Hard Candy Suckers

Remember Mom making these for us when we were kids? So fun! I have two different recipes. One is the original way that Mom did it --on the stove. The second is a microwave version. It's so fast to use the microwave when using regular flavorings. If you are going to do butterscotch, peanut butter, or chocolate, then the stovetop is the way to go. Butterscotch is one of our favs. Stovetop method:

1 c. sugar
1/3 c. white corn syrup
1/2 c. water
1/2 tsp. Lorann or Wilton flavoring
food coloring

Prepare molds by lightly spraying them with cooking spray and adding sticks. Also, spray the flat surface you are using to cool your suckers on. Combine first three ingredients in pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, add thermometer, cook, stirring occasionally to hard crack stage (300 degrees). Remove from heat, add flavoring and food coloring. Pour hot candy into prepared molds. Remove candy from molds when cool and beginning to hold their shape. Place on another flat surface to continue cooling.

peanut butter - add 1/4 c. peanut butter at 275 degrees, cook to 310 degrees
chocolate - add 2 Tbsp Hershey's chocolate syrup at 275 degrees, cook to 310 degrees
butterscotch - add 1/4 c. butter and a pinch of salt at the start

Microwave method:

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. light corn syrup
1/2 tsp. Lorann or Wilton flavoring
food coloring

Mix sugar and corn syrup in a 4-cup glass measuring cup. Cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 3 minutes 15 seconds. Remove plastic wrap and stir mixture. IMPORTANT!!!---cover with NEW plastic wrap and microwave for another 3 minutes 15 seconds. Add flavoring and coloring, stir well. Pour into molds.

**Sometimes I just pour the candy onto a greased cookie sheet, break into pieces, and shake in powdered sugar to coat.

**I made these last weekend for a Valentine's Party. I didn't have the oil flavorings so I used extracts that I found in the Walmart baking aisle. I had to use 3 tsp. of it but they had a lot of flavor choices.