Lollipops, (aka suckers), are just a childhood favorite! They're pretty, colorful, and come in a wide variety of flavors.
When I was young, I always got to pick out one of those "Dum Dum" suckers after my allergy shots, and since my kids were all born, their Pediatrician's office hands out suckers as well. I guess you could say they are also great soothing devices for "vaccinations/ shots", or for cheering up in general!
It may be hard to believe, but you can make your own in just 20 min.!
I would classify this recipe as "Moderate level of difficulty"- due to the marbling effect. If you've never made hard candy before, I would highly recommend doing something a bit more simplified first- like just one color/ flavor. (This recipe is a pretty basic hard candy recipe, and any flavor or color can be added.)
The trick is, you have to be incredibly organized ahead of time, and have everything prepped to go. You will have a small window of time to work with the hot candy mixture before it begins to cool and harden, so be prepared to move fast!
These are so inexpensive to make, easy, and a great treat to make ahead for gifts, bake sales, parties, showers, graduations, etc. I chose this flavor because it's one of my favorites, (no brainer there!), and I love the cool marbling effect in the finished product. I used two different styles of lollipop molds: silicone, and plastic- both formulated for high temps/ hard candy. Honestly, I like using the silicone molds better because they pop out much easier. You should be able to find the lollipop sticks, flavored oils, and wraps at most craft stores, cake/ candy supply stores, or even Wal-Mart. However, depending on where you live, you may have to order the lollipop molds online to find a better variety of styles. I also do not recommend using extracts for candy making. Oils are a much more concentrated flavor, and the liquid extracts may change the structure of the sugar at the end stage.
Candy decors, etc. can be added into the molds for an extra special touch before the hot candy mixture is poured in- depending on the style of your molds, (like pictured above.) Have fun with this, and enjoy your beautiful and tasty creations!

Yield: About 18 standard size lollipops

Prep time: About 20 min.

Ingredients:
Cooking spray (Can use Coconut, vegetable, canola, etc.)
Lollipop molds (About 3 trays of 6)
lollipop sticks
sugar decors
Candy thermometer

1/4 c water
1 c sugar
1/2 c corn syrup

2-4 drops of liquid orange food color
1/4 dram of Orange oil **LorAnn flavored oil
4 drops of liquid WHITE food color **I used Wilton White-White

1) On a flat surface, (preferably a sheet tray lined with a silpat), place your clean and dry lollipop molds. Lightly spray the plastic molds (only) with cooking spray. Using a paper towel, gently blot the inside cavities to remove excess oil. ***No need to spray the silicone molds, but you will have a difficult time getting your lollipops out of the plastic molds if they aren't sprayed ahead of time!
Place any sugar decors in your molds at this time, (if you wish), and place your sticks in the cavities as well.

2) In a medium sauce pan, add the water and sugars. Stir together, and place over medium heat. Using a silicone spatula or pastry brush, dip in cold water, and brush away crystals from the sides of pot. Stir the sugar mixture until it comes to a simmer. At this time, place your candy thermometer in the pan, and do not stir or brush sides down at this point!
When the sugar mixture reaches about 285F, add about 2- 4 drops of the orange food color. (Since the mixture is bubbling rapidly, there is no need to stir the color at this time.) When the temp reaches "Hard Crack Stage" or 295-300F, remove from heat.

3) Within a 1-2 minutes, the mixture will stop bubbling, at this time, slowly stir in the orange flavor. In 4 separate areas of the pan, add about 4 drops of the white liquid food color. DO NOT STIR!!! **This is what creates the marble effect!!
Using a spoon, work quickly to fill each lollipop mold with the sugar mixture- as evenly as you can. Allow the molds to set up for about 60min. before inverting or popping out cooled lollipops.
Individually wrap each one- using tags and/or ribbons for a decorative touch, and enjoy! These will keep for 30 days+ if kept in a cool/ dry place.
**Heat and moisture will effect the quality/ texture of the lollipops.

Red-

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