Dana Meachen Rau - Eye Candy: Crafting Cool Candy Creations

dough (DOH)a thick mixture

fine (FINE)very small

horizontal (hor-uh-ZON-tuhl)side to side

melting point (MEL-ting POINT)the temperature when a solid candy turns into a liquid

overlap (oh-vur-LAP)partly covered

secure (si-KYOOR)to hold together

symmetrical (si-MET-ruh-kuhl)the same on both sides of a center line

Bowers, Sharon. Candy Construction: How to Build Edible Race Cars, Castles, and OtherCool Stuff Out of Store-Bought Candy! North Adams, Mass.: Storey Pub., 2010.

Candy Bouquets: Create Your Own Gifts & Centerpieces. Delicious Designs. Waverly,Iowa: CQ Products, 2008.

Dunnington, Rose. Sweet Eats: Mmmore Than Just Desserts. New York: Lark Books, 2008.

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Dana Meachen Rau writes about many topics, including food! When shes not writing,shes being creative in other waysespecially in the kitchen. Sometimes she followsrecipes, but other times she experiments with new flavors. And she doesnt need aspecial occasion to whip up a special dessert for her friends and family in Burlington,Connecticut.

Share the love with these edible flowers. Roses have never been this beautiful or sweet!

INGREDIENTS

6 packs of red fruit leather

1 pack green fruit leather

SPECIAL SUPPLIES

12 lollipop sticks

1. Cut the fruit leather into -inch (2-centimeter) wide strips.

2. Cut 1-inch (2.5-cm) wide ovals from the strips. Each oval should have one straightedge. Youll need 16 petals for each rose.

3. Hold a lollipop stick in one hand. Roll one of the petals tightly around the top.Squeeze to mold the petal onto the stick.

4. Add the next petal, slightly overlapping the first. Squeeze the base with yourfingers. Repeat with the remaining petals, moving around the flower as you go. Foldsome of the petals out slightly at the top.

5. Cut two leaf shapes out of the green fruit leather. Place the wide edge of oneleaf about 1 inch (2.5 cm) down from the base of your flower. Squeeze it onto thestick up to the flowers base. Repeat on the opposite side with the other leaf.

6. Repeat the steps to make additional flowers.

Makes 12 roses

Tip:

If youd like to give these as a gift, gather them together like a bouquet. Thentie a ribbon around the middle. Wrap the bunch in a cone of paper, just like theydo at a flower shop.

WINTER ICICLES

Long sparkling icicles are like winter jewelry on buildings. Bring that bling indoors,and make your home a winter wonderland.

INGREDIENTS

10 white rock candy strings

10 light blue rock candy strings

10 dark blue rock candy strings

SPECIAL SUPPLIES

16-gauge turquoise aluminum wire

1/8-inch (.3-cm) wide ;blue ribbon

7-inch (19-cm) wire wreath frame, spray painted silver

1. Cut the aluminum wire into 30 1-inch (4-cm) long pieces.

2. Bend both ends of each wire piece around a pencil to form hook shapes.

3. Cut four pieces of ribbon 18 inches (46 cm) long. Tie these pieces to the wirewreath, evenly spaced around the circle. Tie the loose ends together in a tight knot.

4. Wrap additional ribbon around the wire wreath to add a decorative touch.

5. Hang the wreath where you want to display it.

6. Hang the wire hooks around the wreath on the outermost ring.

7. Hang one candy string on each wire hook, alternating colors as you go around thecircle.

~ Finding the Fun ~

Some stores carry rock candy strings. But in some places, they might be hard to find.If you have trouble finding them, ask a parent to order the candy strings from onlinestores.

RISING STARS

Let your creativity twinkle with this star-studded project. Who knew hard candy couldshine so brightly?

INGREDIENTS

10 hard fruit candies

SPECIAL SUPPLIES

hammer

star-shaped cookie cutter

clear thread (optional)

Tips:

Many types of hard candies will work for this project. But only use one kind at atime. The candies may have different melting points, so mixing them could cause problemsfor your project.

Some ovens run a bit hotter than others. Watch your candy through the oven window.You want the candies to melt completely. But dont let them heat up so much theybubble.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius).

2. Unwrap the candies and place in a sturdy zip-top bag. With a hammer, crush thecandies into powdery bits. The finer the bits, the easier they will melt.

3. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Pour the crushed candies onto the paper.Gently shake the tray so the crushed candies make a flat layer. Make sure you cantsee the parchment paper between any of the candy bits.

4. Place the cookie sheet in the oven for three minutes.

5. Using an oven mitt, take the tray out of the oven. Let the candy cool for twominutes.

6. Working quickly, press the cookie cutter into the melted candy. Repeat until youvemade as many stars as you can.

7. If you want to hang the stars later, grab a toothpick. Poke a hole in one pointof each star.

8. Carefully move the parchment from the cookie sheet to a cooling rack. Let thepieces cool and harden completely.

9. Gently lift the hardened candy from the paper. Carefully break off the candy aroundeach star.