DIY Candy Canes

What you need:

• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
• red food coloring
• plastic gloves
• Candy thermometer
• Non stick cooking spray

To make:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
• Coat two cookie sheets with non stick cooking spray.
• Mix sugar, corn syrup, and water in small saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring constantly, until sugar is completely dissolved. Insert candy thermometer and continue cooking without stirring until mixture reaches 285.
• Remove candy from heat and stir in peppermint extract. 
• Pour half of the mixture onto cookie sheet and place in warm oven.
• Add 2-4 drops of red food coloring to remaining candy and pour onto heat safe cutting board. Allow to sit briefly until a 'skin' forms.
•  Spray a heat safe spatula with cooking spray. Use tool to spread candy back and forth on cutting board to allow for cooling.
• When candy is cooled, but still warm put on gloves and coat with non stick cooking spray. Begin to hold candy with both hands in opposite directions, stretching into a long rope.
• Bring the ends of the rope together and twist together. Then pull out into a long rope again. Continue to twist and pull candy until it becomes opaque red with a satiny finish.
•  Once candy is barely warm but still pliable pull into strand that is about 2 inches thick. Place it on remaining cookie sheet. Turn off oven, remove cookie sheet, and place the red candy in the cooling oven.
• Repeat the same process with the clear candy until it is pearly white in color. Once almost cool pull into 2 inch thick rope.
• Remove red candy from oven. 
• Cut a 5 inch section off of each strand. Place side by side and begin twisting together. Once it reaches desired thickness cut into 8 inch pieces with oiled kitchen shears or knife. Pull one end into hook. Set on cookie sheet at room temperature to set.
• Repeat with remaining candy.