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24 Mar · Sat 2007

Sugar Work | How to Spin Sugar

When it comes to serving dessert, wow your guests with a little spun sugar. Here is another technique for decorating with caramelized sugar. It can get a little messy but it is worth it.

You will need the following equipment:

small stainless steel pot suitable for the amount of sugar you are working with
bowl of ice water that your stainless steel pot can easily fit into
approximately 1 cup of sugar (or more, depending on how much you want to make)
wooden spoon
2 chopsticks
tape
2 forks or a cut wire whisk (see photo below)
sheet pan
1 large piece of parchment

Set up:
1. Overhang each chopstick on the countertop, approximately 6" apart. Secure with tape.
2. Place the sheet pan on top of the chopsticks to weigh them down.
3. Place the large piece of parchment on the floor directly underneath the chopsticks. This catches excess sugar and helps with the clean up.

Prepare the caramelized sugar by following the same instructions posted here: How to Make Dry Caramel. Remember to use caution when working with molten caramel.

When the caramel is cool enough to form a fine thread, hold the forks (backs facing each other) and dip them into the caramel. Alternatively, you can use a cut wire whisk. Using a quick flicking motion with your wrist, drizzle the caramel so it drapes over the two chopsticks. Repeat this step over and over again until the desired amount of caramel has been spun.

Spinning Sugar Video

For those viewing this in readers or email click here if video did not appear.

Once the caramel is spun, it is cool enough to handle. You can pick it up and wrap it gently into a loose ball or shape it as you see fit. In humid conditions, spun sugar can melt easily so use it quickly or store in an airtight container. Once again, be careful and have fun.

For a few additional pictures, click here.

Tagged as: [ basics caramel decorations howto recipes spinning sugar techniques ]

ROUXBE COOKING SCHOOL & COOKING CLASSES

Posted by Kimberley Slobodian on March 24, 2007

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Comments:

Thank you for the video, it was very helpfull, I've red a lot about spin sugar but I've never seen the process itself. Today I'll try to make it, hope I'll manage to have some good results :)

Posted by Seima on January 05, 2008 at 10:57 PM GMT #

Thanks Seima, I'm glad it helped. Good luck and let me know how it goes.

Posted by Kimberley on January 09, 2008 at 06:11 AM GMT #

Thank you for the informative pictures and the video! I watched it many times so i could repeat it myself. I made a smaller station with chopsticks on my kitchen counter and it came out beautifully.
I used them as decoration for these apple tarts i made for a Christmas party and it was a huge hit!
thanks again!

Posted by Tinka on January 14, 2008 at 09:12 AM GMT #

That's fantastic! I'm so glad it helped and that you wowed your guests ;)

I hope to post more pastry stuff this year. Happy New Year!

Posted by Kimberley on January 15, 2008 at 02:43 PM GMT #

thanks again!

Posted by bekah on December 07, 2008 at 04:27 AM GMT #

hi!!!!!!! haveing a bit of trouble trying not to get the caramel not to bitter but apart from that me and my daughter had great fun!

Posted by Norma, from preston on March 26, 2009 at 01:23 AM GMT #

Hi Norma,

Glad to hear you had fun with your daughter :) My advice would be to make a larger amount of caramel. It might be easier to control the temperature so you don't let it go too far / get too dark. You're right, the darker it gets, the more bitter it will become. Make sure to cool it quickly so the temperature doesn't continue to rise. It just takes some practice. Take care! Kimberley

Posted by Kimberley on March 27, 2009 at 11:17 AM GMT #

Thanx you so mutch

My boss asked me to spin suger and i neerly died...
But you helped and now i spin all the time

Posted by Nadine De Jager on May 24, 2009 at 04:50 PM GMT #

Way to go Nadine - that's fantastic! :)

Posted by Kimberley on May 26, 2009 at 11:18 AM GMT #

thank you so much, mum had to make fancie cakes for breast cancer awareness week at her salon Flhair, it was great! x

Posted by Mel on October 14, 2009 at 07:15 PM GMT #

Hi Kimberly - Thank you so much for such an informative post! I will try making my own chocolate and sugar decoration :) I just started reading your blog, very inspiring story! I am also in the process of moving from the corporate into the culinary world. Haven't realized there are so many people on the same boat!

Posted by Sam on June 06, 2010 at 03:00 AM GMT #

Hi Sam,
Good luck with your courses! Happy baking!
Kimberley

Posted by Kimberley on June 07, 2010 at 04:11 AM GMT #

Hi Kimberley I tried spinning sugar before, but the caramel turned too stickey to work with so i only got a very little spin sugar. Can you tell me what went wrong? Thanks!

Posted by Magda Dicks on December 21, 2010 at 05:44 AM GMT #

It sounds like you let the caramel cool too much. You need to move quickly as soon as the caramel reaches the right stage. This is one of those things that takes lots and lots of practice, so don't give up! :)

Posted by Kimberley on January 06, 2011 at 04:49 AM GMT #