Hard candy

Dissolve sugar in water over a low heat, then boil the syrup without stirring until it reaches 150 °C (the hard-crack stage). Brush any sugar crystals from the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush, and pour the syrup onto a heatproof surface to set.

Put the sweets in a sturdy bag, wrap it in a tea towel and tap them with a rolling pin until you have the size of pieces you need. Add the pieces near the end of baking; long oven time can make them melt and spread.

Keep it in an airtight tin or jar in a cool, dry cupboard. Humidity makes the surface sticky, so avoid the fridge and keep the container away from steam.

Fruit-flavoured hard candy works well crushed over plain biscuits or used as a colourful topping for cupcakes. For stained-glass biscuits, put crushed sweets in the cut-out centres during the last few minutes of baking, just until melted.

Use boiled sweets that melt clear, choosing a colour that suits the design. Avoid chewy sweets and chocolate: they do not melt into the same thin, glass-like window.

A lollipop is hard candy mounted on a stick; the sweet itself is made in much the same way. The stick makes it easier to hold while it dissolves.

Whole hard sweets can be a choking hazard for young children. Keep them out of reach, and do not give them to a child who is too young to safely manage hard sweets.