Hungry Happenings: Valentine's Day Sweets - Cherry Heart Pops with Chewy Chocolate Centers

Cherry Heart Pops with Chewy Chocolate Center

My very first foray into recipe contesting happened a few years ago when I entered a recipe in a Valentine's Day contest. The contest was being held by a kid friendly magazine and they were looking for festive chocolate treats. I submitted a recipe for a version of these fun heart shaped lollipops. Although I didn't win a prize, I became very intrigued with contesting and have had some success winning both recipe contests and essay contests since then. As a matter of fact I just won a food related essay contest this week. Last week I shared my drama about breaking my camera. I finally went and purchased a Canon S95 over the weekend and took lots of pictures of this recipe. Don't you think it takes nice photos? Anyway, I got a call this week about a contest that I entered a while back. I won a very nice prize - a digital camera. Great timing, huh? Oh, well, I love my new camera and with a second one I wont have to worry about being without a camera if I drop one of them. But, let's hope I don't repeat that fiasco. I think I'll keep the Canon and use it for my food shots, then take the other one on trips. Over the years, I've left my share of cameras in hotel rooms and vacation rental homes, so having a spare will be perfect for me.

My inspiration for this recipe came from my love of Tootsie Rolls and Tootsie Pops. Even as an adult, I will find myself oftentimes enjoying those tasty treats. As I set out to create this recipe, I remembered being keenly aware of how much modeling chocolate tasted like a Tootsie Roll. I wondered how it would hold up to being dipped in boiling sugar. To my delight, it worked great if the modeling chocolate was frozen prior to dipping. So, I decided to try my hand at making my own version of a Tootsie Pop. Of course they had to look festive for Valentine's Day, so I cut the chewy chocolate centers into heart shapes instead of rolling them into balls. For simplicity sake, I used a microwave recipe for making the hard candy coating. I find it so quick and easy, but if you prefer, you can use a traditional stove top method to make your hard candy coating. You must move quickly when coating the centers as the candy coating will harden quickly. I always have a few reject pops that don't get coated well, but I don't mind. There is always someone willing to eat the scraps. I brought my two scrappy looking reject pops to a lifeguard when I went swimming today, and she was thrilled. I wrapped up the rest and will deliver them to friends for Valentine's Day.

Ingredients:

Chewy Chocolate Centers
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped (or chips)
1/2 cup light corn syrup (add more if needed)
cocoa powder for dusting work surface

Hard Candy Coating
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cherry oil, or other flavoring
15 drops red or neon pink food coloring (grocery store variety)
optional toppings-colored sanding sugar, heart shaped sprinkles

Special Equipment Needed:
14-16 lollipop sticks
baking sheet lined with non-stick aluminum foil or a Silpat Liner

heat resistant spatula or wooden spoon
microwave safe glass bowl
plastic wrap

Instructions:

How to make chewy chocolate centers (modeling chocolate):

Melt Chocolate (click here for detailed instructions.) Allow to cool, stirring occasionally until chocolate cools to 91 degrees. If you don't have a thermometer, put a drop of chocolate on your lip and it should feel cool. Stir in 1/2 cup corn syrup. Mixture will get really thick quickly. Pour mixture onto a counter top and knead until shiny and smooth. If it feels dry, add 1-1 1/2 tablespoons corn syrup and continue to knead until smooth. See my modeling chocolate recipe for more detailed instructions and more troubleshooting information

Pat chocolate into a disc. Lightly dust work surface with cocoa powder. (Tip: I fill a spice bag with cocoa powder then tap it gently on my work surface to get a very light dusting.) Use a 1" heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out 14-16 hearts, re-rolling chocolate as needed. Press the chocolate out of the cookie cutter and smooth out the surface of the chocolate with your finger. Insert a lollipop stick into the pointed end of each heart and set on your prepared baking sheet. Place in the freezer for one hour. At the end of the hour, begin to make the hard candy coating.

How to Make the Hard Candy Coating:

Pour corn syrup into a 4 cup microwave safe measuring cup or mixing bowl. Add sugar and stir to combine. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave on high power for 3 minutes. Remove from microwave using pot holders. Use a knife to poke a hole in the plastic wrap to allow the steam to vent, then very carefully remove the plastic wrap. Stir, then put a new piece of plastic wrap on the bowl.

Heat in the microwave on high power for 2 1/2 - 3 minutes until sugar becomes lightly golden brown. Watch your candy coating closely while it's cooking, to make sure that it doesn't burn. Remove, using pot holders, poke a hole in the plastic wrap to allow steam to escape then carefully remove the plastic wrap. Pour in cherry oil and food coloring (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir just to blend.

CAUTION: This candy coating is extremely hot and can burn skin quickly. DO NOT TOUCH!!!! If you do drop some on your hands, don't put you hand in your mouth (a bad reflex in this situation.) As a precaution you can have a bowl of ice water set next to your work station. Dip your hand in the ice water immediately to harden the candy. If you are burned, consult a doctor.

Remove hearts from freezer. Move very quickly with the next steps. Dip each heart in cherry candy coating (or use a heatproof spatula to pour candy coating over all sides of each heart.) Holding the heart pop over the bowl, gently shake it, allowing the excess candy to drip back into the bowl. Set pops on a Silpat silicone mat or non-stick aluminum foil. Immediately after dipping each heart, sprinkle with colored sanding sugar or add candy decorations. Just be very careful to not touch the hot candy while decorating. The lollipops will harden very quickly and as you dip your hearts, the candy in the bowl will become thick. As needed, re-heat the candy in the microwave for 5-10 seconds before continuing to dip more pops. Allow pops to cool completely before eating.

The last few pops you dip may not look perfect and you may even have one or two that you can't coat if you don't work quickly. The hard candy mixture can only be re-heated so many times, before it will get so hot it will melt the hearts. Just snack on the rejects. Arrange your attractive lollipops on a platter and serve to your sweethearts this Valentine's Day. Or...

You can wrap your heart pops in cellophane bags and tie with a ribbon to give as little gifts.

If you are more adventurous, you might want to create a bouquet out of your handmade lollipops, as I did. Fill a Valentine's Day coffee mug with an Oasis Wet Floral Foam Brick cut to fit. Then top it with some red and white shredded paper. (You can just fill the mug with the shred, but the pops will hold in place better if secured in the oasis.) Arrange your heart pops coming out of the mug by inserting them into the oasis. You can over wrap the bouquet with clear cellophane and tie it all up with a big bow.

If you like this recipe, please share it with others by using the share buttons below. I really appreciate being Stumbled Upon, and am always grateful to those of you that share my ideas on your website. I do request that you don't post my entire tutorial, but rather share a picture with a link and be sure to mention the recipe came from Hungry Happenings. If you make this recipe, I'd love for you to send me a photo to beth@hungryhappenings.com. Thank you for visiting Hungry Happenings - Beth