After Dinner Mints
serves 4 to 6
250 grams white sugar
100 ml water OR, reserved syrup from Candied Ginger or Candied Peel and 125 ml white sugar.
Combine in a small heavy smooth-surfaced saucepan such as glazed cast-iron, ' placed on a large burner. Cover with silicone boil-over shield and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer. Insert a candy thermometer through one of the ports in the boil-over shield so that the tip is immersed in the liquid but is not touching the bottom of the pan. Cook to 250F.
Lightly butter a marble candy-slab. Grind 10ml of sugar very, very fine in a mortar and sprinkle evenly across the slab.
10 ml butter
1 to 2 drops flavouring essence
When the candy reads 250F, remove the pan from the heat. Stir in butter (and flavouring) and immediately pour on the slab.
1 drop each different colours of food colouring
As soon as the candy is cool enough to handle, scrape it up into two lumps and pull them like taffy, alternating between the lumps until they become easier to handle. Divide the two lumps into four, and then eight, placing a single *small* drop of food colouring on each lump.