Santa's Victorian Candy Canes

Mix the sugar, corn syrup, water, and cream of tartar in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir until the sugar dissolves.

Place a candy thermometer in the mixture and cook without stirring until the thermometer reaches 265 degrees F. Turn off the heat and add the peppermint extract.

Divide the mixture in half by carefully pouring part of it into another pan. Add the red food coloring to one of the pans.

While waiting for the candy to cool, grease three cookie sheets (two as working space, and the third to provide a non-stick surface for the canes to cool).

Butter your hands and use a buttered spatula to cut off a portion of one of the clear taffy. Have a helper do the same with the red taffy.

Pull and fold the pieces repeatedly on your cookie sheet until they appear glossy, then roll them into an 8-inch long coil. Give the head of the cane a twist before setting it aside to cool on the third greased cookie sheet.