Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

My kids are in love with any type of hard candy but I still get nervous to let them suck on hard candy (even though they are 5). I feel much safer having them suck on a sucker. I found this genius idea: makeshift your own jolly rancher (or any hard candy) into a sucker!

This project is so fun to do with the kids and you can mix and match the different flavors to make bright, striped sucker creations. What is needed: jolly ranchers, sucker sticks, parchment paper, foil and cookie sheet.
1) lay a piece of foil on cookie sheet. cover foil with a piece of parchment paper.
2) unwrap candies and place side by side on parchment paper in your choice of color & flavor combinations. use three candies together for extra large lollies, and only two candies together for regular lollies.
3) heat candies in oven for about 5 minutes at 200 degrees. keep a close eye on the candies and take them out as soon as they've barely melted together. if you leave them in too long they will melt too much and you won't be able to put a stick into the lollie. alter the cook time accordingly.
4) carefully take cookie sheet out of oven. immediately lay candy sticks into place on melted candies. slowly twirl in melted candy to coat the stick and so it will hold in the lollie. they're hot! don't burn yourself but you will have to work fast before the candies harden.
5) let the lollies cool about 30 minutes before eating or wrap up in clear cellophane bags, tie with ribbon and give as gifts or party favors!