LEMON LOLLIES

I try really hard to be a blank slate, and to not let this mystical thing that may go under the name of creativity take the first bus out of here, which leads me to look into purchasing packs of special Oreos off the internet for the price of a month's rent (why, America, why did you have to be too cool for us) and seven hundred and fifty grams of cashew nuts at the supermarket, and to actually buy comic books that only Little Match Girls would read, and last but not least to entertain myself in the fine art of producing confectionery. At least one can put their sugar thermometers to good use and suck lollies like one sucks carrots (exactly), to forget for a moment that there's way too much love to go around these days.

LEMON LOLLIES

150g (3/4 cup) sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon liquid glucose

1 tablespoon boiling water

Lightly grease a piece of baking paper with vegetable oil and prepare 8 lolly sticks. Place sugar, lemon juice, liquid glucose and boiling water in a small heavy-based pan over a low heat to dissolve the sugar. Add a sugar thermometer and increase the heat to high to bring the syrup to a boil. Cook until the temperature reaches 150°C/300°F. Quickly dip the base of the pan into cold water to stop it cooking any further. With a teaspoon carefully spoon some of the syrup in a circular shape on the baking paper. Push in the lolly sticks and spoon some more syrup onto each lolly so that the stick is completely covered. Set aside to cool, then enjoy and finally stop stealing sweets from the office meeting room.