Lollipops and other similar confections

[Darienne]

Some input is required, please.

I have been making lollipops for our local regional library for a couple of years now. They are molded and colored according to holiday season and have been a big hit with the kids (and parents) and a small source of extra income to the cash-strapped library.

The lollipops must fit into certain parameters, both for the library purposes and mine: no nuts, not too expensive to make or sell, not too big, easy storage, not a pain to wrap...brain won't come up with what might be other considerations at this point.

So I've made every color and flavor of hard tack, in detailed plastic molds and flat outline-type molds. And I've made butterscotch too.

I could make caramel-wrapped, chocolate-dipped pretzel rods...but they are expensive and time-consuming to make, need special sleeves for presentation. I think popcorn might well be out for allergy reasons, plus not easy for wrapping?? Seem to recall popcorn lollies...

What other kinds of lollipops...or other confections that would fit into this category...can I make? St. Patrick's is coming up.

Edited March 2, 2010 by Darienne (log)

[rena]

What about rice krispie treats on a stick? I was thinking granola too

but it has nuts and I don't know about the allergy thing....

Hope this helps.

Rena

[JeanneCake]

Marshmallows might work; it might be time consuming to wrap or bag them, though depending on size. But certainly a lot of fun in terms of flavors and colors....

The same with brownies - I'm doing some brownie pops by cutting them into fingers, then dipping in chocolate and sprinkling on non-pareils, etc. But you certainly don't have to dip them in chocolate ....

[lebowits]

I know you said "no nuts" but you might consider:

1. Almond rocher (slivered almonds in chocolate)

2. Toasted coconut "haystacks" (toasted coconut flakes in chocolate [milk or dark])

3. White chocolate "krunch" (puffed rice, pistachios, candied orange peel) [ok, you pick what you like here] in white chocolate

4. I like the marshmallows. Lots of options here including dipped in chocolate.

5. Caramel corn (with or without nuts) drizzled with chocolate of your choice. Flavorings such as cinnamon oil etc, at your choosing.

This is making me hungry.

[Darienne]

Thanks for the replies. I forgot...AGAIN...to click on the 'watch this topic' thingy. Have yet to talk to the librarian.

I also thought of homemade 'tootsie pops'.

And I have found a recipe for those wonderful swirly colored pops but haven't looked at it yet.

And no nuts. Public institutions are very careful these days.

Edited March 2, 2010 by Darienne (log)

[dhardy123]

A Chocolate Dipped Oreo Cookie on a stick is always popular.

I also did these for kids and they were very popular:

[Darienne]

Thank you dhardy123.

Could you please explain a bit more what I am looking at in the photo? Thanks.

[Beth Wilson]

That chocolate sucker reminds me of all the things I loved when I was a kid

I also loved fudge when I was younger... the richer the better

How about large squares of fudge on a stick wrapped in cello. Maple, chocolate, vanilla are always popular. Sprinkle with jelly beans or m&m's for great colouring decorations, especially with Easter around the corner.

I saw in one thread, I think it was "confections - what did you make" that had white chocolatebark with jelly beans in it! I thought it was tempting and I remember saying to my friend that it looked like "Jelly Bean Extreme". I think you could easily make them in a sucker form if you had a big round sucker mold.

[dhardy123]

Thank you dhardy123.

Could you please explain a bit more what I am looking at in the photo? Thanks.

Sure, I simply tempered some chocolate and piped it in circles, making sure that the stick was secure. Then decorated the sucker with whatever I wanted while the chocolate was setting.

[Darienne]

Thank you, kind sir.

[Darienne]

Made some orange marshmallows to dip in chocolate for a friend.

Stuck two on lollipop sticks and dipped them into chocolate. They do take a LOT of chocolate to cover. And are not suitable for easy wrapping...or long storage life.

[Chris Hennes]

Can you thin the chocolate out to get a thinner coating on those marshmallows? I haven't done it in a while, but I like a thinner shell on them personally, and then you'd use less chocolate too.

[JeanneCake]

I did marshmallow lollipops last week for a fundraising event - I only half dipped them in chocolate then rolled them in sugared almonds (but surely you can substitute anything you want, non-pareils, sprinkles, fruity rice krispie cereal or maybe any kind of cereal).

I am so used to dipping my cheesecake lollipops - which are frozen when dipped so that makes the chocolate set up almost immediately! - and doing room temp marshmallows meant that the chocolate didn't set quickly and dripped a lot. Someone suggested chilling the marshmallows but I just plodded along and finished them all and vowed not to dip the next batch of marshmallows! I double the recipe and use a regular full size sheet pan so mine are not as billowy beautiful as yours - they are the height of the sheet pan which is what - not even half an inch? so I made them more like financier shape rectangles....

[Darienne]

Hi Chris,

Good idea to thin the chocolate. However, the marshmallows aren't 'fastened' to the lollie stick as a hard candy would be and the whole process of dipping them is a bit tricky, especially in a small Revolation. I just dipped two for fun and non too carefully either.

dhardy123 sent me this amazing online source of lollipops and I am sure to find one to make there that is simpler than dipping marshmallows.

[Darienne]

I did marshmallow lollipops last week for a fundraising event - I only half dipped them in chocolate then rolled them in sugared almonds (but surely you can substitute anything you want, non-pareils, sprinkles, fruity rice krispie cereal or maybe any kind of cereal).

I am so used to dipping my cheesecake lollipops - which are frozen when dipped so that makes the chocolate set up almost immediately! - and doing room temp marshmallows meant that the chocolate didn't set quickly and dripped a lot. Someone suggested chilling the marshmallows but I just plodded along and finished them all and vowed not to dip the next batch of marshmallows! I double the recipe and use a regular full size sheet pan so mine are not as billowy beautiful as yours - they are the height of the sheet pan which is what - not even half an inch? so I made them more like financier shape rectangles....

What...no photos????

As noted before however, cost, ease, wrapping, storage, etc ... these are all factors for this batch for the library. They'll just sit on the front desk to be sold so I have to keep all that in mind. But thanks for all the replies.

[andiesenji]

Here are some marshmallows on "sticks" coated with chocolate but in molds.

Bitter chocolate dunkers

[Darienne]

Here are some marshmallows on "sticks" coated with chocolate but in molds.

Bitter chocolate dunkers

Thanks, Andie. I didn't make that exact recipe for dunkers but another similar one at Christmas. Great fun!

[Spring]

I made marshmallow lollies. Cheap and easy to make although not exactly gourmet. I needed a large amount of inexpensive kids gifts. Inserted lolly stick into a (bought) marshmallow, stuck (with a bit of chocolate)a small square wafer on top then dipped in chocolate and rolled in hundreds and thousands. I put them in cellophane lolly bags and tied with a piece of rafia.

[Darienne]

Thank you, Spring. And thanks for the photo.

It occurred to me in the middle of the night...as things do...that making marshmallow lollipops, and from homemade marshmallows too...would work much better if the pops were not square, but rather more longish. Then the stick would have more to hold onto and then they could be dipped...as suggested by Chris Hennes...in thinner chocolate and then 'rolled' in what you call hundreds and thousands, and we call non-pareils (pronounced by some as 'non-pruls'.

Interesting thought. The kids would love the orange marshmallows. Very tasty.

We just may have a winner.

Oh, and also, we'll temper by hand and put into a deeper thinner container. Or just temper by machine and pour into said container for dipping. Thanks.

Edited March 4, 2010 by Darienne (log)

[HeatherM]

If you could figure out a way to cover the sticks, you could try spraying the marshmallows with chocolate to avoid dipping them. Of course, I've not tried this, so you may end up with nothing but a chocolatey mess!

[Darienne]

If you could figure out a way to cover the sticks, you could try spraying the marshmallows with chocolate to avoid dipping them. Of course, I've not tried this, so you may end up with nothing but a chocolatey mess!

No wherewithal to spray chocolate. And my normal end product is usually a chocolately mess, both on the confection and me. My adroit hands belong to my confectionery partner, Barb. I am the brains behind the enterprise. Right.

[andiesenji]

After reading your post yesterday, I did some searching for marshmallow lollipop creations and found these sites, which may or may not have some appropriate ideas.

multi color pops

fancy lollipops

I saw packages of little green sugar shamrocks at Michael's crafts last week.

I think that is what is used on one of these:

Wilton's shamrock sprinkles

more fancy lollies

The Peeps site shows them made into lollipops and they now have so many interesting shapes, and have a sturdier mass that holds up well to dipping and etc.

(Turn off your sound because the site music is annoying)

Click on the heading Featured Recipes and Crafts and then on the Recipes and Crafts button.

Peeps

All my kids ever wanted to do with them was explode them in the microwave. Or rather, microwave them for a few seconds to see how big they would grow before collapsing.

Edited March 4, 2010 by andiesenji (log)

[Darienne]

Hi Andie,

Thanks for all the ideas. Have never heard of Peeps before, but will see if we have them in the frozen North Country. My confectionery partner, Barbara, was a grade school teacher and she'll know if they are in Canada.

I like the green bits for St. Patrick's Day. I look into my cache of bitsies and see if I have any green stuff...or go to Michael's next trip to town.

Thanks again.

[andiesenji]

Darienne,

I know Peeps are sold in some parts of Canada because I know some residents who have written about them but they are not as universally available as in the US. One person wrote that there have been incidents at the border where people trying to "smuggle" Peeps into their country were questioned about their "purpose." However the suspicious Peeps were not seized and eventually made it to their final destination near Lake Louise.

In some places they have reached cult status and travelers have take photos of Peeps placed in religious shrines (in SE Asia), on a top hat (in London) and other unlikely spots.

I can't find the site that had all the Peeps photos a couple of years ago, but here is one with some fun "facts."

Scroll down a way...

all about Peeps

There is a widget for Mac computers called Peep Attack which clutters the screen with pictures of different colored Peeps.

Edited March 4, 2010 by andiesenji (log)

[Darienne]

What can I say? I went to the Lord of the Peeps, of course. I shall be on the lookout for this candy.

Thanks, Andie.