Rock Can-dy (Double Da Dee Double Dee)

When I was in elementary school, I used to get extremely excited about the science fair. Yeah, I know, I know, I'm a nerd, whatever. Oddly, my excitement for the event was always counteracted by my greater excitement for practicing the fine art of being lazy. So every year was exactly the same: lag all quarter, rush like a madman the week before, barely pull together a half-assed project in time, end up with a C+. Perhaps this is why I grew up to become a social scientist instead of a real scientist, but I digress. Today's recipe is a shout out to the song of the week and my annual science fair fallback plan; it's everything a good snack should be - simple, tasty, and fun. [[justin]]

Rock Can-dy (Double Da Dee Double Dee)
4 cups granulated sugar
2 cups water
food coloring (if desired)
glass jar (a large mason jar works well)
wooden skewer (a chopstick would also work)
2 clothespins

- Prepare the skewer by wetting the bottom (pointy) half with water and rolling it in a bit of the granulated sugar. This acts as a primer coat that the candy crystals will attach themselves to in the next part of the process. Set the skewer aside to dry.
- Once the skewer is dry, pour the water into a pot and bring to a boil on medium heat. Once boiling, add the sugar in 1/2 cup increments and continue to boil until it is all fully dissolved. Remove from heat and cool for five or six minutes. If you're going to add food coloring, do it now.
- Pour the sugar water into the jar, then lower the sugarcoated portion of the skewer into the center of the jar and affix in place using the clothespins. Important: leave about 1-1.5" between the pointy tip of the skewer and the bottom/sides of the jar so the candy only attaches itself to the stick, not the glass. Your finished product should look something like this picture that I pinched from about.com:


- Set the jar in a cool, dry place where your four-year-old son won't be able to fool around with it at every available opportunity *ahem*. Cover the top loosely with Saran Wrap or a paper towel/wax paper secured in place with a rubber band.
- Go watch "The Wrestler" and rethink all the life choices that got you exactly where you are today. That should kill six or seven hours; plenty of time for the first crystals to form. If so, congratulations, you've finally been successful at something! If not, just swallow sadness (like a boss) and pour the water back into your pot; bring to a boil and dissolve more sugar - 1 cup, added in 1/2 cup increments, ought to do it - repeating the steps as above.
- Let the candy grow for a few days until the skewer has a generous candy coating. Be sure to look in on it periodically so it doesn't get so large that it attaches itself to the jar. When it's ready - or when you're just getting too damn sick of waiting for it to be ready - remove the skewer and lay it on a paper towel to dry for a few minutes.
- Eat now or wrap in Saran Wrap and save for later.