Homemade Lollipops

These pretty pops will delight youngsters-and they are far more flavorful than the store-bought kind.

Number of servings : 12 lollipops

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Type of meal : | Desserts | Desserts

Special diet :

Ingredients

12 lollipop sticks
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
4 to 8 drops food coloring
2 to 3 drops flavoring oil, such as raspberry or lemon*

Directions

  1. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil, and arrange lollipop sticks 4 inches apart. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, 1/2 cup water, and corn syrup, and heat until sugar dissolves. Cover and boil mixture 1 minute. Remove the cover and boil the syrup until it registers 310°F (or 98°F above the boiling point of your water) on a candy thermometer.
  2. Immediately remove the saucepan from the heat and set on a rack. Let syrup cool 5 minutes, then stir in food coloring and flavoring.
  3. Pour syrup in 2- to 3-inch puddles over one end of each lollipop stick. Allow candy to cool completely. Wrap each lollipop in plastic wrap.

*Oil flavorings, available at health-food stores, work better than alcohol-based extracts, which can evaporate during the candy-making process.

Nutritional information: