On a whim I bought a steak spice rub that’s made & marketed by a well-known local chef. We had it on flank steak and it was pretty good. I think the one I make from Cooks Illustrated is actually better, but that’s ok.
This week’s lollipop flavors are maple-walnut, and key lime with coconut. But the breakthrough achievement is actually in the syrup. When you make syrup with just sugar & water, stirring it after it boils causes huge sugar crystals to form that leave the lollipops all rough. I read that adding 1/4 tsp of cream of tartar and 1/4 cup of corn syrup would prevent the sugar crystals, so that’s what I’ve been doing. Although I have always used less corn syrup than that. I wondered if both ingredients were really needed for preventing crystals, so I decided to leave out the corn syrup. I’m quite pleased to report that the cream of tartar alone seems to do the trick!
February 26, 2009 at 3:19 pm
When I first read the post title, I thought you were making spice-rub-flavored lollipops. And I wasn’t sure about that. Cinnamon or cardamom-cream flavored lollipops I could get behind, but spice rub weirded me out.
I was so glad to find out I was wrong.
February 27, 2009 at 1:23 pm
I do have a bottle of clove oil I haven’t used yet.. am considering a tangerine-clove batch :-)