Question: When we were in Sweden years ago we stopped at a lake halfway between Gottenborg and Stockholm. The town was famous for a peppermint candy called Polka Gris (peppermint pig). The candy is hard but yields slightly to the touch. In the mouth, it immediately begins to melt — faster than hard candy, but slower than our traditional wintergreen Christmas air balls. I've searched for the recipe. Can you come up with one? — Jim Schrempp, Saratoga, Calif.
Answer: In the late 1800s, American candy-makers toiled late into December evenings, tirelessly stirring bubbling cauldrons full of sugar, water, corn syrup and peppermint oil. The thickened mixture was hand-pulled and sculpted into pig-shaped peppermint candies. The "Peppermint Pig," cast of hard candy similar to a candy cane, became a Victorian holiday tradition, a symbol of good health, happiness and prosperity.
After a holiday dinner, the head of the household breaks the pig with a hammer (or passes the porker and hammer so everybody can have a whack) and hands out peppermint pieces to family members, who hope for good fortune in the coming year.
Saratoga Sweets, a Clifton Park, N.Y., candy manufacturer, telephone No. 1-800-827-9060, revived the sweet swine tradition. Owner Mike Fitzgerald makes and ships "Peppermint Pigs" from October through year's end. But if you want to make your own porker, start now to ferret out oinker molds or cookie cutters and tiny hammers. In making the candy, timing is crucial, so it is best to use a candy thermometer to determine the soft-ball, hard-crack candy stage.
PEPPERMINT PIG
4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon marshmallow creme (store bought)
2-3 drops red food color
1/2 teaspoon peppermint oil
1 square of aluminum foil, approximately 12- by 24-inches or larger
1-2 tablespoons margarine
Combine granulated sugar, corn syrup and water in a heavy, large saucepan over medium heat. Insert candy thermometer in pan and bring to 300-degree boil. Remove from heat, add marshmallow, red food color and peppermint oil and stir vigorously as mixture froths up, cools and begins to thicken.
Place foil on counter and smear with margarine. Scraping bottom and sides of pan, pour candy on to foil to form a thin layer. While candy is cooling, press a buttered cookie cutter (pig or any holiday style) down into candy and leave it sitting there until candy sets up hard. Break the candy outside the cutter away, gently remove candy from cutter and serve — or simply break the candy into pieces, when it is hard.
Diane Howard is a columnist for Hunt House. America a la Carte welcomes recipe requests. Send the complete address of the restaurant along with your name, address and phone number to America a la Carte, P.O. Box 5994, Austin, Texas 78763-5994 or fax 512-453-2145. Email amercarte@aol.com .