Cotton Candy Without a Machine with Pink Spun Sugar
By Liam Carter
Prep
10 min
Cook
20 min
Total
30 min
Servings
4
Level
Medium
Make all four cotton candy kits. Sell the finished kits to customers while supplies last. Cotton candy cannot be stored. The finished product is pink cotton candy with strings of cotton candy tied to each stick.
I make candy in a heavy pan with a candy thermometer. I do not stir the syrup after it starts to boil. Drop pink food coloring into the boiling syrup at 280°F (138°C) and do not stir as the bubbles spread the color evenly (food coloring will blend into the syrup without stirring). Remove from heat at 300°F (150°C), hard-crack stage, to make threadlike candy.
After taking the pan off the heat, wait about 30 seconds for the mixture to settle, then curl the whisk over the skewer and allow some syrup to drain into the pan for a second or two. Shake the whisk from side to side about 12 inches above the skewer. Some syrup may drip onto the parchment paper. It's not a problem.
Dry weather is best for working with spun sugar. Spun sugar will melt rapidly in high humidity. Prepare other items ahead of time to avoid working with spun sugar while it is still in the pan. Spun sugar can be eaten by itself. Spun pink sugar can be served with unbaked banana pudding. Loose strands of spun sugar can be served with ambrosia fruit salad.
What makes this special
- One batch of syrup makes enough batter for four hand-held donuts. Adding sticks before cooking can help the donut rotate while cooking.
- Each serving is wrapped directly around a wooden skewer so that you don't have to divide servings from a big pile of sugar.
- The entire package can be served as part of a dessert course, and individual pieces can be served with other desserts.
- No machines are needed. Materials and tools needed include a cut-loop whisk, wooden skewers, parchment paper, and a candy thermometer.
- Pink food additive is added at 280 degrees Fahrenheit to create the pink color used in fair foods.
Ingredients
- •1 cup granulated white sugar (200 g)
- •½ cup water (120 ml)
- •⅓ cup light corn syrup (80 ml)
- •2 drops pink food coloring (2-3 drops)
- •⅛ tsp salt (tiny pinch, approx. 1/8 tsp)
Instructions
- 1
Cover your work surface with two large sheets of parchment paper. If using a skewer rack, rest a wooden skewer across two heavy objects such as jars or cans.
- 2
Combine the granulated sugar, water, light corn syrup, and salt in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
- 3
Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves completely and the liquid is clear.
- 4
Stop stirring when the syrup begins to boil, then attach a candy thermometer. At 280°F (138°C), add 2-3 drops of pink food coloring without stirring. Continue cooking until the syrup reaches exactly 300°F (150°C).
- 5
Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the syrup stand for about 30 seconds, until the bubbles subside.
- 6
Dip a modified wire whisk with cut loop ends into the syrup and let the excess drip off for a second. Hold a wooden skewer over the parchment and flick the whisk back and forth about 12 inches above it.
- 7
Keep dipping and flicking as the threads collect, then gently rotate the skewer to gather the spun sugar into a bundle.
- 8
If the syrup becomes too thick to spin or hardens in the pan, warm it gently over low flame for a minute until it loosens again.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
195
Reviews
Pin this recipe
Tap an image to save it to Pinterest.
