For this recipe, you don’t need special molds to shape the lollipops. By making impressions in icing sugar on a baking tray, the sugar finds its shape just fine.
ingredients
directions
The lollipops will keep for up to a month, well-wrapped at room temperature.
To prepare your lollipop mold, line a baking tray with parchment paper and then spread an even layer of icing sugar so that it is about ½ -inch (12 mm) thick. Use a flat water glass about 2-inches (5 cm) across and press this into the icing sugar at intervals, making sure the impression is level (if you make a mistake, you can always loosen the icing sugar and start again.) Place one end of a lollipop stick into each depression.
Place the grape juice in a small saucepan and reduce it to just 2 Tbsp (30 mL) over high heat and then set aside to cool.
Place the water, sugar and corn syrup in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat without stirring. Occasionally brush the sides of the pan with water to prevent any sugar splashes from sticking and crystallizing. Cook the sugar until it reaches a temperature of 300 F (149 C) as measured on a candy thermometer (the sugar should not change colour). Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the reduced grape juice. Work quickly to carefully ladle the hot sugar into each depression, so that it fills it and covers the lollipop stick. Sprinkle the lollipops with sprinkles or dragées. Let the lollipops cool completely.
Lift the lollipops out of the icing sugar and gently tap off any icing sugar stuck to them. Use a damp paper towel (cool water) to wipe the icing sugar side of the lollipop and then immediately dry that side with a dry paper towel. Wrap the lollipops individually if you wish.