If you like cooking with hard candy, then you have probably wondered if it is better to reheat hard candy as compared to making them from the scratch. The answer: is yes and no.
Sometimes, the best thing you can do is it make it from the scratch if you want to have full control over the taste and the ingredients.
On the contrary, if you are in a hurry and hard candy is not the star of your sweet dish and will be used to decorate gingerbread houses or cakes, then you can save a lot of time by reheating hard candy and melting them into the desired shape.
Here are a few ways you can do so depending on the kinds of results you desire.
The Oven Method to Reheat Hard Candy
This method works best if you want to retain the color detail of the candy, or if you desire a marbleized effect with multiple colors.
- Preheat the oven to 300.
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper or aluminum foil. Make sure that the paper or foil is large enough to extend to the sides of the baking sheet to contain any mess.
- Divide the candies into separate Ziploc bags to melt each color separately.
- Set the bags on a hard surface and cover it with a towel.
- Crush the candies into smaller pieces with a mallet or roll over it with a rolling pin. Crushed candies melt more evenly and quick.
- If you have to melt the candy in a particular shape, place a metal cookie cutter on the baking sheet and fill in with a crushed candy.
- If you want to have vague shapes, just place them crushed candy accordingly on the baking sheet. Remember that the candy will melt any flow in all direction, so give ample space between them so that two shapes don’t melt into each other.
- You can also use whole candies to give a marbleized effect.
- Put the tray in the oven and bake it for 5 to 7 minutes until the candy is melted and is completely flat.
- Constantly monitor the candy after 5 minutes and remove it from the oven just before it starts bubbling so it doesn’t scorch.
- Make sure you don’t shake the tray and keep it level so the melted candy doesn’t slide to the side of the pan.
- Let the candy cool for about half an hour.
- They are ready to be used as you want.
The Stove Method
This method to reheat hard candy is better if you want to pour the candy in molds or into a large sheet of hard candy.
- Crush all the candy on a hard surface using the same method above.
- Add the candy to a saucepan that has a thick bottom; this will prevent the candy from burning. If you don’t have a thick-bottomed pan, put the crushed candy in a double boiler with water at the bottom.
- Turn the flame to low, and keep a close eye on the pan.
- The water should be boiled to a medium low if using a double boiler.
- Stir the candy frequently as soon as it starts to melt.
- When all the candy pieces are melted, immediately remove it from the stove.
- Immediately pour into the molds or sheets that you want to use to shape the hard candy, as it will start to harden quickly.