Many modern 30-year-olds, not to mention older people, perfectly remember roosters on sticks. Probably, the USSR was almost the only country in the world where candy caramel was mass-produced at home. Great taste and today causes attacks of nostalgia in many people. So treat your children and share with them a piece of your childhood.
A bit of history
According to a popular version, the first lollipop - the world famous Chupa Chups - was made by Spanish confectioner Enrique Bernat in the middle of the twentieth century. However, many of our compatriots remember the times when it was possible to enjoy a lollipop - someone cooked them at home, and someone bought them in a store.
And judging by the pictures, essays, at all fairs in Russia and in Russia, such lollipops were sold. Therefore, their history can be increased by at least several centuries.
Harm and Benefit
Children for whom lollipop caramel is a desirable treat, rarely think about whether it brings harm or benefit. But parents should not lose sight of this moment. Consider the pros and cons of homemade sweets. To begin with, let's start with the cons - fortunately, there are not too many of them.
- Sweets contribute to the development of a harmful environment in the oral cavity, which leads to tooth decay and other dental diseases.
- Many children do not suck on candy, but chew on them. As a result, hard debris scratches the tooth enamel, damaging the top layer and accelerating the destruction process.
- The calorie content of candy caramel is quite high (about 360 Kcal per 100 grams), so if you abuse a delicacy, children may appear overweight and metabolic.
However, the first and third paragraphs apply equally to any sweets. Well now, do not give them to children? What kind of childhood will it be? Fortunately, homemade caramel has certain advantages. The main one is the absence of harmful dyes and special additives. You decide what will be part of the goodies. Therefore, homemade "cockerels" will definitely be more useful than any Mini candy caramel bought in a store.
Cooking classic "cockerels"
Of course, the easiest option is candy sugar made from sugar. All you need is:
- 200 grams of sugar;
- 6 tablespoons of water.
The cooking process is surprisingly simple:
- Mix sugar with water in a saucepan or other thick-bottomed bowl. Put on fire.
- Constantly stirring, bring to a boil - sugar should dissolve without residue.
- Wait until the syrup has a light brownish color at the boiling point and remove from heat.
The most important thing here is to catch the right moment. If you do not add syrup, it will turn pale and will crumble like a piece of sugar. But if you hold it for a minute, it will get a bitter taste. Correct candy caramel has a pleasant amber color.
Ready syrup can be poured into any molds. Of course, it is best to use molds familiar to everyone from childhood with cockerels, hares, asterisks and other characters. The main thing is not to forget to grease them with vegetable oil, so that the candies are easily taken out. But if there is no mold, you can pour the syrup into the oiled tablespoons and immediately stick the matches in them. Wait a minute or two for the syrup to freeze, and your favorite childhood treat is ready!
Some parents add cherry or blackberry juice to the prepared syrup. As a result, the treat gains a saturated color, becomes vitamin-containing, and all this without harmful dyes!
Have you tried milk caramel?
Have you ever liked the taste of classic "cocks" or have you already got tired of it? No problem. Just changing the composition a little, you can get a completely new taste. Take:
- 200 grams of sugar;
- 100 grams of cream;
- 40 grams of butter;
- vanilla.
The consistency of the resulting dish will not resemble familiar from childhood homemade caramel of burnt sugar, but the taste becomes even more sophisticated and pleasant. All cooking does not take much time:
- Heat the cream on a fire in a thick-walled bowl.
- Pour sugar in and mix thoroughly to dissolve.
- Transfer the butter here, bring to a boil, turn down the heat to a minimum and wait until the caramel is color like coffee with milk.
- Transfer a drop of caramel in cold water - if it freezes immediately, then the sweetness is ready, it can be removed from the heat.
- Grease a large flat plate with vegetable oil. Pour caramel on it and let it freeze in the refrigerator. Cut into small pieces with a knife.
You will be surprised how sophisticated taste milk candy caramel will have.
Chocolate is even tastier
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you combine a rooster on a stick with chocolate? Why not experiment? Prepare the following ingredients:
- 125 grams of sugar;
- 125 grams of grated chocolate;
- 125 grams of honey.
The result should be just a magnificent "cockerel". Candy caramel, chocolate and honey are childhood favorite treats!
- Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over low heat.
- Check the preparedness in the manner described above (drop of syrup in cold water).
- Pour into a plate greased with vegetable oil, put in the refrigerator, and then cut into pieces.
Surely you will not be disappointed with the new delicacy!
Conclusion
As you can see, to please your children with such an exotic taste is not at all difficult. Yes, and many adults will not refuse to plunge into childhood, remembering the magnificent, incomparable taste of real domestic cockerels on a stick. Well, thanks to various compositions, you can arrange a real buffet with homemade sweets.