usually opened until the following afternoon.

Christmas in England began in A.D. 596, when St. Augustine landed on her shores with monks who wanted to bring Christianity to the Anglo-Saxons. The English enjoy beautiful Christmas music. They love to decorate Christmas Trees and hang up evergreen branches. One England's customs is "mumming." In the Middle Ages, people called mummers put on masks and acted out Christmas plays. These plays are still performed in towns and villages.


Ingredients:
  • A candy thermometer
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 1 teaspoon red food coloring

    • Instructions:
    1. Mix the sugar, corn syrup, water, and cream of tartar in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan.

    2. Stir until the sugar dissolves.

    3. Place a candy thermometer in the mixture, and cook without stirring until the thermometer reaches 265 farenheit.

    4. Turn off the heat and add the peppermint extract.

    5. Divide the mixture in half by carefully pouring part of it into another pan.

    6. Add the red food coloring to one of the pans.

    7. While waiting for the candy to cool, grease three cookie sheets (two as working space, and the third to provide a non-stick surface for the canes to cool).

    8. Butter your hands, and use a buttered spatula to cut off a portion of one of the clear taffy. Have a helper do the same with the red taffy.

    9. Pull and fold the pieces repeatedly on your cookie sheet until they appear glossy, then roll them into an 8-inch long coil.

    10. Give the head of the cane a twist before setting it aside to cool on the third greased cookie sheet.

    11. This recipe makes 6 medium sized canes.

    Back to Mrs. Judson's Cookbook