Chili-Orange Hard Candy

🍬 Chili-Orange Hard Candy

Lightly dust a baking sheet or silicone mat with powdered sugar, or prepare candy molds. Clip a candy thermometer to the saucepan.
In a medium heavy-bottom saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar, ¼ cup corn syrup, and ¼ cup water. Stir gently over medium heat until dissolved and clear. Once dissolved, do not stir—swirl the pan instead.
Continue cooking through the boiling stages:
- First 5–7 minutes: mixture boils rapidly with large foamy bubbles
- Next 3–5 minutes: bubbles shrink, syrup thickens and looks glassy
- At 300°F (hard crack stage, ~10–12 min total): a drop in cold water forms brittle threads that snap
Remove from heat, let bubbling settle 10–15 seconds, then quickly stir in 3 ml orange candy flavoring and 3 tsp chili powder.
Pour immediately into molds or onto prepared sheet. If using a sheet, score after 30–60 seconds while pliable, or wait and crack once hardened.
Let cool until glass-hard, then break or unmold. Dust lightly with powdered sugar to prevent sticking.

Batch	Sugar	Corn Syrup	Water	Flavoring	Chili Powder	Pan Size	Extra Time
1×	1 cup	¼ cup	¼ cup	3 ml	3 tsp	2 qt	—
2×	2 cups	½ cup	½ cup	6 ml	6 tsp	3–4 qt	+2–4 min
3×	3 cups	¾ cup	¾ cup	9 ml	9 tsp	5 qt	+5–6 min