If you know me, you know I am a sugar fiend. I love baking goodies, and sugary treats are my favorite. Homemade lollipops are really delicious, especially if they are flavored with your favorite Kool-aid. My favorites are peach-mango and blue-raspberry, yum!
Here’s the recipe:
1 Cup Sugar
1/3 Cup Honey or Karo Syrup
1/2 Cup Water
1 packet of Kool-Aid
Lollipop Molds (if you don’t have any, here is a tutorial to make your own out of foil)
Lollipop Sticks
Prepare a cookie sheet by generously spraying with non-stick spray. Set aside. Mix sugar, syrup/honey and water in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Bring to a boil and heat until it reaches hard crack stage, or 280-300 degrees. Avoid stirring it once it has started boiling. Also, don’t scrape the sides of the pot. Candy is very temperamental and the whole batch can crystalize if undissolved sugar from the side mixes in. It doesn’t need to be stirred, so once it starts boiling, you can leave it alone. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, once it starts to look thick, take a teaspoon and dip some out and drop it into a glass of cold water. If you hear a “plink,” when it hits the bottom of the glass, you know it’s done.
It’s very important that you let the candy cool before adding the Kool-Aid. Hard candy usually calls for oil flavorings. Kool-aid will work, but you have to let the candy cool. Otherwise, the molten candy will burn the powder and your lollies will turn out tasting bland and bitter.
Remove the candy from heat and gently stir it for a few minutes. It will bubble up as you stir it. Let it cool to about 260 degrees, then add your Kool-Aid. Make sure it’s mixed well, then pour into your molds.
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Those look so good, looks like I have one more thing on the To-Do list for tonight!
I’m not sure if I overcooked it. The mixture was so thick I could barely get the koolaid stirred in, and it was really hard to get out of the pot and into the molds. I had to press the quickly hardening mixture into the molds. The candies did set up well and taste great, but a lot was wasted because it hardened in the pot. I did not use a thermometer (never had much luck with them), I dropped it in cold water until hardball stage. Should I maybe have cooked it less time?
It should be hardball stage, but it should still pour like maple syrup. It sounds like you over-cooked it. Even hard-crack stage will still be liquid enough to pour. A candy thermometer is super helpful here, for sure!
Also, the candy thermometer works to help with the koolaid, if the candy is too hot, it can burn the koolaid when you mix it in and your candies will taste bitter and burned.
We did this in prison using a microwave and just guessing when its cool enough made rose stems with joly rancher roses alot
I was looking for some valentines cookies and saw your molds. this is sooo cute but as i look really good at the tinfoil and the cookie sheet I still don’t see what is going to stop the syrup from running out from underneath but I will give it a try. You say to cool down first. After I take them off the stove it said to stir them but before you said stirring would mess them up. After I remove from stove and temp is down and I pour syrup in molds how long before I can remove molds?. if I put in refrig. would they cool quicker? Also could I use these molds for chocolate as well as lolly pops? One more thing, How did you make the Red ones with the little (I love you ) in there? Thank you soo much
The syrup will run out if you don’t let it cool and get thick first. You can stir once you are done cooking it, if you stir while you are cooking it, undissolved sugar crystals can mix in and crystallize the whole mix. You can remove the molds once the lollies are hardened, and yes, the cold fridge will make them cool off faster. I have never used them for chocolate, but I don’t see why not. The heart I put in while the syrup was still liquid.
how long would you harden them?
You boil the mixture until it reaches 280 degrees, it will harden when it’s cool.
I was wondering, do they keep well? My sons party is 3 weeks away and I want to make these asap! Hehe..
Yes! If you make sure you cook them to the correct temp (hard tack), they will keep just fine.
Awesome! Thank you so much for sharing this!! Going to try to make them tonight! :)
I was wondering how many lollipops this recipe will make.
It depends on your mold size and how full you fill them but I usually get about 15-18.
Those are great! Pinning this for future reference. Found you through Bloggy Moms.
Thanks! And thanks for stopping by, have a great day!
You have been featured in my Love is in the Air valentine’s Day Round Up!
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Thanks so much, J.Rae!
Thanks so much for stopping by my blog! What a darling idea. I would never have thought to do something like this. I wish so bad we were aloud to bring home-made treats to school these days – these would be a win for sure!
Thanks! That’s too bad, they are yummy and easy :) Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting!
Many schools will let you make them on the premises. You just have to set something up
Those lollipops are adorable! What a great idea!
Cheers
Christina
Thank you, Christina!
These look AMAZING! Thanks for sharing :). I see you are attending the build your blog convention next month..I’ll be there too!
Enjoy your day!
http://rubytiaradiaries.blogspot.com
P.S. Now following!
Thank you! And thanks for visiting! Hopefully I will see you there :)
Oh my heck!!! Those are too cute! I just might have to make some for my family!!
Thanks Jourdan! I hope you do, they are fun and yummy! :)
They look yummy! Thanks for sharing @ Submarine Sunday!
Thank you, and thanks for hosting!