Description
Licorice wands are surprisingly easy to make at home and a fun baking project for any Potterheads out there! These candies are chewy but not too soft, so you can still have a bite, and they are lightly flavored with anise essence.
Ingredients
Scale
- 60g black treacle (3 tbsp)
- 25g butter (2 tbsp)
- 30g milk (2 tbsp)
- 30g sugar (2 tbsp)
- pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp anise essence (I used Antésite which isn’t very strong so for pure extract only put ½ to 1 tsp)
- 35g bread flour (¼ cup)
Instructions
To make licorice:
- Line a rectangular mold with baking parchment and lightly grease it with vegetable oil.
- Put everything except for the bread flour into a small non-stick pan. Bring the mixture to a boil over low heat while stirring often with a wooden spoon to combine the ingredients.
- As soon as you spot bubbles, remove the pan from the heat. Sieve the flour over the pan, 1 tbsp at a time, mixing thoroughly before each addition. Mix until you don’t see any more lumps.
- Place a candy thermometer in the pan and place the pan over medium heat.
- Simmer the mixture until it reaches 109°C (228°F), mixing continuously with a wooden spoon to prevent it from scorching. Crush any lumps with the back of the spoon. It might take 15 to 20 min to reach this temperature.
- Put the licorice into the prepared mold and flatten it until it is 5mm (¼ in) thick.
- Cover the surface of the licorice with oiled plastic wrap or overhanging parchment paper. Wait for the licorice to cool down a bit then refrigerate for 30 min.
To make licorice wands:
- With a sharp and oiled knife cut the licorice into thin bars, 5mm (¼ in) wide.
- Roll (with your palms on a clean work surface) half of the pieces into ropes 6mm (¼ in) wide, and the other half into ropes 3mm (⅛ in) thick.
- To shape the licorice wands, take 2 ropes (1 thin and 1 big), delicately pinch the ends together at the bottom to join them and twist the two ropes together tightly.
- With a sharp and oiled knife, cut the tip of the licorice wands to make them pointy. You can also cut the bottom/base of the licorice wands to make them look neater.
- Place them back in the mold, cover again with oiled plastic wrap or parchment paper and chill for 30 min.
Notes
Once set, the licorice wands can be stored for weeks in the fridge in an airtight container.
They might get harder and harder, so allow them to reach room temperature before eating for the best experience.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 wand
- Calories: 76
- Fat: 2.7g
Keywords: harry potter, halloween, licorice recipe