Homemade Valentine Lollipops

What could be sweeter for your Valentine than a homemade lollipop! They’re fairly simple to make, if you have a candy thermometer, and sure to impress!

Here’s how you make them:

Homemade Lollipops (recipe adapted from marthastewart.com)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups white sugar
• 2/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup water
• Optional: candy flavouring, and or food colouring, and holiday sprinkles, and edible glitter

Directions:

1. Line baking sheets with silpat, parchment paper, or lightly grease.

2. Stir sugar, corn syrup, and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat until dissolved. Attach a candy thermometer and boil until it reaches hard-crack stage, 300-310 degrees. To help prevent crystallization, dip a pastry bush in cold water, and wash down the sides of the pan occasionally.

3. Take the pan off the heat. At this point you can leave the candy clear, or add a few drops of food colouring. You can also add candy flavouring or leave it plain.

4. Pour the candy onto the baking pan in small circles with great care, since the mixture is very hot. Before the candy sets, insert lollipop stick, and add sprinkles.

I made a few batches of these. Both times I found they turned slightly yellow and caramel coloured. I liked the flavour of the plain batch, but my girls preferred the batch we added the marshmallow candy favouring too. On the second batch I also added a few drops of red food colouring. I really liked how these were still clear, but had a pretty hint of pink, rather than the slight yellow of the first batch.

My girls decided to take these to school for Valentine’s Day, so I made a simple Valentine card printable to go with them.

You can download the “You’re sweeter than a homemade lollipop” Valentines here.

With homemade lollipop Valentines, life really is a party!

This post is linked up at Craftberry Bush, Tatertots and Jello, Whipperberry, and Bower Power.