Spun sugar baskets: Recipe

Delicately intricate these baskets are fun and so enjoyable to make but be careful this sugar is very very hot. Make sure there are no children around and that you have covered your work surfaces with old newspapers or parchment paper to avoid unnecessary cleaning.

Spun sugar baskets: Recipe

Ingredients:

100ml cold water
500g caster sugar
1 Tbsp glucose syrup (optional – it will help prevent your sugar crystallizing)

Tools required:

Sugar thermometer (useful but you can do without)
Saucepan
Pastry brush
Ladle

Method:

1. To help prevent unnecessary clean up, cover your counter tops with baking paper.

2. Get an ice water bath ready so that you can plunge your saucepan into it when necessary and grease a ladle or bowl onto which you will spin your sugar.

3. Put all of your ingredients into a heavy-based saucepan, over a low heat. Keep a low heat until the sugar has completely dissolved. Don’t stir or shake the pan at this stage as you’ll get sugar crystals forming around the edge of the solution. If this happens, brush down the sides with a pastry brush dipped in cold water.

4. Once the sugar has completely dissolved, increase the heat to maximum and boil vigorously until the syrup turns a light golden colour or when it reaches 185°C on a sugar thermometer.

5. Briefly and gently, plunge the base of the saucepan into a bowl of iced water, stirring with a metal dessert spoon in order to prevent the caramel from over-cooking or burning.

6. Using a fork, drizzle the caramel in a thin stream over the ladle. Hold the ladle at the top of the handle and beware of sugar dropping onto your arm or hand. If the caramel starts to harden, place
over a low heat to melt.

 7. Allow the sugar basket to cool slightly before gently twisting off.

FILL THE BASKETS UP WITH WHIPPED CREAM TOPPED UP WITH SOFT FRUITS.  mine is accompanying a Strawberry jelly cheesecake

                                                         ENJOY