Alrighty, here we go with our first batch of yummies. These little suckers would be epic for a party (adult of course!) so things get started to a great start. In fact, I will be posting some full-blown meals later on so you can plan events that will have your friends talking for a long time. Anyways, back to business. Not only do these little pops come out looking delicious, they will smell awesome and send you on a great buzz. They got 2 out of 5 leaves from the Stoner's Cookbook. Plus, it's easy. Well, that's what they claim. We will have to wait and find out if I agree, because browsing the recipe...to be honest, doesn't seem easy, but I bet the work will be worth it. Here's the scoop:
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon cream of
tartar
1/4 to 1 teaspoon
flavoring
liquid food coloring
1 to 2 teaspoon(s)
citric acid (optional)
Directions:
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
300degrees F (hard-crack stage).
5. Remove the pan from
the heat immediately and let the syrup cool to about 275degrees F before adding
flavor, color, cannabis tincture and citric acid (adding it sooner causes most
of the flavor to cook away).
CAUTION
Be careful! The sugar
syrup is extremely hot! If you burn yourself, run cold water over your hand for
several minutes, but do not apply ice.
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-inch) 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.
Tips:
- Don't have any molds?
You can simply pour small circles of syrup onto a greased cookie sheet and
place sticks in the middle to make pops.
- It's best not to make
lollipops on a rainy or humid day. Cooking candy syrup to the desired temperature
means achieving a certain ratio of sugar to moisture in the candy. On a humid
day, once the candy has cooled to the point where it is no longer evaporating
moisture into the air, it can actually start reabsorbing moisture from the air.
This can make the resulting candy softer than it is supposed to be.
FAQ:
- Why do I add corn
syrup?
Corn syrup acts as an
"interfering agent" in this and many other candy recipes. It contains
long chains of glucose molecules that tend to keep the sucrose molecules in the
lollipop syrup from crystallizing. Lots of sucrose crystals would result in
grainy, opaque candy instead of the clear, glassy lollipops you're trying to
create.
- What is cream of
tartar?
Cream of tartar, or
potassium bitartrate, is a fine white powder that is a by-product of the
wine-making process. It's derived from argol, or tartar, which forms naturally
during the fermentation of grape juice into wine and is deposited on the sides
of the wine casks. It is useful in this recipe because it's an acid, another
form of "interfering agent," which inverts sucrose into fructose and
glucose and thereby helps to prevent crystallization of the sugar syrup.
- Why do I add citric
acid?
Citric acid, sold as
colorless crystals or powder, is an optional ingredient that adds tartness to
fruit-flavored candies. The sour coating on the "super-sour" candies
that are so popular today is a mixture of citric acid and sugar. You can find
it in many supermarkets, craft stores, and baking supply stores - sometimes
it's kept in the Kosher food section and is called "sour salt." It's
also what gives fruits such as lemons and limes their sour taste.
- Why do I need to stop
stirring after the syrup begins to boil?
At this point, you have
dissolved the crystal structure of the sugar. Stirring or other agitation is
one of the many factors that can encourage the fructose and glucose molecules
in your syrup to rejoin and form sucrose - crystals of table sugar.
- Why do I wash down
the sides of the pan?
Again, the sugar
crystals are dissolved at this point in the process. A single "seed"
crystal of sugar clinging to the side of the pot might fall in and is another
factor that can encourage recrystallization.
Some tips for flavoring
hard candy
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 1/4 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
1/4 teaspoon). Subtler flavors such as lemon, strawberry, orange, and peach
require more (1/2 to 1 teaspoon.) You can add about 1/2 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.
- Hard-Crack Stage
300degrees F -
310degrees F
Sugar concentration:
99%
The hard-crack stage is
the highest temperature you are likely to see specified in a candy recipe. At
these temperatures, there is almost no water left in the syrup. Drop a little
of the molten syrup in cold water and it will form hard, brittle threads that
break when bent. CAUTION: To avoid burns, allow the syrup to cool in the cold
water for a few moments before touching it!
