Prep Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/4 tsp anise extract
- 1/4 tsp black paste food coloring
- Lollipop candy molds
- Lollipop sticks
Preparation:
1. Prepare the candy molds by spraying them with nonstick cooking spray, and inserting the candy sticks into the molds.
2. Combine the sugar, corn syrup and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until sugar dissolves.
3. Cook candy to hard-crack stage, 300 degrees, stirring frequently to avoid scorching.
4. Once proper temperature is reached, remove from the heat and stir in the coloring and flavoring.
5. Immediately pour the candy into the molds. If the candy hardens before all of the lollipops have been made, re-warm it briefly over low heat until it softens enough to be workable.
6. Allow to set at room temperature. Wrap candies individually and store in a cool, dry environment.
Alternate Method: If you don’t have lollipop molds, you can arrange candy sticks on a heatproof surface (like a marble slab or an oiled cookie sheet) and pour dollops of hot candy over the sticks. This method is less precise, but it is fairly effective.
