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Polkagris (Gränna peppermint candy sticks)
Hand-pulled red-and-white striped peppermint sticks from Sweden
Gränna, a small town on the shore of Lake Vättern, has been pulling polkagris since the 1850s, and visitors still stand at shop windows watching the sugar being stretched and twisted on marble tables. The sticks are sold all year but are a favourite in summer, when the town fills with tourists, and again at Christmas. Pulled properly, the white part turns satiny and slightly airy, so the candy is crisp on the outside and almost chalky-soft as it melts, with a clean, cooling peppermint flavour and a thin red spiral. Eat them as they are, crush them over ice cream or hang them on the tree. Polkagris is naturally egg-free: nothing but sugar boiled to the hard-crack stage holds it together, and the pulling, not any added protein, gives the pale, opaque texture. Chef's tip: work in a dry kitchen with oiled gloves and have every tool ready before the sugar reaches temperature; the common mistake is letting the mass cool too far before pulling, at which point it cracks instead of stretching.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb granulated sugar
- ¾ cup water
- 1 tbsp white vinegarkeeps the sugar from graining
- ½ tsp peppermint oilfood-grade; or 2 tsp peppermint extract
- ½ tsp red food colouringgel or paste
- 1 tbsp neutral oilfor the work surface, scissors and gloves
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Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Brush a marble slab or large silicone mat, a metal scraper and a pair of scissors with 1 tbsp neutral oil. Put on heatproof gloves and oil them too.
Step 2: Put 1 ⅛ lb granulated sugar, ¾ cup water and 1 tbsp white vinegar in a heavy saucepan over a medium heat. Stir only until the sugar has dissolved, then brush down the sides with a wet pastry brush.
4 minStep 3: Boil without stirring over a medium-high heat until the syrup reaches the hard-crack stage, 300°F. It should still be clear, with no colour.
12 minStep 4: Pour the syrup onto the oiled surface. Cut off about a fifth with the oiled scissors, push it to one side and knead ½ tsp red food colouring into it with the scraper until evenly red.
1 minStep 5: Sprinkle ½ tsp peppermint oil over the large clear portion. Fold the edges into the middle with the scraper again and again as it cools, for 2–3 minutes, until it is firm enough to lift but still hot.
3 minStep 6: Lift the clear mass and pull it into a long rope, fold it back on itself and pull again. Keep going for 5–6 minutes, until it turns opaque, white and silky. Keep the red piece warm next to it, folding it now and then.
6 minStep 7: Shape the white mass into a thick log. Roll the red piece into thin ropes and press 3–4 of them lengthways along the log.
Step 8: Roll and stretch the log from one end, twisting gently as you go, so the red stripes spiral. Pull it out into a rope about 1.5 cm thick.
4 minStep 9: Roll the rope back and forth on the slab to round it, then snip it into 15–20 cm sticks with the oiled scissors before it sets hard.
3 minStep 10: Leave the sticks to cool completely, about 20 minutes, then wrap each one in cellophane straight away; they draw moisture and turn sticky if left out.
20 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 165 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does polkagris (Gränna peppermint candy sticks) take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of granulated sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of white vinegar?
- Cider vinegar or rice vinegar, same amount.
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