For me, the days and even weeks following Halloween are a series of sweet surprises, each one striped in orange, yellow and white. Yup, candy corn is probably the most iconic of autumnal treats, and for the three weeks before and after October 31st it's hard to get away from (not that you'd want to).

Yes, like freeloading grains of sand after a beach bash, candy corn have a habit of popping up in the most unlikely of places and well after the party's over. Don't get me wrong. I love it. That last sweet morsel desperately clinging to the bottom of your plastic jack-o-lantern? That errant wedge hiding behind the coasters? They're all fair game, and each one provides a small, unexpected bit of pleasure in the ever-shortening days of November. But, as we all know, even the simplest pleasures cannot last forever.

Sadly, by the time you realize that you've discovered and devoured the last of the hidden booty, it becomes next to impossible to buy more. The gargantuan packages that were so abundant on store shelves just a month before have gone the way of the dodo, and you're left wishing you had savored that last piece to its fullest. It's a nagging feeling that can leave you empty for a full 12 months.

With this in mind, I thought I'd link to a recipe for homemade candy corn so that others might not have to endure this pain. But first, couple of caveats before you attempt this recipe:
To achieve a flavor closer to that of traditional candy corn, I might suggest cutting the corn syrup in half and replacing it with 1/3 cup of honey.

Also, to achieve the classic three-stripe look, wait until your dough has come together, divide it into three equal portions and knead the food coloring into the dough. Roll the portions into individual ropes and flatten with your rolling pin.

Finally, don't panic if you taste them right away and they're a bit off. Give them time to sit. I'm convinced that one of the primary agents in flavoring the candy corn we know and love is time. You know they've had plenty of time to sit and develop their flavors on the shelf — maybe since last Halloween!

You can find the recipe here.

Originally posted to The Grub Report by Steve Gibson on November 1, 2007 12:33 PM

Labels: food, grubreport, recipes