Step 1: The recipe
--I got the recipe from http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/candy/recipe-lollipops.html
I find that this recipe contains a larger number of commonly found household ingredients than most other similar recipes
But just to be thorough. Here is the recipe
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup corn syrup
half cup water
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
liquid food coloring
1 to 2 teaspoons citric acid (optional)
--Utensils, pots and pans
something to use as a mold I used a muffin tin. (See picture)
the following is pasted from the previously mentioned site and is not my personal recipe
Prepare 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 oil, and place them on a cookie sheet.
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.
• Why do I need to stop stirring after the syrup begins to boil?
• Why do I wash down the sides of the pan?
Don’t have any molds? You can simply pour small circles of syrup onto a greased cookie sheet .
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
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-inch) circles onto the prepared marble slab or cookie sheet