Hello Kitty lollipops

(warning: this post is extremely pink)

This blog is a big fan of Hello Kitty (the kid in my just refuses to grow old). I must have spent a fortune on all things Hello Kitty and her friends. My grandma was spoiling me rotten and couldn’t deny me anything (well, I did have my ways I must say), so she was my Hello Kitty sponsor let’s say. I’ve kept everything I have ever bought, although after recent raids from my niece(s) I don’t know what there is left. But I do buy new things every now and then.

When it was time for me to make lollipops for a girlie christening, for twins and big fans of Hello Kitty, there was no debate as to what color or design I was going to use. I just had to make it work.

The recipe is the same as last time.

I ordered the Hello Kitty cookie cutters over the internet and I used sugar paste to make them, as marzipan was getting really soft to work with in this hot weather and besides, the sugar paste ones were better looking. I made them the day before and let them dry and harden (the sugar paste was white and I colored it in the shades of pink I wanted).

When making lollipops it is quite important having everything in place and ready (mise en place). While the caramel is boiling (I have trust issues so I use two thermometers) the lollipop sticks, spoons, silicon surfaces and hello kitties take their place , as there won’t be much time to look for anything later.

You need to work fast and it’s really helpful if you can get an assistant (my mom was the one for the job and she did the packaging as well).

They need some time to cool  and harden (it took about 20-30mins is very hot weather) but once they are cool they should be put in cellophane bags and wrapped tightly, otherwise they will be sticky and it’s going to be really hard to wrap them.

I made a couple of butterfly ones as well, for the boys, but it didn’t seem to matter much anyways.

If you would like to see the previous lollipops I made for my nephew’s christening, have a look here.

Lollipops!

A while back, a cousin sent me a link of some lollipops, saying that she wanted something like that for her son’s christening (it’s common practice to give little “presents” and sweets after the christening ceremony is over and she wanted to give something like those for the kids).

“Yeah, right”, I thought to myself. Part of me wanted to do it, but was afraid that I would destroy my new glass-top stove (a friend was telling me that the sugar melts and sticks on it and stays there forever – true story), that the kitchen counter will melt, that the sugar will stick to my hair and what I might burn my skin (my priorities are a bit messed up, I know).

Since they are always willing to try everything I bake and offer them, with no complains, I thought that I ought to at least give it a try, so I did a test batch. It came out impressive, although I had some difficulties, mainly finding the work flow (the caramel dries quickly and you have to know what you want to do, so I ended up making made big round candies instead of lollies), so I accepted the challenge (“Challenge accepted!”, as Barney says).

I had to make about 60 lollipops and I managed to have them ready in 3 batches, with my mom assisting me and here is the result.

A few words about the recipe: