It really amazes me how much people think ahead. Buying after Christmas candy on sale to save for a project for Valentines Day? Genius and super on the ball.
The Original Pin
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| http://www.theidearoom.net/2011/01/candy-cane-heart-suckers.html |
Aren't those great?! Heart suckers made from the mini candy canes. Tori saw this idea and jumped on it, buying her candy canes in the after Christmas sales. She says, "I had been wanting to make these cute heart lollipops for valentines day for some time, so I found the mini candy canes right after Christmas and saved them. It turns out these things are harder to make."
The Pinstrosity
Didn't know candy canes could melt did you...me neither. "I overcooked them, even though the instructions say 6-8 minutes (which is what I did), and they turned out hideous."
I've got a few ideas to help you out there Tori.
1. The instructions over at theidearoom.net (which is where the photo Tori sent us is from) says that if you want to use the oven method to "Place them in a heated 350 degree oven and watch them closely. After 3-5 minutes, they will be melty and bubbly." 6-8 minutes was probably a little too long at that high of a temperature. When I tested those hard candy suckers I "baked" the candies at 200 degrees for about 5 minutes and that was plenty to melt them at that low of a temperature. I would way reduce the heat in the oven, or way way way reduce the amount of time you leave the candies in. If you keep the temp up at 350, I'd sit and watch and as soon as they started to look sticky I'd pull them out.
2. Getting the candies this melted wasn't quite the point, but if it happens again one way you can dress up the appearance is by getting the stick in the candy more. While the candy canes are still hot and melted, you want to set the stick in place and then twist it to pull the candy up and over the stick. This will help it look a little more like a sucker and it will help to keep it all stuck on the stick better.
A friend of mine tried a similar craft by heating the end tips on a hot frying pan and attaching them to the stick by hand. I think she said it was fairly successful. ;)
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh... I have been lol'ing... literally... through all of these posts. A lot of my Pinterest ideas work out great... however so many don't. I am so glad I'm not alone. I always feel like such a failure when one of these projects go bust.
ReplyDeleteOh tori tori tori..... Cindermele will make these for you next vday
ReplyDeleteI Thought about using royal icing to make them stick...no melting at all!
ReplyDeleteI made these and they turned out perfect! 5-6 minutes is way too long. 1-2 minutes at most. If you watch them closely you can tell when they are done.
ReplyDeleteI made these as well. My first try looked a little like yours, though not as melted, and when I tried again I think I timed it 2 minutes. Then you have to take them out and pinch them together around the straw. Once they cool you add the melted candy melts. Mine were awesome. Made them for my 3rd graders!
ReplyDeleteAww..they look like bacon pops!
ReplyDelete