The TRADITIONAL Lollipop

I'm bored and in need of a new experiment...Okay I'm not bored, I'm just procrastinating life's important things like taxes and domestic chores ... So with the boys off doing MAN things, Miss T and I had candy plans.  This lolly pop recipe has been adapted from Gesine Bullock Prado's, SugarBaby Cookbook and is super easy... PS this is a fabulous cookbook if you love sugar and a kitchen experiment! PPS She is Sandra Bullock's equally talented sister!

Pantry Must Haves

2 cups of sugar
3/4 Cup of cornsyrup
1/2 a lemon (squeezed)
1/2 Cup of water (or Clear flavoured sparkling water)
2 Drops of Food Colouring per tray
1 1/2 Teaspoons of extracts of your choice per tray

Equipment

Pam NON-stick baking spray oil
Saucepan

Letter Cutters
Pop Sticks
Mini muffin tin
Baking paper or two silpats 

Candy thermometer
Small spatula

Step One- Make the Sugar Syrup

1. In a large saucepan combine sugar, lemon juice, corn syrup and water (or sparkling flavoured water)
2. Over a medium heat boil until the sugar dissolves
3. Clip a candy thermometer to the pan
4. Increase the heat to high 
5. Heat sugar syrup to 300F or 149C 

Step Two- Setting the Candy (Candy will set fast so have your equipment ready and work quickly)

1. Place Silpat or baking paper on two baking trays
2. Pour sugar syrup onto each tray evenly
3. Using a toothpick swirl in food colour, one colour per tray and then add extract for flavour (skip extract if you used flavoured water)
4. Allow to set until hard

Step 3- Cracking the candy

1. Using a mullet or your hand (be careful candy is sharp) break up candy
2. Mix the two colours together into a mixing bowl (In a seperate bowl place a small handful aside to attached the stick with)
3. Wipe down silpat

Step 4- Cooking the candy (preheat oven to 225F or 110C)

1. Grease Mini Muffin Tray with Pam
2. Place a single layer of candy shards into each muffin hole (Leaving no spaces)
3. Cook for 10 minutes
4. Then cool until candy is hard
5. Once cool, tip candy circles on tray
6. Repeat until all candy has been used

Step 5- Attaching the stick - WORK QUICKLY!

1. Place spare candy shards onto a tray (Using baking paper or silpat)
2. Place in oven for 5 minutes
3. Using small spatula sprayed with non-stick spray pick up one of the shards 
4. Place onto the top of the stick, then adhere to the candy
5. Add more if needed
6. IF YOUR CANDY HARDENS TOO FAST- PLACE INTO THE OVEN FOR ANOTHER 5 MINUTES

To create letter POPS:
USE LARGE LETTER CUTTER (washed Play dough cutters are brilliant)!

1. Lay out letters needed and grease cutters
2. After breaking candy into shards spread evenly onto a lined baking tray (with very little spacing).
3. Melt in oven at the above temp for 10 minutes
4. Remove from oven and place greased letters into candy (WORK FAST)
5. Allow candy to rest for a moment
6. Then wobble each letter to ensure that the cut has been made
7. Remove the letter and wait for the candy to harden.
8. Then remove with a small spatula
9. Add stick following the above instructions 
10. Remelt unused candy and repeat...