How to Make Easter Candy Pops

Though Easter tends to bring images of candy eggs and marshmallow chicks to mind, there are other sweets for the holiday too. If you're looking to add a little variety to your baskets, make your own candy pops for Easter this year.

Things You'll Need

• 2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup light corn syrup
• 3/4 cup water
• Oil flavors (optional)
• Color (optional)
• Heavy saucepan
• Non-stick cooking spray
• Candy thermometer
• Easter candy molds
• Lollipop sticks
• Plastic wrap
• Ribbon

Instructions

1. Visit your local candy-making supply store to purchase Easter-themed candy molds and lollipop sticks. There will be many different molds to choose from, but make sure to purchase candy pop molds. They differ from regular molds in that they have places for lollipop sticks to be inserted.

2. Look for flavoring and color oils while you are at the store. They usually come in very small bottles because a few drops of the concentrate goes far.

3. Gather your ingredients and spray your candy molds with non-stick cooking spray. Candy making has to be very carefully timed, so it's important to have everything you need right on hand and already prepared.

4. Mix 2 cups granulated sugar, 2/3 cup of light corn syrup and 3/4 cup of water in a heavy saucepan. Make sure that the sugar is thoroughly dissolved before putting the pan on the burner.

5. Place the pan on a high-heat burner and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently.

6. Place a candy thermometer in the mixture so that the tip is completely immersed, but not touching the bottom of the pan. Remove the pan from the burner when the candy thermometer reads 290 degrees F. Leave the thermometer in the pan while the mixture cools.

7. Let the candy stand until it is no longer simmering and you don't see any more bubbles rising to the surface.

8. Add any flavoring and color you have chosen and stir it gently into the syrup mixture. Stirring too much or too forcefully can cause the mixture to solidify prematurely, so be careful to only stir enough to disperse your additives.

9. Pour the syrup into your Easter molds, working quickly so that the syrup doesn't harden or crystallize before it's in the molds. Should it do so, you may need to reheat it slightly--either in a microwave-safe container or in the pan on the burner.

10. Place the candy pop sticks into the slot in the molds, pushing down gently so they are about halfway through the molded shapes. Leave the the molded candy pops to cool completely. When they are cool, they should slide easily out of the greased molds.

11. Cover each pop with plastic wrap or lollipop wrappers. With a small lengths of brightly colored ribbon, tie them shut at the base of the pop.

Tips & Warnings

• Hard candy pops don't necessarily require a lot of flavoring, but they are more attractive when they are colored.