A Cut Above: Far-From-Scary Halloween Candy
Sweet, satisfying candy is an extra-special treate when you make it yourself.
Article By: Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough

This Halloween, start a tradition of your own by creating terrific treats with a few simple tools (candy thermometer, lined baking sheet, heat-safe rubber spatula) and well-chosen ingredients. These treats are not scary at all, and they'll be a surprise hit with the kids. Plus, preparing them takes more time than ripping open a bag of your favorite commercial candy, which means you'll definitely savor these more.

As unabashed candy fans, we're here to show you the tricks. Our brittle, made from popcorn, not nuts, is just as crunchy and delicious. Or try these lighter-than-air marshmallows. Got grandkids, nephews, nieces or your own kids' friends stopping over? Have mugs of hot chocolate on hand (sugar-free, for those who prefer it), and float one of these fluffy treats on top. And who doesn't yearn for dark, rich chocolate? Our crispy, creamy bark is a sweet ending to any meal.

Our recipes aren't difficult, but if you've never made candy before, this primer will help explain some of the key ingredients, tools and techniques:

Candy-Making Glossary

Corn syrup: Fact: There's no difference in fat or calories between light and dark corn syrup. "Light" primarily refers to color. Dark corn syrup also has a little refiner's syrup, sort of like molasses, for a slightly deeper taste.

Molasses: Molasses, made from boiled-down sugar cane, has a deep, slightly bitter taste, and is much preferred in candy-making as it provides a better contrast to granulated sugar and corn syrup than, say, honey. Unsulfured molasses, the baking standard, is made from ripe cane; sulfured molasses is made from unripe cane to which sulfur has been added to extract the flavors.

Baking sheets and silicon mats: For candy-making, a baking sheet is either greased or lined to keep the hot sugar from sticking to it. Lining the sheet adds no fat to the candy, and silicon baking mats allow you to line the sheet effortlessly. Search for these mats at specialty cooking stores and from Web suppliers.

You can also line a baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper if you're pouring out lower-temperature melted chocolate, but not melted sugar, which can melt or ignite the paper.

Candy thermometer: Candy thermometers are specifically gauged for the various possible heat demarcations sugar can reach. The thermometer's bulb should be submerged in the liquid but not touching the bottom of the pot. The same goes for the more modern convenience: a digital candy probe. Both often have clips or some sort of frame that will hold the bulb or tip off the bottom of the pan. To clean, soak thermometer in warm water for up to two hours until the sugar finally dissolves.

Heat-safe silicone spatula: Some candy, particularly the kind that involves melted sugar, is made at temperatures high enough to melt a standard rubber spatula. Use a silicon spatula — that can withstand these infernal temperatures.

Wait! Don't scroll down for the recipes just yet! Read these general tips first, to help candy-making seem less tricky.

Candy-Making Tips

1. Use a tall pot. That way the hot contents won't splatter.

2. Stir constantly. Liquid sugar can boil turbulently, especially when other ingredients are added. Baking soda, used in making brittles, is notorious for making a hot lava cloud in the pan. Stir constantly to bring down the boil, making sure your hands are well away from handles, rims and the sugar itself.

3. Spray the knife or pizza wheel with nonstick spray before you cut candy. Provided you've greased the pan adequately, the marshmallows will simply fall out of the pan — but to cut them, or any candy, cleanly and without making a sticky mess, use a coated knife or pizza wheel. Immediately toss the cut marshmallows in confectioners' sugar to make sure they don't start sticking together.

4. Follow candy recipes to the letter. Unlike a recipe for, say, a chicken breast sauté, candy recipes are not forgiving. They are all chemistry and physics with little give.