Meanwhile, in America, Thanksgiving is on the horizon. Therefore, all the planning, the prepping, and the baking will soon commence. So, before life gets too busy, I wanted to squeeze in a fun autumn craft and an extra-special harvest treat for my extra-special pupils.
This week, the children and I made adorable, un-be-leaf-able turkeys and homemade harvest candy corn. We had so much fun making these autumn treats together. Our seasonal turkeys (two ways), and our harvest inspired candy corn, are easy ideas that children are sure to enjoy.
Won’t you please come along with me, and my “little turkeys,” as we celebrate the harvest and get excited for the upcoming Thanksgiving celebrations.
~Candy Corn: Love it? Hate it? ~
Candy corn is one of my favorite candies, so I never really understand why there is so much controversy surrounding it. For some reason candy corn always gets a bad rap. Now, I do understand that some store-bought candy corn is not the best, but there are many brands that sell delicious candy corn. (Especially the ones made with real honey)!
I also realize that many people equate candy corn with Halloween, but I personally think candy corn is in season until Thanksgiving. (Although, if you are trying to buy it in the store after Halloween… you may struggle to find any candy corn left on the shelves).
But… not anymore- as I will share with you how you can make your own harvest candy corn at home.
~How Candy Corn is Made in My Kitchen: ~
Harvest Candy Corn
Ingredients
Method
- To a medium mixing bowl, add sifted powdered sugar and sifted powdered (dry) milk. Stir together until evenly combined. Set aside.
- Using a heavy bottomed saucepan, over medium heat, add the 2 tablespoons of salted butter and begin melting. Add 1/2 cup of granulated sugar and stir. Then, add the corn syrup, golden syrup, and the water. (Stir until the sugar dissolves). Bring the sugar mixture to a low boil and allow the mixture to continue cooking until it reaches 240 degrees F. (This whole process takes about five-six minutes).Once 240 degrees F is reached, remove the pan from the heat and carefully stir in the vanilla.
- Next, add the powdered sugar and powdered milk mixture to the cooked syrup. Stir until a soft dough is formed. (Note: more powdered sugar can be added if the dough is too sticky).Allow the dough to cool for a few minutes and then transfer the dough onto a large piece of parchment paper. Separate the dough into three sections, for your three candy corn colors (white, orange, and yellow).Roll small sections of each color into ropes. Place the three tri-colored ropes together, side by side. Then, roll out this section with a rolling pin to create the iconic candy corn layers.Lastly, cut the candy corn into small triangles using a knife or a pizza cutter.
- Enjoy!
Notes
~First Things First: ~
To begin, my four helpers and I gather all our ingredients, and lie them on the countertop, so that we can make sure we have everything we need. We wash our hands and claim our workstations:
“I’m on mom’s left side! “I’m on mom’s right side! “I’ll take the countertop.”
The littlest is happy underfoot- just being a part of the exciting chaos.
Right, first we read the recipe, and we formulate a plan. Everyone has a job to do. Stirring and tasting are the obvious favorites. Mom says, “Is everyone sitting comfortably?” Well then, let’s begin.”
Sidenote: We say the above statement because Craig says this to the children before he reads them a story. He had a primary school teacher, in England, who always said that to her class before their school story time. (Some phrases just stick).
~The Confectionary Preparations~
Isn’t “confection” a beautiful word? I feel happy whenever I hear it or read it.
For happy reading we can call our recipe-a candy corn confection. Yes, yes, that has a nice ring to it.
Let me walk you through the process of making homemade candy corn. I will tell you the story through my photographic illustrations.
“Are you sitting comfortably?” …
Picture this: once upon a time, in a kitchen across the pond, there lived a candy maker and her four little helpers…
~Candy Corn "Fon-Dough"~
Interestingly, the candy maker found that as her candy corn cooked, it became almost toffee like. Once the powdered sugar and powdered milk were mixed in, the candy corn resembled -what she would describe as – a soft “dough.” Not bread dough exactly… no, no… more like a fondant.
“A fon-dough,” she happily exclaimed!
As she dilligently kneaded her candy corn confection, she told the story of what she observed:
“A drizzle of syrup, a sprinkle of sugar, a dollop of butter”, she almost seemed to mutter.
“For soon we shall have a very special treat, a delicious confection to eat!”
~Tips from the Candy Maker~
My homemade Golden Syrup can be found here.
~The Candy Maker's Confession: She Made Two Batches~
Even candy makers get distracted when four little helpers are nearby. Therefore, some batches are better a second time. While her first batch was delicious, she cooked it for maybe 30 seconds too long. (Afterall, candy corn can be a bit finicky). And because it was ever so slightly over cooked, it was not as soft as she had hoped.
“No worries”, she thought- “Waste not want not, we shall press on.”
And then…an amazing thing happened! As the candy maker, and her helpers, rolled the colors together – something new and delicious was created. Candy Corn Taffy!
What a delicious mistake. A confection that was a cross between a toffee… and a taffy… had emerged.
Of course, the candy maker and her helpers shared a little chuckle… as they realized their rolls of candy corn “fon-dough” were way too fat to begin with. Therefore, when they rolled the candy layers out with the rolling pin, the candy strip was quite wide! This resulted in GIANT sized candy corn. But no one seemed to mind, as a fairytale proportion seemed fitting for this tale.
~A True Candy Maker and Her Helpers Do Not Give Up: ~
Naturally, the candy making crew where delighted when their second batch of homemade candy was cooked to perfection. The candy corn “fon-dough” was soft and pliable, not overcooked…just right.
“Second time is the charm?” they asked. Perhaps they spoke a bit too soon?
While they were chuffed to bits with their soft dough, they again got a bit sidetracked. In all the organized chaos, they got their color wires crossed.
“Oh dear”, they gasped… “We accidentally switched our yellow and orange stripes. Every good candy maker knows that the iconic candy corn colors are white, orange and yellow (not white, yellow, orange!).”
“Shh, hush, listen here, all is not lost”, the candy maker soothed.
“For only someone with the keenest eye would be able to tell.”
“So, dim the lights and enjoy your candy corn confections, no one will notice the color… not when you flavored so well.”
~Again, the Candy Maker Gives Tips: ~
~Now, For the Harvest Turkey Cookies: ~
Seeing that we now had a delicious batch of fresh candy corn, the children and I decided to use our treats (from the candy maker) to make some adorable turkey cookies. The candy corn would be the feathers. How sweet!
Wanting also to feed the brain, we incorporated learning about turkeys into our homeschool cooking lessons. Turkeys are fascinating creatures! For example, did you know that a full-grown turkey can have close to 6,000 feathers?
Well, now you do. You can thank me for this knowledge when you win this question on Jeopardy.
~Gobble, Gobble~
For our turkey treats we used peanut butter cookies (Nutter Butters) for the turkey’s body and face. We used chocolate sandwich cookies to hold the feathers in place. Red licorice was for the wattle. Candy corn was used for the feathers, the beaks, and the eyes. Peanut butter was the glue that held it all together.
Being resourceful, we used some leftover paper straws, (from my previous post), to create a little “stand” for our turkeys. (Although, the turkeys were a bit too heavy to really stand up).
~Thankfully, it was Time to Eat Our Harvest Treat! ~
~ The Un-be-leaf-ably Cute Turkeys~
Who says you can’t have turkeys two ways? One turkey treat for eating… and one turkey craft for creative learning.
Last week my aunt sent me a photo of a fun homeschool idea. (While not originally my idea, it was a good idea). And seeing as I love utilizing fall leaves into my home decorations (see more of that here and here), this was the perfect opportunity to bring the autumn leaves into my homeschool arena.
I did my usual trick… which was to first go on a nature walk with my children. We gathered the prettiest, most interesting autumn leaves we could locate. In my experience the fresher the leaf, the easier they are to work with. Once we had collected a plethora of leaves, we laid them out flat and then put a thrifted book on top of our leaves to help flatten them out. After this, we took the leaves back outside to spray them with sparkles and glitter.
Once the leaves were dry, we brought them back inside to our dining table and began to work on our turkey bodies. We gathered supplies that we had from other projects. Utilizing leftovers like carboard for the background. (I used a ruler and a gold paint pen to draw some simple vertical lines).
Then we used construction paper for the turkey’s body, pilgrim hat, and beak. Sequins for the eyes, and red felt for the turkey’s wattle. We arranged the leaves around the back of the turkey and had fun creating our own patterns and designs.
This was an interactive art project that was very inexpensive to make. Again, no fancy curriculum was necessary, but much learning took place.
~Autumn Leaves, Yes Please! ~
~Until Next Time~
It is my hope that these simple, fun ideas may cross over into your home and bring the blessing of love with it. There are so many things a family can do together that do not have to be expensive. Look around in nature- for that is an excellent place to start.
Obviously, not everyone who reads my blog is a homeschool mom, but I have received good feedback from my homeschool projects, so I hope these ideas prove helpful as well. Who says learning can’t be fun?
Stay tuned to my Facebook page and my (1) Pinterest page for more ideas during the week.
I hope to see you all again next Friday… for a delicious, English-inspired dish that may help with your Thanksgiving preparations. Until then.
~Elizabeth~
