How To Make Cotton Candy At Home Without A Machine

Watching the wisps of colored sugar form fluffy cotton candy is a tantalizing introduction to the whimsical texture that melts in your mouth and dyes your tongue various hues of neon. You don't have to wait until the next fair to enjoy cotton candy because you can make it at home without a machine. We have aren't talking about making it from Jolly Ranchers, either. You can make classic cotton candy that's as entertaining to prepare as it is to eat!

While the proportions and blending of ingredients requires precision, the transformation of melted sugars into airy strands is a matter of waving a magic culinary wand. Tn this case, the wand is an old kitchen whisk you don't mind decapitating. Cutting off the rounded tip of a whisk separates the metal wires that you then dip into the mixture of liquified sugar and food coloring. After draining residual drops of syrup the fun begins. You'll need to set up a few flat wooden spatulas to catch the strands of sugar that rain down from the whisk as you make quick waving motions. Wooden spatulas are the landing pads for the sugar strands. As they accumulate into a mass large enough to spin into a ball, you can lightly sweep it onto a baking sheet or into a metal bowl. Then, use a paper straw or pieces of paper you fashion into a cone to spin the cotton candy into its namesake cotton-ball shape.

Perhaps the most finicky part of the cotton candy process is measuring and melting the ingredients. Measurements vary depending on the recipe you consult; some call for four cups of sugar while others call for five cups of sugar per one cup each of corn syrup and water, with a pinch of salt to round it all out. You'll combine these ingredients in a heavy pot over the stove over medium high heat, stirring constantly until the sugar melts. You'll need a candy thermometer like this one to bring the melted sugar mixture to a precise temperature of 320 degrees Fahrenheit before turning off the heat. Immediately pour the sugar into a microwave-safe bowl. Here, you can add flavor and color agents like extracts and drops of food coloring.

For the fluffiest cotton candy, make long and fast waving motions about a foot above the wooden spatula. This technique works while the sugar syrup is still hot, giving you about a 10 minute window before it starts to harden. That said, if you need more time, you can place the bowl of sugar into the microwave for three to five minute increments. If you can't be bothered to make cones out of sheets of paper, you can purchase paper straws or lollipop sticks online, both with equally whimsical colors or candy stripes . For a summertime treat, you can add your cotton candy to lemonade.