2 c. sugar
1 c. light corn syrup
1/2 c. water
Anise, peppermint or lemon extract
Food coloring
Wooden skewers
Oil

Combine sugar, corn syrup and water in a medium size heavy saucepan. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Wrap a fork with damp paper toweling. Wipe sugar crystals from sides of pan as mixture cooks. Lower heat, cook without stirring to 300 degrees on a candy thermometer. (A teaspoonful of syrup will separate into threads that are hard and brittle when dropped in cold water.) Remove saucepan from heat, stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons of either anise, peppermint or lemon extract and enough red, green or yellow food coloring to tint to desired color.

Arrange wooden skewers on large oiled cookie sheets. Immediately pour mixture in a thin stream over each skewer into rounds as large as you wish. Pour as many lollipops as you can decorate before mixture hardens. Decorate as you wish with gum drops and hard candies. (Keep syrup fluid by placing saucepan in large pan filled with boiling water.) Cool until firm, slide off cookie sheet.