You don't have to be in a band to enjoy Claud's "Sweet Licks." All you need is a little imagination and a hot sugar mixture.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint oil, cinnamon oil, hot chili oil or your favorite oil
• 1/2 teaspoon food coloring of choice (optional)

Directions:

1. Wash, dry and grease some lollipop molds or butter a baking sheet.

2. Combine the sugar, corn syrup, boiling water, and salt in a medium saucepan.

3. Place over medium-high heat and stir until sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a boil.

4. Attach a candy thermometer to the pan and continue cooking without stirring until the mixture reaches 300°F. (hard crack stage)

5. Remove from heat and stir in the flavoring and the food color.

6. Allow to cool 30 seconds to 1 minute before spooning into sucker molds and pushing in the sticks. If you don't have molds, spoon onto skewers or sucker sticks laid 4 or 5 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet.

7. Allow to cool 30-45 minutes; wrap individually when hardened.