Description
This Cinnamon Rock Candy recipe creates crisp, spicy-sweet candy pieces infused with cinnamon oil, perfect for a unique handmade treat. Using simple syrup cooked to hard crack stage and flavored with cinnamon oil, this candy is easy to make at home and cooled to form satisfying shards dusted with powdered sugar.
Ingredients
Scale
Liquid and Sugars
- 1 cup water
- 3 ¾ cups sugar
- 1 ¼ cups light corn syrup
Flavor and Color
- 1 tsp red food coloring
- 1–2 tsp cinnamon oil (adjust for spice)
Finishing
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- Butter (for greasing)
Instructions
- Prepare the Pan: Butter a 15x10x1-inch sheet cake pan thoroughly, then line it with parchment paper and butter the parchment to prevent sticking.
- Combine Ingredients: In a large saucepan, combine water, sugar, corn syrup, and red food coloring. Stir the mixture over medium-high heat until the sugar fully dissolves.
- Heat to Hard Crack Stage: Attach a candy thermometer to the saucepan and continue boiling without stirring until the mixture reaches 300°F (hard crack stage), which should take about 20 minutes.
- Add Cinnamon Oil: Remove the pan from heat and carefully stir in the cinnamon oil to infuse the candy with spicy flavor. Immediately pour the hot syrup into the prepared pan.
- Cool and Break: Allow the candy to cool completely for at least 4 hours until fully set. Once hardened, dust the surface with powdered sugar, flip the candy out of the pan, peel off the parchment paper, and break the candy into bite-sized pieces.
- Store: Keep the rock candy pieces in an airtight container stored in a cool, dry place to preserve freshness and texture.
Notes
- Be very careful when handling hot sugar syrup as it reaches extremely high temperatures.
- You can adjust the cinnamon oil amount to control how spicy your candy tastes.
- Butter the pan and parchment paper well to ensure easy removal of the candy.
- Store candy in an airtight container to prevent it from becoming sticky or absorbing moisture.
- Use a candy thermometer for accurate temperature to reach the hard crack stage.
