HOREHOUND DROPS

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HOREHOUND DROPS1 cup fresh horehound leavesI cop water2 cups sugar2 tablespoons corn syrup or honeyPut the horehound in a small non reactive sauce pan and add the water. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered,for 20 minutes. Allow to cool, then remove the horehound and squeeze out all of the liquid. Add the sugar andcorn syrup or honey to the pan, stir with a wooden spoon while bringing to a boil, then turn the heat down to agentle simmer. If bubbles threaten to overflow the pan, reduce the heat slightly and stir.Boil to the hard-crack stage. If you have a candy thermometer, this is in the range of 330°F. Keepa shallow cup of cold water nearby. Stir the liquid occasionally, and watch how it falls from the spoon. When it forms a thread, begin testing for hardness by allowing a drop of the mixmixture to fall into the cup of cold water. Don't trust your fingers to examine the now hardened drop in the cup: bite it. If it's at all gooey or sticks to your teeth, keepcooking. When it's hard enough to crack when you bite it, remove the pan from the heat immediately.If the mixture crystallizes, just add a cup of water and an extra tablespoon of corn syrup or honey to the pan, scrape all of the crystalline chunks into it, and begin again.Lightly butter a candy mold, cookie sheet, or other heatproof baking pan, and pour in the hot mixture. Ifyou're using a flat-bottomed pan, score the surface of the candy after it has cooled enough to become firm. Thiswill help in breaking it apart, which should be done as soon as the candy can be handled. After individual "drops" areformed, sift granulated or powdered sugar over them to keep them from sticking together Store in a moisture-proof container.

 

 

 

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