Spun Sugar

Spun sugar is a confection most commonly identified as cotton candy. Made by melting sugar and whisking it into thin strands, it is used as a decorative dessert topping, as well as eaten alone.

Fast Facts

1. Made by heating Sugar and pulling it into long threads
2. Often used to decorate Desserts
3. Cotton candy is most common form
4. Called "candy floss" in Britain
5. Believed to have been invented around 1900

Making Spun Sugar

In order to make spun sugar, it is not necessary to have access to a cotton candy machine of the kind seen at carnivals, though the enclosed machines do make the process safer and significantly less messy. Most spun sugar recipes involve heating a concoction of water, sugar and corn syrup to the optimal temperature of 310°, then cooling it rapidly with ice water. The cook then dips the whisk into the mixture and carefully waves it around, catching the strands on a panhandle or other implement. This process can cause severe burns, and should not be attempted with children nearby. -adapted from The Cooking Inn and About.com^{1 2}

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