Boil sugar, water and syrup to 290 degrees on candy thermometer (10-plus minutes). Remove from heat. Add anise and coloring. Stir well and pour into shallow greased pan. Let cool somewhat. Begin marking it by drawing lines in it. Follow same lines over and over again until it begins to harden. Keep putting pressure on knife to deepen lines. After it gets hard, break into pieces.
Licorice Drops
(Submitted by Pat Kersteter)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon black food coloring
1/4 teaspoon anise extract or pulverized anise seeds
Put the sugars, water
and corn syrup into a pot, set the pot over medium heat and stir. When the batch has boiled for the first time, wash the sugar crystals down from the sides of the pot. Put the thermometer in the pot and cook without stirring to 290 degrees (soft crack stage). Take the pot from the heat and add the food coloring and the anise flavoring and stir them in gently.
With a teaspoon, drop round patties about the size of quarters onto a greased baking sheet. If the candy in the pot gets too
firm for spooning, reheat it gently until it softens. Cool the drops completely but not in the refrigerator or the pieces will stick. Wrap the drops individually in wax paper or cellophane.
