J@H - Tootsie Roll Pops

I have been putting off this recipe for long enough. I knew how to make all of the components, it was just getting up the nerve to put them all together! Now that I've made these bad boys, I am so upset with myself for procrastinating!

With no further delay, please enjoy...

That's right. Tootsie roll pops! Chocolate taffy shrouded in a thick coating of hard candy. Did you ever think that you could make these at home?

I'm not going to say that this is the easiest thing to make at home. You definitely need to block some time and set aside any fear you have of boiling sugar. This is actually two recipes that need to be combined into one - chocolate taffy and grape hard candy. You can get fancy and buy a lollipop mold, but I decided to go a little more free form with my candies. That is why they are flat on one side.

The candy to taffy ratio is a little different with my lollipops - there is a lot more taffy in these than in a store-bought Tootsie pop. I recommend using high quality baker's chocolate and highly concentrated candy oil. With those two ingredients you will get the most richly flavored candies possible. 

How do these compare to the originals? Personally, I think they're way better. Give them a try! With all of the flavor possibilities of taffy and hard candy, I'm thinking of making a summertime version of these - Cherry lollipops with vanilla taffy anyone?

One Year Ago: Chocolate Peep Cakes
Two Years Ago: Potato, spinach & asparagus Quiche with Cumin
Three Years Ago: Granola Cookie Wedges

Four Years Ago: Cookie Dough Fudge

Five Years Ago:  Cookie Dough Eggrolls

Grape Tangy Taffy

It used to be simply called Tangy Taffy.  And I ate yards and yards of the stuff when I was a kid.  It was my go to movie treat when we went to the theater as a family. I remember stopping at the 7-11 (because their candy was always on sale) and picking out two pieces of candy with my brother and dad.  The brother would usually go for something chocolate, dad too.  Now there's a guy who likes his chocolate bars.  Personally, I would get something that would last a long time. A slab of tangy taffy would last well over half the length of the movie. I loved its strong flavor and tangy bite.

Peanut Butter Taffy

Happy Orthoversary to me! Oh, you've never heard of an Orthoversary? It's quite simple. Today is the one year anniversary of getting my braces on! (Actually it was this weekend, but I was busy playing in the snow). It has been one full year with my fancy ceramic braces, metals wires and rubber bands.

When I first had the braces put on, I was very nervous. So many of my friends had ortho as teens and they all had varying horror stories of how terrible their time in braces had been. There was the initial attaching, the tightening and the monthly adjustments. This all sounded terrible.

Fast forward one year. Let me tell you, this has not been a bad experience. Granted, most of my major tooth adjustments took place in the first few months. The past few months have shown minor changes in my bite and the way my teeth align. I hardly notice the brackets anymore and have learned to speak and smile with them. I can't imagine what it will be like when I no longer have them on!

At my last orthodontist appointment, I was told I was making excellent progress and should have them off by the end of summer! So while I haven't really had any problems with the braces, I'm looking forward to them being gone. Why? I miss popcorn! Biting into an apple! Chewy caramels! I haven't had a piece of gum for a year!

I've been trying to be really good and follow the list of dos and don'ts that I was given all those months ago. I feel like it will help my progress I I follow directions meticulously. Only six to eight months to go and that's when we'll really celebrate!