BLACK LICORICE DROPS RECIPES

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with foil. Butter the foil; set baking sheet aside. Butter the sides of a heavy 2-quart saucepan. In the saucepan combine sugar, brown sugar, water, and corn syrup. Cook over medium-high heat to boiling, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to dissolve sugars. This should take 6 to 8 minutes. Avoid splashing mixture on sides of pan. Carefully clip candy thermometer to side of pan.
• Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the thermometer registers 290 degree F, soft-crack stage. Mixture should boil at a moderate, steady rate over the entire surface. Reaching soft-crack stage should take 30 to 35 minutes.
• Remove saucepan from heat; remove candy thermometer from saucepan. Immediately stir in the anise extract and the red or black food coloring. Drop the candy mixture from a teaspoon onto the prepared baking sheet, forming round patties.
• Let licorice drops stand about 30 minutes or until firm. Remove licorice drops from the baking sheet. Wrap each licorice drop in clear plastic wrap. Makes about 48 pieces or 1 pound.

Steps:

• Lightly coat an 8½x4½" loaf pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2" overhang on long sides. Lightly coat parchment with nonstick spray. Cook sugar, sweetened condensed milk, molasses, butter, salt, and 3 Tbsp. water in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring with a heatproof rubber spatula, until sugar is dissolved, butter is melted, and mixture is smooth. Fit saucepan with thermometer and bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly and scraping bottom with spatula to keep mixture from burning, until thermometer registers 246°. Remove pan from heat and stir in anise extract and food coloring, if using, then immediately pour into prepared pan and sprinkle with sea salt. Loosely cover pan with plastic wrap and let sit until caramel is cool and set, at least 2 hours.
• Lift caramel out of pan using parchment overhang. Peel away parchment and cut caramel into a 6x4 grid to make 24 pieces total. Wrap individually in waxed paper or parchment paper.
• Do Ahead: Caramels can be made 2 days ahead. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.