SUGAR GLASS
250g granulated sugars
130 ml water
130ml liquid glucose (liquid glucose can be bought from large supermarkets)
Enough drops of food colouring to your liking
Few drops of vanilla
Line a couple of baking trays with baking parchment. Have handy a jug, a cup of cold water with a spoon in and a cup of cold water with a pastry brush in.
Put the sugar into the heavy-based pan together with the water and golden syrup or liquid glucose over a medium heat. Swirl the mixture a little rather than stir it, otherwise the glucose can stick to the spoon. Once the sugar has dissolved, turn up the heat and let it boil away. If there is any sugar stuck to the side of the pan, brush it off with the wet pastry brush.
The sugar needs to be cooked for about 10–15 minutes, but check it every 5 minutes to see if it is ready. To check, take the teaspoon from the cup and dip it into the mixture, carefully scooping out some mixture, then put the spoon back into the cup and leave it there for a minute or so to cool down. Pick up the spoon and feel the sugar mixture on the end of the spoon. If it has disappeared, that shows that the mixture is in the very early stages of cooking. Let it boil again and test it using the same method; if the mixture is soft and a bit squidgy, it is still not ready. It will go through various stages until the hard crack stage – the sugar mixture will be rock hard on the end of the spoon when a bit is scooped out and plunged into the water and left there for a minute or two. The mixture in the pan will also start to go a very lightish brown colour.
Once the mixture reaches this stage, turn off the heat and add the colouring and flavouring. Stir as little as you can so it is just combined and then extremely carefully pour the sugar into the jug. Use oven gloves when handling the pan, as hot sugar can spit and burn you. Leave to cool for a minute or so, then drizzle a long band of graffiti squiggle shapes on the baking parchment. Use a hairdryer to keep the sugar syrup pliable if necessary. set the jug down and wait a few moments for the sugar to harden a little.
Recipe placed by Sonika Doogan
