Test your candy making skills with these Microwaved Hard Candy Lollipops! They taste so sweet, but they take a lot of patience to make
My first attempt at making hard candy was a HUGE flop!
I thought I would be all crafty and use a fun mold and then make my own Blow Pops and Tootsie Pops.
Lesson #1 in making Hard Candy – Don’t use your 1,000 pound Cast Iron Le Creuset Pot!
I think I about broke my wrist trying to control the pour rate of the candy into the mold.
Lesson #2 – It’s very hot working with molten sugar. The stuff is like Napalm. The candy seriously reaches LAVA temperatures and then sticks to everything.
Lesson #3 – Don’t think that you’ll be able to keep your work area clean. If you know HOW to keep the area clean with this stuff, please tell me!
Lesson #4 – Don’t put the LAVA over candy that will melt. My Tootsie Rolls and Bubble Gum completely melted in the little molds when I poured the candy into it.
So… On my second attempt at making hard candy lollipops, I decided to skip the stove top and went for the microwave method instead.
These were not a complete success, the amber color is a result of the sugar getting too hot, but they turned out a lot better.
To decorate the lollipops, I used some Wilton Sugar Sheets and some Cake Mate Dessert Decals. Both of these are edible paper, but the Cake Mate decals are a bit thinner.
I simply placed the edible paper designs on a Silicon mat with a lollipop stick and used a spoon to pour the candy over the paper.
I tried to sandwich the paper between candy, but in the end, it didn’t make a difference if the paper was in the middle or not. Leaving it on the mat was easier and I didn’t get as many air bubbles in the lollipop.
Just an FYI – I have been playing with my Cannon in Manual mode a lot recently and I didn’t change my settings from the dark background to the sunlit background, and this was the resulting photograph.
My husband LOVED this shot. I was a bit embarrassed. I wasn’t going to include it in this post, but every time I saw it, it grew on me. It’s NOT what I wanted to capture, but now I like the flower outline and the slight ghost-like appearance of the lollipop.
What do YOU think? Art or Oops?
If you don’t want to get the edible paper, you can always just use some fun sprinkles to suit your holiday.
Microwaved Hard Candy Lollipops
Recipe Type: sweet lollipops
Author:
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 10
Ingredients
- 1 C Sugar
- 1/2 C Light Corn Syrup
- 1/2 dram LorAnn Flavoring
- Food Coloring (if desired)
- Lollipop Sticks
- Wilton Sugar Sheets – cut out design
- Cake Mate Dessert Decals
- Silicon Mat
- Sprinkles
Instructions
- Prepare Silicon Mat with sugar sheets and edible paper designs.
- Mix Sugar and Corn Syrup in a 4 cup glass container. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 3 minutes and 10 seconds.
- Carefully remove the plastic and stir. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap again and microwave for another 3 minutes.
- Carefully remove plastic wrap, stir, add in flavoring and color if desired.
- Working quickly, pour or spoon over edible paper and turn lollipop stick to coat. If desired, sprinkle with decorations while still liquid and sticky.
- Allow the candy to harden completely before handling the lollipops.
Images, text and all other content Copyrighted©Karyn Granrud, Susanne Queck and Wunderlander Verlag LLC, or ©Pro Stock Media via Canva.com. Unlicensed republishing permitted. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn on qualified purchases.
Just curious if wafer paper would work or would that be kind of weird in a lollipop? Yours look great by the way 🙂
Honestly, I had never heard of Wafer Paper, but I Goggled it and WOW! So many designs! Yep, I'd use wafer paper for this as well. Looks like the same stuff!
I think these are super cute! I've gotta find some of these decals. That's kinda like making gummies. It's a little tricky! You did good on your first try. Hey, at least you gave it a try.
Nikki
http://www.TheCraftySideOfSarcasm.com
What a neat idea! I hardly ever make candy because it is so scientific and exact and I'm…not 😉
I love the decal idea! Super cute.
I love the flower ones!
They look so professional yet handmade – very cool!
I can totally relate to all the trials and tribulations you went through. I too opt for the microwave method when I make hard candies. It's just so much easier. I love what you did with the sugar sheets and the sprinkles. All your lollipops look great.
A few years ago, I made my own homemade Tootsie Pops with homemade modeling chocolate which tastes almost identical to a Tootsie Roll. I cut the modeling chocolate into hearts, put them on a stick, then froze them. Once the hard candy was ready, I dipped the hearts in it. I think two or three melted just a bit, but the rest turned out great. Here's a link to my pops, if you'd like to see them – http://www.hungryhappenings.com/2011/02/valentines-day-sweets-cherry-heart-pops.html
Pinning!
First of all, thank you for including your fail, because it makes me feel a lot better that even someone as fabulous as you has the occasion blog fail–as it seems to happen to me at least once a week! Also… These are SO cute! I love those Lovebird decals–where can I get those?
I just love this idea, can't wait to try it. Your recipe is awesome and thank you so much for sharing it with Full Plate Thursday.
Have a great weekend and come back soon!
Miz Helen
I prefer the amber color – I think you should receive an A+ on your second attempt! I'm stopping by from Pamela's Heavenly Treats blog hop.
Thanks
Angie
godsgrowinggarden.com
Thanks for linking up with us at FFF this week. I have done lollipops , once, and it was such an ordeal I haven't done it since.
Great job at keeping at it.
Dawn host FFF
http://spatulasonparade.blogspot.com
Thanks for the tips/lessons learned.
I just made these for a candy exchange. They were so easy and taste great!! Thank you for sharing this recipe!!!
Those are so cute! Thanks for sharing!
These are so cute! I would have never thought to make these at home. So glad you shared the recipe. I might just brave it and try it myself this week before Valentines so I can surprise my family.
Thanks for sharing them at last weekend's link party @The Weekend re-Treat
Hope to see you again!
It sounds like a huge task…but thy are adorable! I love the decals! I wonder how pop rocks would work? Either on the inside or just a coating on the outside?