There’s something special about a chocolate lollipop. Fruity hard candies are a dime a dozen at checkout stands; but finding luscious cocoa flavor at the end of that stick is truly a treat, for those who lean toward the chocolatey end of the sweet spectrum! Today, let’s make homemade lollipops bursting with Tangerine, Clementine, and Wild Orange essential oils. Then we’ll wrap them up with the prettiest of bows to bestow as gifts for the sweethearts in our lives. Make a few or make a dozen, it’s up to you! And fortunately for us, this process of creating in the kitchen will require some taste testing along the way. (Yay!) Level your oil amount up or down in this recipe according to taste, and take note of the ratio that makes your finished product ideal for enjoying and gifting.

To create Dark Chocolate Orange Lollipops, you’ll need:

• 2 cups dark melting chocolate

• 6 drops total dōTERRA® Tangerine, Clementine, or Wild Orange, to taste

• lollipop or other candy molds

• lollipop sticks

Melt chocolate pieces in a double boiler, stirring until smooth. Once melted, drop in your essential oils and stir well. Pour quickly into the molds to avoid premature cooling and hardening of the chocolate mixture. Carefully place lollipop sticks into chocolates before setting molds aside to cool. Recipe yield depends on size of mold, so adjust amounts accordingly; the above recipe is designed to make enough to share and give some away as gifts. Note: if you want to get fancy, pipe colored chocolate into the mold before adding chocolate mixture. (Natural options, including food coloring, are increasingly available to the intent seeker.) Make these lollipops as simple or glitzy as you’d like.

Speaking of natural options, I realize that finding health-conscious melting chocolate isn’t as easy as grabbing any bag off the shelf. But with more of these options becoming available, it’s definitely worth a valiant search for ingredients that meet your dietary standards. Treats like these are much more enjoyable when not laden with guilt. One thing you can feel great about is the Tangerine, Clementine, and Wild Orange oils wrapped up in the fabulous vehicle of a chocolate lollipop.

I see a sweet Valentine's Day make-and-take option taking shape, do you? Guests can bring their own variety of candy molds to share, moving among different stations to create varied shape and flavor combinations. White chocolate with Peppermint oil, in the same ratio as the dark chocolate orange recipe, is a tantalizing option for guests who prefer something besides dark chocolate. We’re sure you can come up with some signature combinations of your own! The skilled decorators of the make-and-take bunch can bring their creative wrapping ideas and supplies, such as cellophane candy wrappers, twine, colored ribbons, and gift tags. You’ll want to make these pops as attractive as they are sweet and citrus-kissed as you engage in this great way to share dōTERRA this Valentine’s Day.

The soft, strong feelings that characterize l’amour are a perfect match for the nature of the citrus spectrum of essential oils. And a good homemade chocolate lollipop enhanced with delicious dōTERRA is a sweet way to express love to just about anyone. Happy Valentine’s Day!