Jolly Rancher Candy Rose

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Introduction: Jolly Rancher Candy Rose

About: I am a foodie and diy-er who always prefers to make than buy. I love cooking, crafting, and eating.

These edible stained glass roses are so pretty you won't want to eat them! They use a similar technique to pulled sugar, but they use hard candy, which is easier to find and work with.

I have not seen anything like them anywhere online or in a book, so I was a bit worried when making them. I made them solely based on trial and error! I could not imagine them turning out any better- they're absolutely amazing and look just like stained glass! They would make awesome lollipops, party favors, or cake toppers. Most importantly, they are also completely edible and delicious!

If you like this Instructable, please give it your vote in the Edible Art contest! (I really want the knife set!) :)

Step 1: Unwrap and Melt Jolly Ranchers

The roses need only one ingredient, which is hard candy. I used jolly ranchers because they are great-tasting and I think they look pretty when melted. You can use other hard candies too- I think peppermint roses would be great in the wintertime. Unwrap the jolly ranchers of desired colors and place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. I used a total of about 10 per flower, plus 4 more for the stems. It will vary based on how many petals you put on the flower. Melt them in a 300º oven for a few minutes, around 4-5 or right until they are melted.

Sorry, my pictures are a bit weird because I made three roses and decided to make a fourth after the other three were finished, so the pictures are of different batches.

Step 2: Break and Rearrange

Wait for the candy to cool. After a minute or two you can tell that it is pretty flexible and soft. When the candy is completely hardened, break it into small pieces with your hands. After a bit of experimenting, I have found that a rainbow shape makes for a really pretty rosebud when rolled, so rearrange the shards onto the baking sheet in a rainbow-type shape.

I used two different colors per rose to really get that cool stained-glass look, which I would recommend. Also, remember that the smaller the shards, the more interesting and multicolored the roses will look, and the larger the shards, the easier it is to melt (small pieces tend to melt to quickly and may burn). I went somewhere in the middle so the colors would be interesting but the melting was consistent.

If you have extra shards, be sure to save them for the rose petals.

Step 3: Melt Again and Roll Into Rosebud

Once the candy has been rearranged, slowly place it in the oven, making sure to keep the pieces in place. When you melt the candy this time, you have to be super careful, because if it bakes for too long it will brown and get too bubbly. If this happens, it's not that big of a deal, but it will definitely make it harder to work with and more easily shattered.

Once the shards have melted together, take them out immediately. Wait until they come off of the parchment paper cleanly but are still really flexible. Once they are ready, slowly roll them into a cylinder until they have a sort of rose shape. What I learned to do for the second batch is to pull out the different layers a bit to look more like a blooming rose.

By the way, if the candy ever hardens too quickly, then you can always pop it in the oven for another minute or two, then try again.

Step 4: Use Remaining Shards to Make Petals and Stem

Set the rosebuds aside. Meanwhile, melt the rest of the shards into circles in a petal-like shape. When they are done melting, they should be the same height as the rosebud or a bit shorter. For the stem, line up green jolly rancher shards and melt them into one large rectangular sheet.

When you melt the shards, again, be really careful and pay attention! Especially for the petals, there is a very fine line between burning the shards and melting them. Check on them every minute or so.

Step 5: Add All of the Petals

Once the petals are pliable, tuck them around the rosebud and open them up by folding them backwards a bit. It is a lot easier and self explanatory than I expected! Add them around the rose, then tuck them in any open crevices you see. The more petals you use, the more full (and pretty!) the rose will look. I went kind of crazy and attached the petals randomly all around the rose.

Step 6: Attach Rosebud to Stem

Once the rose is cool, wrap the stem around the bud like shown.

Step 7: Finished!

Yay! Your finished rose! I would love to see your own creations in the comments box, and again, please give me your vote in the edible art contest! :D

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    28 Comments

    0
    1HappyCiCi
    1HappyCiCi

    1 year ago

    I vote for you👍 Excellent idea! Delicate and beautiful 👍

    0
    mfbgood61
    mfbgood61

    2 years ago

    Having some trouble getting a pic of my jolly rancher roses on here.

    16123825167807587449769946326483.jpg
    0
    1HappyCiCi
    1HappyCiCi

    Reply 1 year ago

    Was the candy easy to mold?

    0
    1HappyCiCi
    1HappyCiCi

    1 year ago

    Making sage flower decor for my granddaughters wedding. Can’t wait to try!

    0
    1HappyCiCi
    1HappyCiCi

    1 year ago on Introduction

    Can’t wait to try this! Making sage flowers decor for my granddaughters wedding! Wish me luck👍💖💖

    0
    mfbgood61
    mfbgood61

    2 years ago on Introduction

    I think this method is great. I've been making them by placing them in baggies and then into a pot of boiling water for a few seconds. Working very fast because they harden quickly. But prior to this I was placing into the water without the baggy they dissolved or shrunk. My second time using the baggy seemed to be working but after a day they began to melt dripping and sliding down the lollipop sticks. I thought since they are not getting wet any longer they wouldn't melt but they are. Then I seen your technique and thought this is the way to go. One question did they ever begin to melt? I'm sending a photo of my roses and show them dripping.

    0
    MarkC539
    MarkC539

    Tip 5 years ago on Introduction

    They’re neat they’ve actually been making these in prison for years as a form of income

    0
    piperjon
    piperjon

    7 years ago

    Wow! Just... Wow! I sure hope you are planning to do something professionally with food, you seem to have a conceptual grasp of the art of it, and the patience to experiment. Great job!

    Also, have you thought of trying using a heat gun after pulling them out of the oven, to keep them warmer longer? Most have two settings, high and low, and are not expensive. Bet with a little patience and experimentation you can extend your molding time.

    0
    ashervivi88
    ashervivi88

    Reply 7 years ago

    That's so encouraging to hear! Thank you so much.

    Using a heat gun does seem super cool, and I'm sure it would be really effective, especially at the very end for giving the roses a final touch up. Great idea!

    0
    ashleyjlong
    ashleyjlong

    7 years ago

    Wow! Very cool. How long would you say the entire melting/ sculpting process takes?

    0
    ashervivi88
    ashervivi88

    Reply 7 years ago

    Thank you! If you are really focused and pay attention, one rose really only takes about 20 minutes, but it took me about two hours to make all four of mine. There is a really short window of time to mold the melted jolly ranchers because they harden really quickly, especially the really thin petals. If you don't work quickly and the petals harden, you will have to melt them over and over again, which obviously takes more time.

    0
    giorgia14
    giorgia14

    7 years ago

    Yeah I voted you as well! This is amazing and I could never have thought about it!

    0
    ashervivi88
    ashervivi88

    Reply 7 years ago

    Oh thank you so much! I really appreciate your vote! Your comments make me so happy! :)

    0
    kimsurg
    kimsurg

    7 years ago

    Amazing! and so creative.

    0
    chefstu0u812
    chefstu0u812

    7 years ago on Introduction

    Very nice and simple, Anyone could accomplish this with your instuctions. You have my vote hope U win the knives :)

    0
    ashervivi88
    ashervivi88

    Reply 7 years ago on Introduction

    I really appreciate your vote and comment! Thank you so much! :)

    0
    giorgia14
    giorgia14

    7 years ago on Introduction

    I just fell in love with this..! Thank you for sharing! ^_^

    0
    ashervivi88
    ashervivi88

    Reply 7 years ago on Introduction

    Thanks Giorgia! I'm so happy you like my instructable!