Ingredients
- 700g white sugar
- 300g glucose
- 2 tsp tartaric acid
- ¼ cup water
- ½ tsp peppermint essence
- red food colouring
Instructions
1 Preheat oven to 110°C. Put the sugar, glucose, tartaric acid and water in a saucepan and set over a high heat. Cook until the mixture reaches 140°C. Beat in the peppermint essence.
2 Pour half the syrup into an oiled oven pan and place in the oven. Pour the remaining sugar onto a non-stick pastry mat. Sprinkle with 8 drops red food colouring (add more if desired). Put some heavy duty washing up gloves on and begin pulling the sugar. Form into sausage shapes and stretch, then re-form. Continue this for 3 minutes, until the sugar mixture is red and satiny. Place on an oiled oven pan and put in the oven.
3 Stretch the remaining sugar with a tint, until white and satiny. Take a golf ball sized piece and roll into a long stick. Put the remaining white mixture back in the oven to remain pliable. Take a similar sized piece of red sugar and roll out to the same size. Place these side by side, then roll to join. Twist to from stripes, then cut to length with scissors. Form into cane shapes, then set aside to cool. Wrap in cellophane once cooled to prevent softening.