Red Wine Lollipops

I’m a fan of red wine in desserts (you know this, right?), and I’ve seen lots of boozy lollipop recipes, but none containing red wine. I did a good bit of searching online, and even in my personal stash of candy cookbooks -nada. I became obsessed with the idea of a red wine pop, and my mission soon became clear: get in the SB test kitchen and fill this terrible void in the confectionery world!

It took a few tries.  First, I used the liquid/sugar ratio for a standard pop, but the flavor was lacking. I increased the red wine, only to find the candy wouldn’t set properly. I knew better, but I did it anyway.

A while later the correct synapse fired in my brain, and the answer was simple: make a red wine reduction.  This gave the lollipops big-time flavor and a beautiful color.

I dressed up the lollies with gold luster dust, and the technique could not be easier! Brush luster dust over the dry lollipop surface and dip it in a glass of room temperature water; shake off the excess then lay it flat on a piece of parchment paper. The gold dust will separate a little while the lollies lay flat. Leave them to dry overnight.

See?  Easy! And perfect to hand out for Valentine’s day.

Extra tidbits:

  • After much deliberation, it looks like I will be attending Blissdom this year! I can’t wait to meet some of my favorite people!
  • Last week while making Chicken Marsala, I accidentally coated our chicken in powdered sugar instead of flour.  I blame my husband and his efforts to organize my pantry with unlabeled containers. (We both choked down about two bites. Perhaps I should just stick to making dessert.)
  • I am still loving my special purpose camera, but my poor dogs may go blind from the flash.  I can’t help that they are so photogenic.

NOTE! This recipe has proved to be difficult for some. Please read all the comments before attempting this recipe.

Port Wine Lollipops

Yield: About 12 lollipops                                                             [click for printable recipe]                                                      

Note: You will need hard candy lollipop molds or a silicone mat.  If those are not readily available, parchment-lined cookie sheets will also work.

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tbsp Port wine

3 tablespoons corn syrup

3/4 cup sugar

1/8 tsp. kosher salt

12 Lollipop sticks

Gold luster dust *optional

  1. Bring red wine to a simmer in a small saucepan.  Simmer wine until reduced to 1/3 cup, this should take about 20-25 minutes.  Remove from stove-top and let cool completely.
  2. In a medium saucepan combine sugar, corn syrup, salt and wine reduction.  Stir until combined.  Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Stir occasionally with a heat-proof spatula until all sugar granules have dissolved.  Boil until candy temperature registers 298-310 degrees on a candy thermometer.
  3. Remove from heat and fill greased lollipop molds with the hot candy.  Place lollipop sticks in the stick crevices and rotate until the stick is coated in the hot candy.  Alternatively, you may also drop the hot candy from a spoon onto a silicone mat or parchment paper, making two to three-inch disks and leaving room to place -and rotate- the lollipop sticks.
  4. Allow the lollipops to harden completely. These are best if you wait a day to consume them, as this gives the red wine flavor plenty of time to develop.
  5. Embellish with luster dust if desired and store between sheets of parchment in an airtight container

Edit 2/7/12, TIPS: Many of you are having trouble with the candy burning.  I just made these again to make sure I didn’t make a mistake or leave something important out.  Mine came out perfectly, again.  I suggest boiling the candy to 298 degrees instead of 310 degrees (the candy will keep cooking a little after it is removed from the heat source). The candy will caramelize just slightly, but it should not be – or taste– burnt.  I use a digital thermometer, as it is easier to read.  Also, don’t use a large pan in which to boil the candy, or it will certainly burn.  If candy continues to burn, it could be your pan – you may try adding a couple of tablespoons of water or wine from the bottle to the reduction/sugar/corn syrup/salt mixture.  

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Maureen
Maureen
12 years ago

The photo of the lollipop over the wine glass is absolute magic! I love it.

What a clever thing you are!

Unknown
Unknown
12 years ago

yeah, I was excited to see a post from you. These are ever so lovely! What a super idea…I'm sad I just left the store without the luster stuff…I almost…almost…bought some.

C&C Cakery
C&C Cakery
12 years ago

I gotta get me a lollipop mold, just for this treat. I wonder if you can do the same thing with lime and tequila?

vanillasugarblog
vanillasugarblog
12 years ago

heather: blissdom first off sounds like my kind of gig! oh I've never heard of this before! i want to go, but such short notice, money, etc….. please email me when you get a chance, would love to hear more. i know you're busy but when you can chicklet. xoxo
love that color red; wouldn't that make a fabulous pair of shoes?

Cindy
Cindy
12 years ago

yes! these look amazing and I LOVE red wine too. so pretty and classy too 😉

Michelle @ Taste As You Go
Michelle @ Taste As You Go
12 years ago

I found this recipe via Pinterest. What a fantastic idea for Valentine's Day treats!

Anonymous
Anonymous
12 years ago

Those are very pretty! I wish I was a drinker and could actually try them!

Shannon
Shannon
12 years ago

These are so lovely. I have lolly molds and luster dust just waiting to be used!

Rosa's Yummy Yums
Rosa's Yummy Yums
12 years ago

Beautiful lollipops! So pretty and surely divine. I love the idea.

Cheers,

Rosa

L-Diggitty
L-Diggitty
12 years ago

Love it!!! Now, how many lollipops do you have to consume to catch a buzz? 😉

Anonymous
Anonymous
12 years ago

These are freaking brilliant! Ughhh I want one so bad right now!!

RecipeGirl
RecipeGirl
12 years ago

What a fun recipe!

Alexis
Alexis
12 years ago

You had me at wine!

Anonymous
Anonymous
12 years ago

I don't suppose you've seen Bernard's lolly on Black Books?

Hannah
Hannah
12 years ago

Oh my stars, this is a fantastic idea! I am just now finding your blog and I love it. You are going on my list of favorites sidebar. Hope you're having a great weekend.
XO,
Hannah
http://www.hannahandbryan.blogspot.com

Heather (Heather's Dish)
Heather (Heather's Dish)
12 years ago

these are so creative! i love the deep red color!

Jeanee
Jeanee
12 years ago

So cute! My husband LOVES red wine. He'll like this :0

Anna
Anna
12 years ago

This is genius, I'll definitely be giving these a try!

Unknown
Unknown
12 years ago

Absolutely yum!
Laurafornerphotography.blogspot.com

Kristen Rettig
Kristen Rettig
12 years ago

Inspired! I'm making these for my next dinner party.

Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga
Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga
12 years ago

I love wine. And lollipops!

I confess that I have a Blo-Pop or Tootsie-Pop lollipop many times per week, HCFS and all. Must replace that with wine and try yours.

Blissdom. How fun!!

Lauren at Keep It Sweet
Lauren at Keep It Sweet
12 years ago

I haven't had a lollipop in a long time, but this is amazing!

Rocio Valle Gonzalez
Rocio Valle Gonzalez
12 years ago

it is… i have no words!! really special! thanx for share! hugs from spain!

Paula
Paula
12 years ago

I think you may have just started a new trend in lollipops. These look wonderful and your photographs are superb.

Unknown
Unknown
12 years ago

These are so adorable! Love that camera…

Megan's Cookin'
Megan's Cookin'
12 years ago

What a great idea! These would be such fum as a party favor.

Unknown
Unknown
12 years ago

Wow! These are amazing!! So creative and i'm sure delicious! Can't wait to give these a go : )

Lora
Lora
12 years ago

Another brilliant idea. I love red wine in an form. The gold dusting on these is just magical and that Chicken marsala story is hilarious.

Dana
Dana
12 years ago

OMG these look amazing!

http://woodstockwardrobe.com/

IFeelCook
IFeelCook
12 years ago

Wow, this is great!

Gloria
Gloria
12 years ago

I'm not a big red wine fan, but these are so adorable, I'd love to have one! And that luster dust is gorgeous, Heather.
Best,
Gloria
P.S. My heart goes out to you that you used powered sugar instead of flour and couldn't eat the chicken!

Anonymous
Anonymous
12 years ago

Awesome! I'm assuming that you used PAM to spray the molds with? I'm a Reisling and Muscado girl, so I'm hoping this works with them too! Thanks for sharing!
Rita-Greer,SC

Baking is my Zen...sweet nibbles for the soul
Baking is my Zen...sweet nibbles for the soul
12 years ago

You are a GENIUS! My wine loving friends will want to try these…

~ Carmen

Leslie
Leslie
12 years ago

Good call on the red wine reduction!!!! These sound very intriguing!

Unknown
Unknown
12 years ago

Port is one of my favorite liqueurs. I would go lolly if someone handed me a wine soaked lollipop!

nicole {sweet peony}
nicole {sweet peony}
12 years ago

this is amazing! the lollipops look so gorgeous with their gold coat. and i'm sure the flavor is superb! so perfect, heather! xoxo

Unknown
Unknown
12 years ago

What a grand idea!! I would never think to make red wine popsicles.

http://www.lifeofamodernhousewife.com

Catherine
Catherine
12 years ago

Yay! Grown-up candy!

Kavi @ Lab to Fab!
Kavi @ Lab to Fab!
12 years ago

What a brilliant idea! Never would have thought of this. Like you said, a nice treat for Valentine's Day too!

Lisa @ Henderson Rubin Creative Design Studio
Lisa @ Henderson Rubin Creative Design Studio
12 years ago

Fabulous!! LOVE, LOVE your ideas and the photos!

Megan
Megan
12 years ago

Whoa good idea! Way to be.

Lili
Lili
12 years ago

This is such a fabulous idea for Valentine's Day and I love that you did all the hard work for us to figure out how to make it work! Loving your display of them in the silver plate tray and that gorgeous shot over the glass of wine. xo ~Lili

Sunshine - www.cancersurvivor26.blogger.com
Sunshine - www.cancersurvivor26.blogger.com
12 years ago

That is awesome! Great post!

http://www.cancerinthecity.com

Erika Beth, the Messy Chef
Erika Beth, the Messy Chef
12 years ago

Wow. Amazing! Glad you figured out how to make these and make them tasty!

Unknown
Unknown
12 years ago

they look so pretty and sound delicious! Love the photography too!

Anonymous
Anonymous
12 years ago

Absolutely beautiful! I want to make for my wedding… how early can I make them?
THANKS!

Unknown
Unknown
12 years ago

You never cease to amaze me with the beautiful pictures of the things you make! I love the idea for red wine lollipops, but your pictures are so amazing. They really make your food, I would want to eat a bag of these!!!

Sara's Sweet Surprise
Sara's Sweet Surprise
12 years ago

Hello Heather~I've just strolled in for my first visit…I've enjoyed taking a peek at your past posts. You've got so many amazing confections. Your blog is so beautifully inviting.
We share similar taste for so many of the same food elements. I'm so excited give a try in making these lollipops.

I look forward to coming by your charming blog again.
Come by for a visit. Your company would be nice.

Sweet wishes,
Sara

Unknown
Unknown
12 years ago

These are fab! Seeing the pics made me fear that super-complicated sugar craft was involved, but this seems do-able!

Anonymous
Anonymous
12 years ago

Ooh the possibilities! A whole array of cocktail lollies springs to mind – thank you for this now I know I will be dreaming of making lollies for the next week! Love the photography as your lighting and composition really draws the reader in – I however must practise more!