How to Make Candy Corn

Ingredients

• 7 oz (200 g) powdered sweetener
• 1½ oz (45 g) coconut milk powder
• a generous pinch sea salt
• 1¾ oz (50 g) coconut sugar
• 1¾ oz (100 g) honey
• 1 tbsp cacao butter
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tbsp water
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp orange extract
• natural red and yellow food colouring

1. Sift the powdered sweetener, coconut milk powder and sea salt into a large mixing bowl. This will ensure that your end product doesn't turn out lumpy!
2. Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper or a silicone baking mat and keep it close to your stove top as you'll have to move fast.
3. Melt the coconut sugar, sweetener mix, honey, cacao butter, coconut oil and water in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Place the pan on a medium heat and cook until the sugars are dissolved and the butter has melted, about 6 minutes. You can give it the odd stir, but try not to move it around too much.
4. Clip a sugar thermometer or instant-read thermometer onto the side of the pan. Allow the syrup come to a full boil and cook the sugar syrup to soft ball stage - typically 116ºC/241ºF.
5. Due to the nature of coconut sugar, the syrup can even be ready before the typical soft ball temperatures, so before you reach soft ball stage check the syrup using the cold water test – drop a teaspoon of the syrup into a glass of cold water and check the consistency of the syrup. It should form a flexible ball that's shape can be easily changed. If you don't have a sugar thermometer, then this is a great way of figuring out when your syrup is ready.
6. If you find that your syrup is over done, don't panic! Simply add 1-2 tbsp water to the syrup and heat again until the desired texture is achieved.
7. Carefully add the vanilla and orange extracts to the syrup. It will bubble up and sputter quite a lot so watch out. Immediately pour the syrup into the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until it forms a smooth dough.
8. Pour the dough onto the baking tray and leave to cool for 5-10 minutes, or until you are able to handle it. For this next part your need to act fast as the dough will stiffen as it cools and become almost impossible to roll out.
9. Divide the dough into three equal pieces. Make a well into the centre of each piece and begin to work in the food colouring. Colour one piece yellow and the other orange. Leave the remaining piece as it is. Knead the pieces until they are a uniform colour.
10. Roll each piece of dough into a long strand, about 47 cm (18 in) long and cut each strand in half, or into quarters, to make it easier to work with.
11. Quickly lay a yellow strand down, place an orange strand above, and finally an uncoloured strand above that. Press together gently and cut into triangles. Repeat the process until all the dough has been used.
12. Leave the finished pieces of candy corn to dry on non-stick baking parchment for about 1 hour, then store in an airtight container with parchment paper between each layer to prevent them from sticking. These will keep at room temperature for 4-6 weeks.