Cactus Lollipops

Cactus Lollipops!

Desert Dessert!

So each November for the last several years my awesome hubby and I have made the trek out to Nevada for an auto convention.

Since we had never been to the desert, on that first trip we incorporated a day trip out to the Valley of Fire and Hoover Dam.

To this day I am still in awe of the raw beauty and incredible scenery that is around every bend. 

Our annual trip has included visits to, Death Valley, Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park, Sedona, Albuquerque, and more! Plus a cross country drive all the way back to Georgia! 

I can't wait for our trip this year.

One thing I look forward to seeing are all the cactus plants. They are sooo amazing. And yes I had to touch one just to see how sharp those pointy little spines are! Ouch!😄

The sweet thing about my lollipops is that you won't poke your tongue out when you eat one!😛

Two views!

For my lollipops I used I used Lorann's recipe.

It works perfectly.

Sugar, light corn syrup, water, color, and flavoring are all you need to turn out these cute little cactus lollies!

Well, you do also need lollipop molds, ready-made sugar flowers, (or make your own fondant ones like i did), green jimmie sprinkles, lollipop sticks, non-stick spray, parchment paper, and a candy thermometer!

I found these cactus lollipop molds online!

I was going to use ready-made sugar flowers but wasn't happy with the way they looked so I used pink fondant, a tiny flower cutter, and jumbo candy sprinkles for the centers to make my own. Aaand..yikes-Sorry about the blurry photo! 

To begin, cover a sheet pan with parchment paper, attach clips to lollipop molds, spray molds with non-stick spray, and insert lollipop sticks into molds. 

 For maximum use of space I alternated the placement of molds.

Okay, so when I saw the gap between my mold and my pan, I kinda freaked out a little.

Don't freak out. Keep scrolling.

We'll go ahead and get started on our candy first. I always use my heavy-bottomed 4 quart pot and my candy thermometer for every batch of candy I make.

Add sugar, corn syrup, and water to saucepan and stir over medium heat till sugar is dissolved.

Crank up the heat to medium high and continue cooking without stirring.

Add coloring at 260 degrees fahrenheit without stirring. Continue cooking until candy reaches 300 degrees fahrenheit and remove from heat.

When sugar mixture has stopped boiling, add coloring and stir. To get this deep dark green I used 3 drops of mint green soft gel paste.

 One thing I didn't mention earlier is that I heated my glass measuring cup in my 250 degree oven while made my candy.

I think this helped keep the candy mixture hot enough while I poured and decorated my lollipops..Although I still needed to work quickly!

 It can get pretty difficult trying to take photos of each process while working with heavy pans and hot candy. Every photo i have posted on my blog has been shot by yours truly..until today!

My talented grandson, Issac, spent the day with me and I asked him to take a shot of me filling the molds. The photo above was taken by him! Good job, Isaac! 💚

Okay, continuing below you can see where the candy seeped out from under the mold. No problem!

After sprinkling on the green jimmies..

And after the lollipops had set, I used a sharp knife to cut away any excess while the molds were still attached to the lollipops.

It works if there is a little or a lot. Super easy!

Here is a photo of my awesome helper today!

The molds pop off effortlessly as you remove the clips. I think we were both surprised by just how easy they came off!

With just a little dab of corn syrup, I attached the pink flowers.

I used pineapple flavoring and we really loved it! We had enough candy mixture to easily make a dozen pops, but we made six and then played around with the remainder!

Hard Candy Recipe By LORANN

2 cups granulated sugar

2/3 cup light corn syrup
¾ cup water
1 dram (1 teaspoon)* LorAnn super-strength flavoring, any flavor 
LorAnn liquid food coloring or gel food coloring (as desired)
Hard candy molds (optional) 
Powdered sugar (optional)
Sucker bags & twist ties (optional)

Use of a candy thermometer is recommended

*Please note that our Cinnamon, Clove and Peppermint flavors are particularly potent. You may wish to reduce the amount used for these flavors.

DIRECTIONS

Have all ingredients and tools assembled and within easy reach of the stove. The use of metal spoons and measuring utensils is recommended. Line a cookie sheet/jelly roll pan with foil and lightly oil or spray with non-stick cooking spray (such as PAM). If using molds, lightly spray cavities of clean, dry candy molds with non-stick cooking spray. Insert sucker sticks.  If using molds, you may also want to spray a piece of aluminum foil with cooking spray. If after pouring the syrup into the molds you have excess candy, you can pour it onto the foil for break-up candy.

1. In a heavy (good quality) 2-quart saucepan, mix together sugar, corn syrup and water. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. 
2. Insert candy thermometer if using, making certain it does not touch the bottom of the pan. Bring mixture to a boil without stirring. 
3. Early in the cooking process, "wash down" any sugar crystals that form on the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush. 
4. Continue to cook the syrup, without stirring, until the temperature reaches 260º F; add drops of coloring until desired hue is achieved. Do not stir; boiling action will incorporate color into syrup. 
5. Remove from heat precisely at 300° F (temperature will continue rising), or until drops of syrup form hard, brittle threads in cold water (hard crack stage). After boiling action has ceased, add flavor and stir. USE CAUTION WHEN ADDING FLAVORING TO AVOID RISING STEAM. 
6. Carefully pour syrup into prepared molds or onto the prepared greased and foil lined cookie sheet. (As the sugar mixture begins to set up, you may want to score with a large knife to mark squares.) Do not refrigerate. 
7. Cool completely. Break sheet candy into small pieces and dust with powdered sugar, if desired. Store in airtight containers between waxed paper. If making lollipops, do not dust with powdered sugar, but place in sucker bags and secure with twist ties. Store hard candy in a cool, dry place. Do not refrigerate.

Thank you all for stopping by and

Remember To Eat Sweet!

Karen 😊

How to Make Hard Candy Jewels Using Melted Jolly Ranchers Candies!

Shiny and sparkly, hard candy jewels!

I made them super easy, with...you guessed it, Jolly Ranchers!

The first time I noticed the sweet and edible gems, was in a Martha Stewart Living magazine.

Click here to see her recipe.

There are many versions of these candies, but after googling, all those I found called for a homemade recipe. To simplify things, I'm melting Jolly Ranchers. 

This also allows for creating many different colored gems as opposed to only one or two. 

Now how sweet is that?!

We are getting ready to celebrate Father's Day which has me thinking about fun gifts for Dads. 

Edible crafts..cookie frames and crowns, etc..and all using these fun and wonderfully colorful, 

Hard Candy Jewels!

Need Bling?!

I found my candy mold at Hobby Lobby.

Prepare mold by spraying lightly with non-stick spray.

You can use a paper towel to wipe out any excess. 

Even though I used the same designed row more than once, I did not need to spray the mold a second time.

To melt my Jolly Ranchers, I put four pieces in a small coffee cup and heated them in the microwave @ 80% power for 60 seconds.

You might need to try a couple of test runs to see what works for your particular microwave oven.

Working quickly, these four candies will fill a row of the molds.

Just be careful as the candy is hot! 

*don't worry! you're eyes are fine. i'm showing you the blue candies and then only photographed the melted red ones!*

Let these cool 10-15 minutes before flipping these molds over a paper towel and gently popping the candies out. 

It's a little difficult to see the definition in these candies..so just make a few and you can see for yourself. Soooo pretty!

Oh! I love the blue..and the pink..

..and the green!

Wishing You All a Wonderful

Father's Day From

Sugartown Sweets!

Comments are Welcome and So Are New Members!

Happy Mother's Day Candy Tray!

Happy Mother's Day Candy Tray!
Beautifully easy melted Starlight mint tray. 

When I saw a Christmas candy tray on Tutto Bella's blog, I thought it was just beautiful!

I've been wanting to make one myself, and today, I finally did! These are so much fun!

My first design included the letters M-O-M, but that didn't work so well. So, I made a separate candy cut-out piece to place on the tray. And since I'm having so much fun in the kitchen, I'm making a candy bowl too!

Wishing all the Moms out there a
 Blessed Happy Mother's Day. :o)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am using my Wilton flower pan to make a template for my tray.

 I just traced around the bottom of my pan onto a sheet of parchment paper.

 Unwrap a LOT of candies. I used fruit flavored Starlight mints.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 My first design..not loving it. It may also be the colors.

 Yeah..I don't love it.

These orange & red colors looked so good together...

   ..I'm going with those. I like this one better..
Bake @ 325 for 8-10 minutes.

 Yes! This is it!

love this....

Now for the MOM candy piece.

 Place a few candies on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake on 325 degrees for 7-10 minutes.

 As soon as you remove the pan from the oven, press your cookie cutter
 (sprayed with non-stick spray)

into the candy. Let it cool a few minutes. Gently press cutter through and lift out the finished piece.

 Sweet MOM :o)

 Now, let's make a candy bowl. Place a   

sheet of parchment paper cut a little larger than your completed candy design. Bake on 325 degrees for 7-10 minutes. 

 Immediately upon removing pan from oven, lay the entire candy piece

 (parchment paper side down) 

on your choice of shaped dish. I used a small metal bowl.

 It's not perfect..but afterwards I thought, if you used a large round cutter before forming the bowl, it would be! Next time I'll try that for sure!

*Handle All These Pieces Very Gently*

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy Baking

& Creating

from

Sugartown Sweets!

 Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today!

Comments are always

 welcome & read!

Lifesavers Bubblegum & Tootsie Roll Pops!

Today we're crafting with Lifesavers..

wheeee!

.........................................

First, we have these bubblegum & Tootsie Roll

filled lollipops..

..next, it's Flower Pops~Tootsie Roll Filled!

 I bought this huge bag of Lifesavers

 @ Wal-mart for $6.98..not a lot for all the 
fun I can have with these!

So many sugary options with which to fill your pops & candies! Almost any chewy candy would work. Hmmm..need to find some caramels..

Here's the star of the show..Lifesavers!

 To make the gum filled pops, I tried the old timey wrapped bubble gum, but it was just a bit too hard to insert the lollipop sticks, so I used this Hubba Bubba gum..so much softer & easier. I'm using the  "Mystery" flavor.

 You will need lollipop sticks...

..and non-stick spray. You will also need a mold for your pops. I used my Wilton Brownie Pop (silicone) mold pan. I would have loved to use real lollipop molds..but, i don't own any and didn't want to wait to make these till I had some! 

..candy wheel..

 I melted 8 Lifesavers in each mold..I think next time I'll try 9 or 10.

 Melt @ 300 degrees for 20-22 minutes.

 ...................................................

 Immediately press your candy tipped lollipop sticks into the melted Lifesavers. You can cover the pan with tin-foil making holes for the lollipop sticks. I did this with my first batch. I didn't with the second pan, I just straightened the sticks a couple of times as the candy gets thick fairly quickly. Cool for about 20 minutes. Then pressing from the bottom of the molds, they will pop right out. 

Okay..so I'm Laughing Out Loud 

@ these silly looking pops. 

I grew up in the "Weebles wobble, but they don't fall down" generation & these certainly fit that bill..*giggle giggle*.

So now I'm making the familiar "funny flower"

shape with the fondant cutters.

Place the Lifesavers on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes @ 300 degrees.

Upon removing baking sheet from oven, immediately press cutters into candy.*edit. Prepare the cutters with non-stick spray.* Next, place candy center in one flower pressing gently. Let cool for 2-3 minutes..until just cool enough to handle.

 No pics of the orange at this stage so we'll use the purple candy pics. Pick up the candy piece, and pressing the cutter completely through, 
release the flower.

Place one flower face side down. Press the

 Tootsie Roll tipped stick onto the candy. Now just place the other flower with the candy center

 face side up (pressing gently) onto the Tootsie Roll!

Pretty little candy flowers. :o)

Now..just for fun, melt 6 Lifesavers on a

 parchment lined baking sheet for 10 minutes

 in a 300 degree oven.

 Upon removing pan from oven, place a Tootsie Roll in the center of candy. Let cool for a couple of minutes. Candy will still be pretty warm as you begin rolling the candy "jelly roll style" till it starts to release from the paper. Pinch the ends together to resemble paper wrapped hard candies. Use a very sharp knife to trim off the still warm ends. 

 Voila..i think it's kinda cute. :o)

All done! 

 Sweet & Happy Creating

from

Sugartown Sweets!

Thank You

 for stopping by my blog today!