Today, we’ll be making homemade lollipops in Kathey Jo’s Kitchen. George Smith of Bradley Smith Company invented and patented the lollipop on October 13, 1931. Legend has it George named the lollipop after his favorite racehorse, Lolly Pop. With most lollipop recipes you’ll find to celebrate this sweet day, you need to work fast to make sure you don’t waste a moment of your time. You’re working with melted sugar, so there’s a sense of urgency needed to accommodate. If you’re not comfortable making lollipops, there’s nothing wrong with buying a bag and simply handing them out. That’s our Plan B here at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen. What are your plans today?
Homemade Lollipops
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- ¼ cup water
- 1 to ½ tsp extract of your choice (vanilla, mint, cinnamon, coconut)
- Food coloring (optional)
- Lollipop molds and sticks
Directions
- Prepare your lollipop molds by spraying them lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Wipe out the inside with a paper towel, so that only the thinnest layer of oil remains. Insert the lollipop sticks into the molds.
- Combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then brush down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush. Once boiling, insert a candy thermometer.
- Allow to boil, without stirring, until candy reaches 295 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Once the candy reaches 295 F, remove it from heat. Allow it to sit until it stops bubbling completely. Stir in the extract of your choice, and, if desired, food coloring.
- Spoon the candy into the mold cavities, making sure to cover the back of the stick.
- Allow to cool completely and remove once hardened.
- Store lollipops individually wrapped, in an airtight container at room temperature, for up to a month.
Liquor Lollipops
Ingredients
- ¼ cup plus 1 teaspoon hard liquor, such as bourbon, tequila, or rum
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- ¾ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons corn syrup
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon food coloring of your choice (optional)
Directions
- If you don’t have lollipop molds, place a silicone mat on a baking sheet.
- Mix together ¼ cup of the liquor, and the water, sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a 1- or 2-quart saucepan until all the sugar is wet. If sugar crystals cling to the sides of the pan, dissolve them away with a wet pastry brush.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally and gently with a heatproof spatula until all the sugar is dissolved. Then boil to 300°F without stirring.
- Remove from the heat, and, working quickly, mix in the remaining 1 teaspoon liquor and food coloring, if using. Drop the syrup into either lollipop molds or onto a silicone mat fast.
- If using lollipop molds, quickly drop the syrup from the tip of a large spoon into the cavities of the lollipop molds. Place a lollipop stick in the center of each disk and twist it 180 degrees so that it’s fully covered in syrup. Let cool completely.
- If using a silicone mat, quickly drop the syrup onto the silicone mat so that it forms 2-inch disks and immediately after plopping the syrup on the sheets place a lollipop stick in the center of each disk and twist it 180 degrees so that it’s fully covered in syrup. Let cool completely.
- Peel the lollipops from the molds or silicone and store in an airtight container, preferably at least overnight to allow the flavors to develop, until ready to indulge.
