The Kid Should See This

How to make homemade candy canes

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With just four ingredients and a bit of patience, you can make homemade candy canes to eat, share, and give as presents. Systems Engineer and QEPrize Ambassador Beth Fitzpatrick demonstrates how in this A Month of Making Candy Canes activity video from the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering Foundation.

dried candy canes
Plus, learn about systems engineering. Fitzpatrick explains:

“So systems engineering is all about solving problems whether that’s on big projects like aeroplanes or building roads or even baking. One way that we’re looking at a problem is thinking about the requirements to solve it. Here the requirements are that the solution is tasty, it’s got festive colors, and also it’s good for everyone and the environment. We can come back to these requirements at the end and see if what we’ve made meets them.

“We also use diagrams in systems engineering just like this one…”

candy cane recipe diagram

As shown, to make these easy vegan candy canes, you’ll need icing (powdered) sugar, peppermint extract, food coloring, and aquafaba, the starchy cooked juice in chickpea/garbanzo bean cans. This liquid (or egg whites) will bind the ingredients.

A Month of Making is a month dedicated to sustainability, creativity, and handmade Christmas gifts. The Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering Foundation teamed up with science teacher Alom Shaha and a group of STEM-focused makers to create a fun video series of instructional DIY gift-making ideas. Find all of the videos here.

smooth dough before shaping
Next: How are candy canes made?

Then watch these hand-picked food science videos:
• Salt crystal snowflakes, DIY candy canes, & more holiday science projects
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Jell-O Earthquake in the Classroom
• Building a LEGO candy cane catapult
• Spaghetti bridges, a DIY engineering activity for kids (and adults)


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