Horehound Cough Drops Recipes

Steps:

• Place horehound tea leaves in a medium heatproof glass bowl. Bring 2 cups water to a boil. Pour over leaves; let steep 3 minutes. Strain liquid into a 2-cup liquid measure; add enough water to total 2 cups. Line a baking pan with a Silpat (a French nonstick baking mat). Set pan aside.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large saucepan set over medium-high heat, combine the tea, sugar, and corn syrup. Stir to dissolve. Cook until a candy thermometer registers 280 degrees, about 35 minutes.
• Remove pan from heat; stir in peppermint oil. Pour three 12-inch-long strands onto baking mat. Allow mixture to cool slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. When cool enough to handle, roll each strand into a slender cylinder, about 1/2 inch in diameter. Let cool slightly, about 1 1/2 minutes. Place cylinders on a cutting board, and cut into 3/4-inch-thick pieces.
• Return the pieces to the baking mat. Place in oven to soften, about 2 minutes. Roll pieces into balls, and flatten slightly with your fingertip, forming lozenges. If balls harden during process, return pan to oven to soften. Wrap the lozenges individually in cellophane or store on sheets of parchment in an airtight container up to 3 weeks.

Steps:

• Boil the horehound leaves in the 2 cups water for 10 minutes. Discard the leaves.
• Add twice as much honey as the remaining liquid and stir until smooth.
• Blend 2 cups of sugar with 1/8 tsp. of cream tar-tar in a sauce pan and add the horehound honey mixture.
• Stir over medium heat until sugar melts
• Lower the flame and continue stirring till a dollop of the candy forms a hard ball when dropped in cold water
• At that point, pour syrup onto a buttered baking dish and cut into small squares, As candy begins to harden.
• Finally, roll in confectioners. sugar and granulated sugar. And store in airtight container

Steps:

• Black strap molasses is recommended.
• Let 1 cup horehound tea steep for about 3 minutes, or to taste. ( Made into tea with 1 cup boiling water). Do this with a regular coffee pot.
• In a saucepan with the sides buttered, add 1 cup horehound tea, 2 cups of sugar and 3 tablespoons butter + molasses.
• Bring to a boil with medium heat and continue to boil until temperature on a candy thermometer reaches 260-270 degrees. (This is really important because if it goes higher than this, the rolling and twisting becomes unmanageable. Gets hard to fast.).
• Pour into a buttered pan and let set until cool enough to handle.
• Pull candy with buttered hands, twisting into ropes 4-5 inches long. Snip into pieces with kitchen shears.
• When cut, place all the pieces in a plastic container with sugar and shake for coating.
• NOTES: to prevent unnecessary crystalization, never stir the pot or scrape the pan.