Instructions

1. Choose a recipe. For basic sugar candy, you don't need anything but sugar and water in correct proportions. Make variations on the candy by adding color or flavoring. More complex recipes include toffees, fudges and caramels.

2. Prepare your materials. If you're going to use a pan or other mold for your candy, butter it and have it ready before you begin making your candy. Get out your candy thermometer and all the ingredients in your recipe. Make sure that all equipment and utensils are clean and dry.

3. Combine your sugar, water and any other ingredients in a saucepan or pot in the order your recipe requires. You usually begin with just the sugar and water.

4. Heat your ingredients at a medium temperature. Temperature is very important to candy making, as it determines the hardness of the final candy. The lower the temperature you cook at, the softer the candy. Check your temperature with a candy thermometer.

5. Pour your sugar candy syrup onto a flat surface or into a mold. You can simply pour the syrup onto a metal or stone table for a basic sugar candy. If you cool the syrup quickly, it will form a hard candy. If you cool it slowly, it will form a flexible, taffy-like solid.

6. Shape your candy after it has partially cooled. If you didn't use a mold for your candy, cut the candy into pieces and form them by hand.