how to melt hard candy? I want to make something with a stained glass effect, so I thought of melting the candies and pouring them into the shape I need.
I would assume that I should crush the candies first, but then can I microwave them, or would I melt them over boiling water?
Any ideas?
I don't think melting them over boiling water will work. One, it's a gentle method so it will take you all day. Two, you are probably thinking of stirring them and that will most likely cause them to crystallize. I think the microwave is probably your best bet.
Ive done this (havent done it in a really long time), but using mini cookie cutters, I coated the edge with a paste like substance (sugar water...I think), and coated the inside of the cutter with shortning (so the candy wouldnt stick) and laid the cutter down on parchment paper on a cookie sheet (so there would be no gap under the edge of the cutter). I then used crushed jolly ranchers or other colorful hard candies and put them in the cutter, then baked them. Let them cool on the shet, removed the cutter and then removed the candy shape from the paper. Like I said its been a LONG time since I have done this, but now you inspire me to do it again...Thanks!
dessertdiva... glad I have inspired you again! 
I want to make a stained glass cross. Unfortunately I don't have a cookie cutter, but I may be able to get one tomorrow and try that method and melt the candy in the oven. I want to make the outline of the cross in fondant/gum paste. Then have the middle open. Make two pieces just the same and then sandwich the candy part in the middle. I am thinking I could use royal icing to 'glue' it all together and then do some decorative piping around the edges to make it look finished.
Thanks for the help!
I have done it with cookies. I ground up the candy in a coffee bean grinder until it was nice and fine. Then put it in the oven to melt. Good Luck!
My teacher told me that you break hard candy and heat it in the oven, you want to make sure it does not cook for too long, because it will not work. About 3 minutes at 450 for example.
I made a gingerbread car for the holidays and made candy from sugar, corn syrup and water. I colered it and poured it where I needed it, it was really easy and it lasted for a long time Nov. 22 to Jan 18th, when we finnally retired the car. You can check out my pics. McQueen Gingerbread.
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=allby&uname=gateaux&cat=0&pos=49
The recipe is easy:
HARD CANDY RECIPE: recipe from different web site.
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon candy oil, if the windows will be eaten.
Food coloring
Combine sugar, water and corn syrup in heavy 2 quart saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved; then lower heat and boil without stirring until the candy thermometer reads 300°F. If sugar crystals form on sides of pan wipe off using a wet paper towel. Remove form heat, add coloring and oil flavoring. You need to work quickly if you are going to use a couple of colors it migth get tricky.
It you pour on a siltpat and are just making a large square you might get away with it.
It's super easy and fast. Otherwise the broken candies might work better for you.
Good Luck either way.
I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who gave me advice on the hard candy. I posted a pic of the cross that I made and I was very happy with the results for my first attempt. It took me a while to get it the way I wanted, but I kept working at it. I learned alot!
Thanks again - the advice and kindness here is just wonderful!
Great job on the cross. I want to make some rhinestones, I wounder if this would work?
Thank you all for the compliments! I was soooo happy I could finally make it work! I had no idea where to start... just the idea in my head of what I wanted. I wonder why I always choose to do these things that I have no clue about??? It was fun though!
gateaux... thanks! I ended up crushing up jolly ranchers and melting them in the oven. I needed several colors or else I think I would have tried the recipe you provided. Anyways, I melted them on some aluminum foil that I sprayed with Pam. I set it in a loaf pan and I tried to shape some foil around it to get the cross shape.... that didn't work! So I figured out after a couple of attempts, that I could cut the candy to the shape I wanted if I did it while it was still warm. Now that I am done, that sounds like a no-brainer... but it took me some time to figure that one out... 
If the candy got too cool, I stuck it back in the oven to warm it again.
After I got the shape right and let it cool, I sandwiched it between the two fondant & gumpaste frames I had made before hand and glued them together with the royal icing. To finish, I brushed the frames with gold luster dust. It's a simple design, but I needed to do it that way the first time out!
brilandken - maybe you could melt your candy into a big piece and then cut it into the shapes you want while it's still warm. Good luck!
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