What You'll Need:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1/8 cup water
• Red food coloring
• Parchment paper
• Popsicle sticks
• Heart candies, mini m&m’s, or other candies to decorate with

1. Begin by setting out the parchment paper on your kitchen counter (don’t use wax paper because the pops wills stick to the wax). Have the candies and Popsicle sticks ready.



2. Combine the sugar, corn syrup, water, and food coloring in a pot. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.



3. While the syrup is beginning to cook, prepare an ice bath. Fill a large bowl with ice and water and set aside.



4. Once your syrup is boiling, reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 5 more minutes, stirring constantly.





5. Remove the pot from the heat and place the bottom of the pot into your ice bath. This makes the boiling stop immediately. Continue to stir the syrup until all of the bubbles disappear.



6. Next, pour the syrup onto the parchment paper. You can try to make your pops round or shaped, but I’ve found that I can’t really control how they look! I like how each pop becomes an original creation as it shapes itself on the paper. If you have a sucker mold (available at craft stores) you could use that, too, to make heart-shaped pops.
   
   Caution: At this point, the syrup is still really hot and could burn your skin if you touch it. Make sure only mom or dad handles the hot syrup and that everyone knows to be careful around the newly poured pops.



7. Quickly press a Popsicle stick into each pop and decorate with candy. Press the candies into the syrup to make sure they stick.



8. Let your pops cool until they’re hard enough to lift off the paper. If you have room, place the pops in your refrigerator so that they’ll cool faster.



9. When the pops are done, we like to cover them with plastic wrap, tie a ribbon around the base, and write our friend’s names on the sticks. Now they’re ready to give away!