Molding your own chocolate Easter lollipops is an easy way to add your own personal, creative touch to your Springtime celebration. It's also a fun family project. Purchase the plastic molds, chocolate, lollipop sticks and clear lollipop bags in craft and kitchen shops, locally or online. Chocolate melts are available in milk chocolate, dark semi-sweet chocolate, white chocolate and in Easter colors like lavender, pink, yellow and other pastels. Making lollipops can be as simple as pouring your favorite color of chocolate into a mold, adding a lollipop stick and letting it set or become a candy artist and use different chocolate colors to "paint" the raised designs in a mold for contrasting bows, hats, flowers, and other details.

Melt the chocolate in a microwave oven or in a double boiler. To melt in a microwave oven, place the chocolate melts, no more than about 6 or 8 ounces at one time in a microwave safe container. A pyrex measuring cup works well for this. You can also buy plastic squeeze bottles for chocolate melting, wherever candy making supplies are sold. Microwave no longer than a minute to start. Stop and stir. Return to the microwave for 15 second intervals just until melted. Be careful not to overheat and scorch chocolate.

Only a very small amount of chocolate colors are usually needed to "paint" contrasting areas of a mold. I use small pyrex dessert cups to melt those colors. Instead of buying many colors, you can also just buy white candy melts and easily tint them any color of the rainbow with special oil-based tints made by Wilton. Do not use regular food coloring to tint chocolate.

To melt the chocolate in a double boiler, place the chocolate melts in the top boiler. Heat water in the bottom boiler, stirring the chocolate frequently. Remove from heat as soon as the chocolate is melted. Be very careful not to get any water in the pan containing the chocolate.

Place the containers of melted chocolate in a shallow pan of very warm water to keep it from hardening. Place the pan of water on a warming tray if you have one. When making solid color chocolate pops, skip the next few steps and continue at the pink bunny pop.

There are several ways to do the "painting". I think the tip of a toothpick works best to dab colored chocolate into the small raised designs of the molds. You can also use a small artists brush, or place the melted chocolate in a pastry bag with a very fine tip.

Let each color dry completely before adding the next to prevent colors from running into each other. You can place the molds in the refrigerator or the freezer for a few minutes to quickly harden the chocolate.

After all the contrasting colors have been added and they are all are completely dry, carefully lift up the molds and look at the front to be sure that everything looks the way you want it. If it does, you're ready to completely fill the molds with the main color of chocolate.

Place the molds on an even surface to fill the mold cavities with melted chocolate. Use a spoon for this step, unless you're using a squeeze bottle. Place the lollipop sticks into position then completely fill the molds to the top of each cavity. Make sure that the sticks are completely covered. Do not overfill. Tap the molds very gently to remove air bubbles.

Place the filled molds in the refrigerator or freezer until the chocolate is set. The amount of time depends on the size of the mold and the thickness of the chocolate.

When the chocolate is hard, remove the lollipops from the mold. The chocolate will easily release from the molds when turned over. Tap lightly if needed.

Wrap the lollipops in saran wrap or clear plastic lollipop bags. Tie ribbon around the bags or wrap at the base of the lollipops.

Wash the plastic candy molds in warm soapy water. DO NOT wash them in a dishwasher.

Recipes for Homemade Chocolate Easter Eggs - Click Here

Chocolate Pro Melting Pot Melt chocolate in minutes with this clever electric pot from Wilton®. The removable non-stick pot has an easy-pour spout and holds up to 2-1/2 cups of melted chocolate. It's great for making chocolate covered candy, snacks and fruit... also for drizzling chocolate over cookies and cakes, or even fondue dipping. It has a stay-cool base with non-skid feet.