Candied strawberries

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups of sugar
• 1/3 cup corn syrup
• 12 large, ripe, but firm strawberries on long stems
• Special equipment: 12 long lollipop sticks

Preparation:

1. Combine sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring once to dissolve the sugar.
2. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and heat the mixture to 150°-155°C. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool for 1 minute.
3. Stir the syrup to even out the temperature at the top and bottom. Dip the strawberries, holding them by the stems and swirling them to coat them evenly. Allow any excess syrup to drip off, shaking as needed.
4. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and let the syrup cool and harden, about 10 minutes.
5. Trim the ends of 12 sticks to the desired length to fit the vase.
6. Carefully pierce each strawberry through the stem and arrange it in a vase like a bouquet. Serve within 2 hours (see note).
   
   Note
   
   Strawberries contain a lot of water, so the berries will begin to soften if left for too long.