Making caramel
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How to make spun sugar
Give your desserts and pastries a professional finish worthy of any restaurant with some elegant spun sugar decorations. While spun sugar looks incredibly intricate, this step-by-step guide will show you that it’s actually really easy to make using your stand mixer.
Setting up
This recipe makes enough spun sugar to serve 6, making 3 large nests or baskets. It takes 35 minutes to make. Here’s what you’ll need:
Ingredients
200g water
250g caster sugar
Oil, for greasing (sunflower works well)
Tools
Cooking Chef XL
Stir tool
The very high temperatures used to produce spun sugar mean you need to use extreme caution when working with hot sugar. It can cause severe burns if it comes into contact with skin, even when the sugar does not appear to be hot. Always handle with care, and ensure that both the sugar and your mixing bowl have cooled completely before cleaning. For this reason, it is not advisable to make this recipe with children.
Ingredients
200g water
250g caster sugar
Oil, for greasing (sunflower works well)
Tools
Cooking Chef XL
Stir tool
The very high temperatures used to produce spun sugar mean you need to use extreme caution when working with hot sugar. It can cause severe burns if it comes into contact with skin, even when the sugar does not appear to be hot. Always handle with care, and ensure that both the sugar and your mixing bowl have cooled completely before cleaning. For this reason, it is not advisable to make this recipe with children.
Mixing the sugar and water
Fit the stir tool to your Cooking Chef XL. Add the caster sugar and water to the bowl and fit the splashguard. Mix on speed 1 for 1 minute.
Heating the mixture
Remove the stir tool. Cook the mixture at 160°C for 2 minutes (speed off). Remove the splashguard and cook at 18°C for 16 minutes (speed off). Leave to cool for 5 minutes.
Spinning the sugar
Grease a large bowl with oil. Dip a fork in the sugar syrup and stir. Remove the fork and hold it 15 cm above the greased bowl. Rapidly flick the fork back and forth over the edges of the bowl to create several glossy strands of spun sugar.
Remember that while the sugar may not appear hot, it will be, and should therefore be handled with extreme caution.
Remember that while the sugar may not appear hot, it will be, and should therefore be handled with extreme caution.
Making shapes
Dip and flick the syrup three more times or until the sugar syrup has run out. When it has set, carefully lift off and shape into balls or nests.
To make baskets, drizzle the syrup in a criss-cross pattern over the back of a greased ladle. Allow to set and then carefully lift off.
Make spun sugar spirals by looping the syrup around a greased spoon handle. Once set, carefully lift off.
To make baskets, drizzle the syrup in a criss-cross pattern over the back of a greased ladle. Allow to set and then carefully lift off.
Make spun sugar spirals by looping the syrup around a greased spoon handle. Once set, carefully lift off.
Gesponnen suiker tips
- Voor de beste resultaten moet gesponnen suiker zo snel mogelijk na het maken ervan worden gebruikt, omdat elk contact met warmte of vocht ervoor zorgt dat hij smelt en zijn vorm begint te verliezen. Het kan korte tijd bewaard worden in een luchtdichte verpakking, maar idealiter maak je het vlak voor het opdienen.
- Omdat gesponnen suiker gevoelig is voor vocht, kun je het beter niet maken als het vochtig is, want dan wordt het snel zacht en slap. Bedek de omgeving waar je werkt met krantenpapier om eventuele kleverige suiker op te vangen.
- Vanwege de ongelooflijk hete temperaturen moeten de suiker en de kom volledig afkoelen voordat je ze schoonmaakt en zorg ervoor dat kinderen uit de buurt van de hete suikersiroop blijven.
