Horehound Peppermint Lozenges Recipes

HOREHOUND-PEPPERMINT LOZENGES

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.

OLD FASHIONED HOREHOUND COUGH DROPS

Steps:

• Boil the horehound leaves in the 2 cups water for 10 minutes; discard leaves.
• Add twice as much honey as the remaining liquid and stir the mixture smooth.
• Then blend 2 cups of sugar with 1/8 tsp.
• of cream of tartar in a saucepan, and add the honey-horehound mixture.
• Stir over medium heat until sugar melts.
• Then lower flame and continue stirring till a dollop of the candy forms a hard ball when dropped in cold water.
• At that point, pour syrup into buttered baking dish and cut into small squares as candy begins to harden.
• Finally, roll in confectioners sugar and then granulated sugar and store in airtight containers.

HOMEMADE HOREHOUND CANDY

Steps:

• Wash horehound leaves and put in saucepan. Add water and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, mashing occasionally with fork. Remove from heat; cover and let cool (needs to stand at least 1/2 hour to infuse.
• While infusion in cooling, butter a 9x13 pan.
• Drain horehound leaves into measuring cup (I use a coffee filter to strain it). Be sure to squeeze all the liquid from the leaves. Make sure you have at least 1 cup of liquid. Discard leaves.
• Pour liquid into a 4 quart saucepan. Add brown sugar and syrup. Bring to a boil and cook to 300 degrees on a candy thermometer (hard crack stage).
• Pour into prepared pan and let cool. Just before it sets up, score into squares with a knife to make it easier to break apart. When cool and set, break into pieces and store in airtight container.
• Note: The infusion (liquid from the leaves) can be frozen to use later.