Bing Tang Hu Lu (Beijing Candied Fruit Sticks)

These are a traditional Beijing winter snack made with haw fruit. These days street vendors stuff the fruits with walnuts, citrus wedges and more. Bing Tang Hu Lu were invented as a medicine for an ill concubine in the Song Dynasty, and they are rumored to make one beautiful. We substituted jujubes for the haw fruit, although crab apples or tiny apples would work well.

Ingredients
1 cup corn syrup
4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
5 pounds of fruit and nuts skewered on chopsticks (i.e. haw, jujubes, apple pieces, citrus, walnuts etc.)

Directions
Combine the sugar, syrup and water in a saucepan, and bring it to a boil, stirring constantly. To prevent crystallization of the sugar, wash the sides of the pot with a pastry brush dipped in water as it heats up. Bring the mixture to the "hard crack" stage, measured at 290 degrees on a candy thermometer, or if the mixture is hard and cracks when you drop a ball of it into water. Remove from heat, and dip or spoon the mixture over the fruit skewers. Lay them on greased marble, wax paper or parchment to cool and harden. Do not get hot candy on your skin as it will burn you!

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