Burnt Sugar Lollipops

From EatingWell: Fall 2004 — Subscribe Now!

No special equipment or fancy molds are needed for these gorgeous jewels—just a little patience and steady hand to pour out the hot sugar syrup. Wrap the lollipops individually in large, clear lollipop bags and seal with a silver twist-tie or a piece of ribbon. Affix them individually to the bows of your holiday presents or hang them on your tree and offer them to guests as they leave.

READER'S COMMENT:

"Like another cook who posted, I have made these many times with great success and lately without. I had the same results--lollipops remained chewy, when I tried to cook them longer they became crystallized. Would love suggestions or...

24 lollipops

Active Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 1/2 hours

Nutrition Profile

Diabetes appropriate | View Complete Nutrition Guidelines»

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
24 cinnamon sticks, preferably 4 inches or longer

Preparation

Line a large baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper; place in the refrigerator until chilled, about 30 minutes.
Stir sugar, corn syrup, water and cream of tartar in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer, wiping down the sides of the pan occasionally with a wet pastry brush to remove any crystals, about 5 minutes.
Once the mixture reaches a full boil, cook, undisturbed, until very light amber, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour into a second deep saucepan, preferably one with a pouring lip; set aside just until the mixture stops boiling and is thickened somewhat (it will continue to darken), about 2 minutes.
Make 24 lollipops by pouring 1 1/2-inch circles onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart. (Give yourself a few practice attempts"you have plenty of extra syrup for experimenting.) Press a cinnamon stick into each circle to form the lollipop stick. Use a spoon to drizzle the remaining sugar syrup (be careful: it's very hot) over each lollipop, thereby affixing the sticks and creating a sandwich of hardened sugar that holds the stick in place"do not let the circumference expand beyond its original boundary. (You won't use all the sugar; some will harden in the pan before you pour it out.) Let cool for about 20 minutes, then break off any shards of hardened sugar and seal the lollipops in individual bags.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Store lollipops in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

A couple of sources for lollipop bags and cellophane bags are Kitchen Krafts, kitchenkrafts.com, (800) 776-0575, and New York Cake and Baking Distributors, nycake.com, (800) 942-2539.
You can find the longer cinnamon sticks in natural-foods stores and from The Great American Spice Company, americanspice.com.

Nutrition

Per lollipop: 85 calories; 0 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 22 g carbohydrates; 0 g protein; 0 g fiber; 4 mg sodium; 6 mg potassium.

Exchanges: 1 1/2 other carbohydrate