Hot Air Balloon Pops

I made these little gems for a three-year-old's birthday party - a three-year-old who loves balloons. I wrapped them individually, tied them with curling ribbon, and they were handed out as favors for the young guests.

Here's how to make them...

First, make the brownie balls as instructed here, chill them thoroughly and gather your supplies:

lollipop sticks, I use 6" sticks

small-sized tootsie rolls

yellow, blue and red candy melts

styrofoam block for holding the pops while drying

2-cup glass liquid measuring cup for melting candy melts

I molded a small piece of tootsie roll to build up the bottom of the brownie balls. I wanted a shape that was tapered at the bottom. I could have shaped the brownies in the balloon shape, but I chose to make the round balls (it's quicker) and then add the tootsie roll bottom. I used a pointed-end skewer to make a hole in the tootsie roll after I shaped it, and also to make a hole in one end of the brownie ball. Then line up the holes you make in the tootsie roll and brownie ball, dip the lollipop stick in some melted yellow candy melts, and insert the lollipop stick. Set this aside to dry as shown below.

After the stick has had time to set, dip the entire shape into the yellow candy melts, gently tap and twirl the balloon on the side of the bowl of candy melts to remove the excess coating and then set the stick in the styrofoam to dry while you work on the others.

After the yellow has dried, dip the balloon into the blue melted candy in the same manner only partway, so that the blue covers the top two-thirds of the balloon. When the blue is dry, dip the tip of the balloon in the red so that it covers only the top one-third of the balloon and allow that to dry.

Now you can make the basket and strings, all from a tootsie roll. You'll need one tootsie roll for every two balloons.

To make the basket and strings:

1. Unwrap the tootsie roll and cut it in half lengthwise with a small sharp knife. The knife will get sticky, so you may have to wash it or wipe it off between cuts.

2. Cut a small portion, lengthwise from one end of the half tootsie roll.

3. Take the larger piece and carefully wrap it around the stick a little bit below the balloon, and without changing it's shape too much, pinch the ends together. In the picture this is shown without the stick, but you'll want to do this right on your sticks with the finished balloons on them.

4. Cut the remaining small piece of tootsie roll in half and roll each of those pieces into a tiny snake. Each of the snakes can then be cut in half to make 4 strings.

5. Dip the very end of each string into the melted yellow candy and attach that end to the bottom of the balloon. The other end of the string can be molded right to the basket. With some gentle pushing, the bottom of the tootsie roll string should stick to the tootsie roll basket.

6. Using the small knife, make cross-hatch marks in the basket.