Make it!

Have all your ingredients and tools assembled and within easy reach of the stove; we recommend using metal spoons and measuring utensils. Before starting, lightly oil the cavities of clean, dry candy molds or spray with non-stick cooking spray and insert sucker sticks. You may also want to oil or spray a piece of aluminum foil for any excess candy you have left over after pouring your syrup into the molds.

1. Clip your candy thermometer to the side of a heavy 2-quart saucepan; make sure the tip does not touch the bottom of the pan. Mix together sugar, corn syrup, and water. Keep a wet pastry brush at your disposal to “wash down” any sugar crystals that form on the sides of your pan.
2. Let your mixture come to a boil without stirring. Continue to allow the mixture to boil until your syrup has reached the hard crack stage (around 300º F), remove it from heat. When the boiling action subsides, add in your food coloring then flavoring and stir to incorporate. Be careful when stirring to avoid rising steam!
   NOTE: If using edible flowers for this project, keep the food coloring to a minimum so that your flowers are visible in the syrup.
3. Allow syrup to cool briefly until most of the bubbles have settled. Carefully pour the hot syrup into your prepared flower molds. If you’re using edible flowers, fill your molds three-quarters of the way and then place them into your poured syrup at this time, using a lollipop stick to lightly push them in. Pour just enough syrup into the rest of the mold to cover the flowers.
4. Cool completely (DO NOT REFRIGERATE!) and store your lollies in sucker bags, securing them with twist ties. Store them in a cool, dry place.