Think of the world as a big, glossy lollipop.

If you can make lollipops at home, you rule the planet, right? The ultimate sweet deal.

You can be the king or queen of your kitchen — and the most popular folks in town — by crafting your own glorious candies from such humble ingredients as sugar, cream and corn syrup.

Learn easy-to-make, fabulous-to-behold treats in The Sweet Book of Candy Making (Quarry) by Elizabeth LaBau, a Los Angeles-based pastry chef and confectioner who is the guide to candy at About.com.

LaBau will tempt you with recipes for such classics as English toffee, chocolate truffles  and peanut brittle. Readers will be wowed by how simple many of these delights are to make. And if you goof, she includes troubleshooting tips for such culinary challenges as rescuing ganache.

Already, I am thinking ahead to the holiday and the homemade gifts I can make. Hmm. Sea salt caramels, embellished with chocolate? Red velvet fudge with cream cheese frosting? Or passionfruit marshmallows?

The biggest challenge will be giving away the treats before we fall on them like wolves, howling in a marzipan forest. Teeth bared. Drooling copiously.