Like! I clicked. "I would totally try this!" I commented, to which she replied "You should come up with a recipe and blog about it, why not?!" I declared her a genius and got out my recipe journal.
For those unfamiliar, Sriracha is a delicious sweet-hot chili sauce that is (in my opinion) highly addictive. I've always thought it could improve the flavor of just about anything, but I wasn't sure how it would translate into candy.
I gave it a try in spite of my doubts. The first batch failed because I used too much sauce. The candy didn't harden properly and when I tasted it my eyes watered. Definitely too much!
I was more conservative the second time around and struck a nice balance between sweet and hot. It's just hot enough to make your tongue tingle and has the recognizable flavor of the beloved rooster sauce.
One thing I'd like to address about making hard candy - you must have good candy thermometer. The last time I posted lollipops, so many people had burned candy it made me question my recipe. I even took the recipe down from the site until I had made it three more times successfully. For this reason I'm including a few important tips.
Check the accuracy of your thermometer - You can check your candy thermometer accuracy by placing it in water and bringing the water to a boil. The thermometer should read 212° F, if the reading is higher or lower, take the difference into account when testing the temperature of your sugar syrup.
Don't have a thermometer? I use a Taylor TruTemp digital thermometer with an alarm, almost identical to this model. I no longer use a thermometer that clips to the side of the pan because of inconsistent results. If the right clip model comes around and changes my mind, you'll be the first to know.
Plan ahead - have candy molds, spoons, pot holders, and other tools ready to hand. You must work quickly and efficiently when working with hard candy. Being organized will also help decrease the risk of burning your candy -and yourself!
Burned candy - Your candy can take on a burned flavor if it is heated beyond the hard crack stage 310°F. You can remove the liquid candy from the heat once your thermometer registers 300 degrees F., allow the temperature to rise on its own for the last 10 degrees.
I really love how these turned out - right down to the faceted lollipop mold I used (you can buy it here if you love it too). I can definitely say these lollipops won't be for everyone, but if you're feeling adventurous or know a fellow rooster sauce enthusiast -give them a try!
Edit: A commenter has pointed out that Sriracha pops are the brainchild of Jason at Lollyphile. I don't know Jason, but I'm happy to give the guy credit. This particular recipe is my own.
Yield: 12-17 Lollipops [click for printable recipe]
Special equipment:
Candy thermometer
Lollipop Sticks
Lollipop molds
Candy:
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup corn syrup
2/3 cup water
2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce, divided
1/4- 1/2 tsp. orange gel food coloring
- Lightly grease candy mold with cooking spray.
- Stir together the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a small saucepan and insert a candy thermometer into the mixture.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat. Continue to heat without stirring until the bubbling mixture reaches 244°F. Drop one level tbsp. Sriracha sauce into the bubbling mixture– do not stir! When the mixture reaches the hard crack stage (302-310°F). Remove pan from heat.
- Stir in the remaining 1 tbsp. Sriracha sauce and food coloring. Be extra careful because the mixture will bubble and sputter with these additions.
- When the mixture has stopped bubbling, pour it into molds and let harden.
- Wrap the cooled lollipops in cellophane or wax paper and store in an airtight container.
I am so glad I turned the computer on just now...my hubby would LOVE this!!!!! BRILLIANT! (in my best Scottish voice.)
ReplyDeleteGah.
ReplyDeleteI just love you.
And every single thing you make.
You never disappoint!!
That is all.
Sounds more like delicious town than crazy town to me:)
ReplyDeleteThese sound amazing! I need a thermometer and some molds...stat!
ReplyDeleteamazeballs!!
ReplyDeleteOh. My. Goodness. This is genius. Pure amazing brilliance.
ReplyDeleteFun! I really like your lollipop moulds!!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe you made these! You are my hero. Love love love this post <3
ReplyDeleteHah, do you need a glass a milk to go with these?
ReplyDeleteChristina
www.becauseofmadalene.com
What a great idea! Those lollipops look so pretty. I love this sauce.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Rosa
I recently made hotsauce-icles (hot sauce popsicles) for my hubby for Father's Day ... these might be next on my list :)
ReplyDeleteThis is brilliant. I love the beautiful star shape.
ReplyDeleteThese are so unique..well, everything you do it...but these REALLY rock my world!
ReplyDeleteI really love the professionalism of this site. Thank you for taking the quality of your recipes so seriously, and for providing helpful tips!
ReplyDeleteThese are absolutely genius!
ReplyDeletenow THIS is creativity at it's finest! you never cease to amaze!
ReplyDeleteand thank you for the lovely (and unnecessary!!) little items you sent me :)
xo
Wow! That is interesting and totally creative.
ReplyDeletewww.cancerinthecity.com
what a fun flavor! and the color is perfectly sriracha :)
ReplyDeleteI think I love you. I would never have thought of this! Sriracha is my favorite.
ReplyDeleteHow cool - I've made lollipops a few times (and a honey one for my blog). I don't care how old I get, I'll always love lollipops.
ReplyDeleteWow! you always seem to come up with the most amazing recipes, and photos never dissapoint :) This is a must try for me!!!!
ReplyDeleteJessie
You rock!
ReplyDeleteThis is totally and utterly amazing!
ReplyDeleteThese look beautiful and I'm sure they taste amazing, makes me thing of those large "Red Hots," think they are called "Atomic Fire Balls"
ReplyDeletehttp://fashionablyhealthy.wordpress.com/
Most creative lollipop ever! You're the greatest, Heather!
ReplyDeleteMy husband wants to marry you! He puts that stuff on EVERYTHING! We had veal piccata tonight and he added that stuff... I'll pass on these lollipops and stick to the red wine ones!
ReplyDeleteThey do look beautiful!
How innovative of you! My daughter worships Sriracha. I know she will want to make these as soon as I show them to her. Brilliant!
ReplyDeleteSriracha is one of my favorite accompaniments to most of my meals. This is an interesting and wonderful idea! Blessings to you, Catherine
ReplyDeletei love your outrageousness. you are my favorite.
ReplyDeleteTHESE are so crazy! Crazy and amazing and insanely creative and delicious all in one. Like, I want one on the side of every single one of my meals. Love it!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I would eat these, but I love the craziness of this concept! Perhaps I will make them for the hubs. :)
ReplyDeleteYou are amazing!! I LOVE the idea of a spicy lolly ~ posting a review of your book today ~ stay tuned :)
ReplyDeleteThis is really a SO clever idea... the problem for me is that there's no corn syrup in my country...glucose maybe?
ReplyDeleteCheers from Argentina!
I feel like I say the same thing every time I comment here - but I have to make these!!! My boyfriend and I fly through bottles of rooster sauce, but I never even thought of adding it to candy - brilliant!
ReplyDeleteThanks - credit and link has been added.
ReplyDeleteI love this recipe! Being Mexican, I'm used to hot spicy candy treats and my 4 year old has picked on that habit so I'm glad I can now give him the homemade version :-) Thank you!!!
ReplyDeleteThese sound delicious and they're beautiful - could I ask where you got your molds?
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty wimpy when it comes to hot and spicy, but maybe I cold handle it in candy form:) I'm certain my "the hotter, the better" husband would love these!
ReplyDeleteThat animated gif is hypnotizing. And it seems to be telling me to make sriracha lollipops now. Love this idea!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. I don't think my 6yr old would like these, but I am sure I would. I bet they would go great with a beer on a hot summers day!
ReplyDeletewow. this is bizarre. not in a good way. have to admit, they look pretty though
ReplyDeleteI made these Tuesday! They turned out perfectly, but I think the garlic in sriracha makes these not work for me. I love the sauce, but I can't dig it in sweet applications. Might try again with a regular hot sauce. Had some friends who liked them, though!
ReplyDeletehttp://instagram.com/p/MYWmhPDCt0/
http://statigr.am/p/223029065748851582_19790777
Oh wow they would be perfect firecracker lollipops for the 4th! xo ~Lili
ReplyDeletePlus bacon salt?
ReplyDeleteI made these for the Fourth of July. They are gorgeous and tasty. For those who have not made lollipops before, be sure to place the sticks before pouring the candy. These set up fast--as I learned the hard way.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to bring these to the party to see how my friends and family like 'em--we are sriracha loving fiends!
Omg! I love this stuff, I cannot believe you made suckers with it! Very genius! :)
ReplyDeleteThough it's a nice gesture of good faith to credit and link another candy maker who used Sriracha to make lollipops, you should know that you don't have to - legally, morally, ethically, whatever. The idea that one guy singlehandedly came up with the idea to add hot sauce to lollipops is silly; my *grandmother* used to make hot red pepper candies from what she referred to as an old family recipe, using our homemade hot pepper sauce.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletehey thanks for the link! it means a lot- when i came up with maple bacon lollipops (no really- it was me, & i have the wayback stats to prove it!) a number of larger (read: better financed, etc) companies ran off with the idea and started selling them in grocery stores or wherever.
ReplyDeletein the world of food, there's nothing, really, protecting small business people- recipies can't be copywrited, only brands- so credit where credit is due means a lot.
thanks again.
xox.
//jason
www.lollyphile.com
I wAnna try these so bad! This is kinda my thing!
ReplyDeleteJust sampled my first batch of rooster lollies--Wow they are wonderful--thanks for sharing your recipe it rocks...now if I can find a thermometer that works consistently I'll make more for friends. Love your blog.
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this recipe, I made these last weekend and they are soooo good!
ReplyDeleteI thought some of the flavors at Lollyphile looked good, but I will never order from them ever again. What a rip off. The owner/s don't care either. I sent them an email about being unhappy with an order and they could care less.
ReplyDeleteLook at the pictures on their website.. they look like large ROUND lollipops, right? What I received were smaller looking than the pictures, but they were FLAT. Totally misleading as I had bought them for a gift I think. Some of them were broken so when you lick them your tongue gets cuts.
They definitely did not ship me what was shown in the picture.
Hi! I tried these today and had such a fun time making them. I'm from the UK so couldn't find corn syrup so substituted for liquid glucose (and even experimented with Agave Nectar - they don't set properly but taste AMAZING - gunna put it over icecream) but the recipe was great. thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteps. my whole family HATED them (eww! garlic and sugar!) but my boyf and I are loyal Sriracha fans and so love them!
thanks again!
Sarah
I am a Sriracha addict! Seriously! I am so on these! My employees will love them!
ReplyDeleteJust an FYI: I love the look of these lollipops and wanted to buy the molds you used, so I clicked on your link. I don't know if the seller changed the model number that corresponds to the link you provide, but what arrived were NOT the gorgeous molds you used, and I wanted others to avoid my situation. Could you update the link, or has the style of mold you use been discontinued?
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting me know. That is not the star mold I originally linked. The link is updated, and you can find other places to buy the mold by searching "radiant star lollipop mold".
ReplyDeletexo
H
Just made these and was pleasantly surprised. I've never made hard candy before. I had a small boil-over mishap and the plastic pop sticks I got melted a bit, but otherwise... a success! They taste excellent too (and I am not a hot sauce fan, but my brother will love them for his birthday!)
ReplyDeletehave you ever tried using sugar and water in place of the corn syrup? If so, how well did it work? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI will definitely try this recipe too. It makes me curious of how a combination of sweet and hot taste. Thanks for including the recipe.
ReplyDeleteOzarkDelight.com
You didn't have an issue using hot sugar with a plastic mold? Just curious... I really want to make these, but was under the impression from my local cake supply store that a plastic mold like this would not be suitable for hard candy lollipops. I was told I needed metal or silicone molds.
ReplyDelete@H Hulsey -
ReplyDeleteI think the product information has changed since I made this recipe. I've updated the link to the candy mold. The hard candy mold I used was plastic, and heat safe up to 375F. Here's the link to the correct mold I used.
http://www.cakemischief.com/product_p/8h-4973.htm
Thanks for asking!
Thank you so much! I love them now! :)
ReplyDeleteYou make hard candy sound easy, but those are thorough instructions! I think I might finally get around to trying candy making.
ReplyDeleteHeather!
ReplyDeleteEverything you do is just lovely.
Thanks for the yummy recipe and the link to those star molds.
You're the best! xo