Cranbery Candy Sticks

Growing up in China, I always enjoyed this type of candy on a stick, made of a type of large hawthorn fruit. However since that type of hawthorn is hard to find around here, I improvised by substituting it with cranberries. The result? Perfection!!! I think it is even better than the real thing... For this recipe you will need: 1-1/2 C. sugar, 1 Tbsb. water, 1 lb. fresh cranberries (the largest you can find), 1 pk. of bamboo skewers, silicon baking mats make the job a lot easier.

(1) Skewer cranberries on the bamboo sticks, discard soft ones.
(2) Combine the sugar and water, place in a frying pan. Heat the frying pan on medium high heat. Wait until sugar start to melt. 5 minutes or so. The sugar will begin browning at the bottom, let it melt, do not stir too much at this stage. Stir only to incorporate the remaining solid sugar into the molten syrup. Reduce heat so the sugar won’t burn. If you are using a heavy skillet, it might carry enough heat so you can turn the heat off.
(3) Using a large spoon, spoon the syrup over the skewered cranberries, you might need to make multiple passes to cover all the cranberries. Be very careful not to let the syrup come in contact with your hand, it is VERY HOT!
(4) Set the sugar covered cranberry sticks on a silicone mat. Allow them to cool.
That’s it... They are every bit as good as I remembered!