Free Candy Making for Kids by Courtney Dial Whitmore Page B

food coloring. Add 1 cup powdered sugar and beat with electric mixer. Continue to add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mixture will change from a wet liquid form to stiff, sticky dough.
    Knead the dough using extra powdered sugar if needed.
    Place on a powdered sugar surface and roll out to 1/4 inch thick. Using 2-1/2-inch or
    3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out hearts using all the dough. Let hearts air dry overnight. Use edible markers to write messages and then package in fun containers.
    For Younger Kids: Parents can make this
    recipe fun for little ones by creating the hearts ahead of time and then letting the kids decorate the hearts.

     

Easter Baskets
    Makes 10 baskets
     
     
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
4 cups powdered sugar
food coloring
marshmallow twisted rope candy
4-inch scalloped or round cutters
Easter grass
candy eggs
Easter ribbon
    Place gelatin, water and corn syrup in a heatproof bowl. Stir until dissolved and
    then microwave for 30 seconds. Pour into a mixing bowl and add food coloring.
    Lavender, pink and yellow are great colors to use at Easter. Add 1 cup powdered sugar and beat until mixed. Continue adding the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until it is all used. Knead dough using extra powdered sugar if needed. Place on a powdered sugar surface and roll out to 1/4 inch thick. Using a 4-inch scalloped or round cutter, cut out the baskets. Lay each circle over a small custard bowl sprayed with Pam. Adjust the shapes and let dry overnight. The next day turn baskets right side up and glue handles in place with melted bark or royal icing. Add a little Easter grass, candy eggs and a bow on the handle and you have a fun candy basket.

     

Easter Bunny Pops
    Makes 8 Pops
     
     
1 bag large marshmallows (campfire size works really well)
granulated sugar
1 bag gummy fish (yellow and orange)
assorted jelly beans
candy eyes
16 ounces white bark coating
8 lollipop sticks or striped straws
Easter ribbon for bows
2-1/2-inch round cutters
    Use kitchen scissors to cut marshmallows in half and then cut each circle into
    2 pieces shaped like crescent moons. These are the bunny ears. After cutting 16 ears, roll each ear in granulated sugar and place on parchment paper to dry. Use scissors to cut the gummy fish into 3-inch-long pieces of gummy. Each bunny will need 6 pieces of long gummy to be the whiskers. Eight bunnies will need 48 whiskers.
    Jellybeans will be the noses and can also be used as eyes instead of candy eyes.
    Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Melt 4 ounces of bark at a time in a microwave bowl at 15-second intervals until melted. Place the cutters on the parchment paper. Pour the bark into the cutters about 1/2 inch deep. Allow bark to cook for 3 or 4 minutes and then remove cutters. The bark will spread slightly. Push a lollipop stick or straw into the bark and twist to coat the stick. Push 2 marshmallow ears in the top of the lollipop, a jellybean nose, 3 whiskers on each side and 2 candy eyes. Let harden on the parchment paper for about 30 minutes.
    Embellish with a ribbon. Lollipops can be made earlier and then decorated. If made early, melt a little bark and have in a bowl to use as glue for decorating.

     

Candy Favorites
    Peppermint Patties
    Makes 48 patties
     
     
1/4 cup pasteurized egg whites
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 drop liquid red food coloring
    Beat egg whites and powdered sugar until dough forms. Add salt, extracts and food coloring. Knead dough until soft and smooth. If dough is too dry, add 1/2 teaspoon of water until smooth consistency. Form 1-inch balls and lay on wax or parchment paper dusted with powdered sugar. Dip fork in powdered sugar, shake off excess and flatten ball with fork to form indention. Let air dry for 1 hour.
    Sweet Tip: Instead of creating balls with dough, roll out dough with rolling