How to make sweets at home

• Hot sugar syrup can be tricky to manage, and you will need to work quickly once the sugar reaches the correct temperature, so make sure you have all the ingredients and equipment ready before you start.
• Always use a large heavy-based saucepan since the sugar will rise up in the pan as it boils.
• Make sure that all the sugar is dissolved before you let the syrup come to the boil. A good way to test this is to dip a wooden chopstick into the syrup, then into a cup of cold water, then rub the syrup between wet fingertips to feel whether any sugar granules remain undissolved.
• Once the syrup boils it is best to stop stirring and shake the pan occasionally to keep the mixture moving.

Use a sugar thermometer to take the guesswork out of judging the correct temperature. If you have no thermometer, use the techniques below to test the syrup:

114˚C Soft ball

Drop a small amount of syrup into very cold water.
You should have a soft ball that flattens when you remove it.

118˚C Firm ball

Drop a small amount of syrup into very cold water.
You should have a firm ball that does not flatten when you remove it.

125˚C Hard ball

Drop a small amount of syrup into very cold water.
You should have a ball that is hard enough to hold its shape, yet plastic.

135˚C Soft crack

Drop a small amount of syrup into very cold water.
The syrup should form separate threads that are hard but not brittle

150˚C Hard crack

Drop a small amount of syrup into very cold water.
The syrup should form separate threads that are hard and brittle.