Candy Ribbon - sugar

Method

• Before you begin this recipe, please take a class from a professional on working with sugar.
• This is a skill that professional pastry chefs develop after years of experience.
• Working with sugar will burn your fingers so know before you start that your fingers will develop burn blisters.
• Place the sugar, vinegar and water in a saucepan over high heat.
• Insert a candy thermometer and cook until the sugar reaches 320 degrees F. Use a pastry brush to keep the inside of the saucepan clean as the sugar cooks or the sugar may recrystallize.
• To do this, dip a clean brush in cold water and brush the inside of the pan clean.
• Pour the cooked sugar onto 3 or 4 silicone baking mats.
• If you want to color and/or flavor the sugar with food colors and/or flavored oils, this is the time to do so.
• Add a few drops of color to the sugar.
• Mix with a wooden skewer.
• To get started, push the sugar from the sides toward the center.
• This process takes a little while.
• Try to keep the sugar divided by color.
• Use the mat to push the firm sugar around the edges toward the center.
• Use a folding motion to accomplish that task.
• The next step is to pick up the sugar with your hands.
• Place each color under the heat of the sugar lamp.
• Pull the sugar until it becomes glossy and the color is evenly distributed.
• You will need to pull the colors simultaneously.
• Keep them under the sugar lamp but keep an eye on them.
• The lamp can melt the sugar so it is important keep rotating it and folding it onto itself.
• Start with 2 colors.
• I used green (mint) and yellow (lemon).
• Place the sugar pieces side- to-side.
• Pull and lengthen.
• Cut in half.
• Place them side-to-side again.
• Pull to lengthen.
• Cut in half and place them side-to-side.
• Now you have a flat piece of sugar that you are pulling long.
• Cut off the ends, (they are bulky), when the sugar starts to harden.
• Make some waves to create the ribbon.
• Join the 2 edges to make a circular ribbon.
• Voila!
• Beautiful for the holidays.