Lollipops

Last Christmas my gift to my family was home-made candy. I think I got the most out of the experience, to tell you the truth. Making candy is incredibly fascinating and fun! Or at least for a research geek like myself. I haven't mastered the art of flavoring yet, but I'm willing to keep trying! This recipe is for lollipops - I just poured out rough, globby circles onto parchment paper and popped in some sticks before it cooled, and haven't explored other methods... yet! I found this amazing science-cooking site that explains how the different steps and ingredients work to make candy, called the Exploratorium.

Makes about 8 to 10 lollipops per batch

1 cup sugar
⅓ cup corn syrup
½ cup water
¼ tsp cream of tartar
¼ to 1 tsp flavouring
liquid food colouring
1 to 2 tsp(s) citric acid (optional)

1. Prepare either a marble slab or an upside-down cookie sheet (air underneath the sheet will help the candy to cool faster), by covering it with parchment paper and spraying it with oil. If you're using molds, prepare the molds with lollipop sticks, spray with oil, and place them on a cookie sheet or marble slab.
2. In your pan, over medium heat, stir together the sugar, corn syrup, water, and cream of tartar with a wooden spoon until the sugar crystals dissolve.
3. Continue to stir, using a pastry brush dampened with warm water to dissolve any sugar crystals clinging to the sides of the pan, then stop stirring as soon as the syrup starts to boil.
4. Place the candy thermometer in the pan, being careful not to let it touch the bottom or sides, and let the syrup boil without stirring until the thermometer just reaches 300°F (hard-crack stage). If you don't have a thermometer, you can test Drop a little of the molten syrup in cold water and it will form hard, brittle threads that break when bent.
5. Remove the pan from the heat immediately and let the syrup cool to about 275°F before adding flavor, color, and citric acid (adding it sooner causes most of the flavor to cook away).
6. Working quickly, pour the syrup into the prepared molds and let cool for about 10 minutes. If you're not using molds, pour small (2") circles onto the prepared marble slab or cookie sheet and place a lollipop stick in each one, twisting the stick to be sure it's covered with candy. (It helps to have a friend do this since you need to work quickly.)
7. Let the lollipops cool for at least 10 minutes, until they are hard. Wrap individually in plastic wrap or cellophane and seal with tape or twist ties. Store in a cool, dry place.

NOTE: You can use flavoring extracts that are available in the baking supplies section of your local supermarket, such as vanilla, almond, anise, maple, and lemon. Approximately 1 teaspoon of this kind of flavoring should be enough for a batch of lollipops.
There are also highly-concentrated flavorings specifically for candy making, available online or in specialty stores. The flavor choices are almost endless. These usually come in tiny 1-dram (1 teaspoon) bottles, and ¼ teaspoon should be sufficient to flavor a batch of lollipops.
It’s a good idea to have the flavors and colors that you will add to your candy measured out and ready beforehand. You will need to work quickly once the syrup reaches the hard-crack stage because it will harden quickly!
When using stronger flavors such as cinnamon, mint, and cherry, you can use a small amount (about ¼ teaspoon). Subtler flavors such as lemon, strawberry, orange, and peach require more (½ to 1 tsp). You can add about ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract with these flavors to accent them and add a "creamy" flavor.
If you're making several batches, save the stronger flavors for last or they may contaminate the other batches. Be sure to wash all measuring and mixing spoons in between batches as well.