In this article, you will read about some really amazing spun and pulled sugar recipes. You will also learn how to prepare candies, leaves, birds and other tasty things from pulled sugar to decorate your delicious cakes.

SPUN SUGAR

One piece of equipment you must have in order to make spun sugar properly is a "shaker." This shaker is a four inch square of wood, one inch thick. Fifty 3-inch nails are driven through the wood 1/2 inch apart.

SPUN  SUGAR RECIPE

2 lbs. granulated sugar

1. lb. corn syrup
2. 1   pint water

METHOD

Mix together well. Cook to 290°. While cooking, the sides of the pan should be washed down at least 2 times using hot water and a brush. This eliminates the crystals that form on the side of the pan. Remove from heat and add coloring.

To spin the sugar, two long sticks are placed on a table about 11/2 feet apart, extending over the table as illustrated. Stand on a chair to be at a proper height to spin the sugar. Hold pan in the left hand.

Dip the shaker down into the candy, lift it up, and let it drain off slightly. Lift the sugar above the sticks and shake back and forth vigorously with a series of long movements. The sugar will fall in fine strands over the sticks. Continue until you have the amount shown in the illustration.

The sugar is then lifted off and placed on a table. Continue until all the cooked sugar is used up. After completing the spun sugar, it may be put in a large air-tight can covered with paper and tightly sealed with a lid. In cool dry weather it will last indefinitely. One use of spun sugar is the Spun Sugar Nest. These are made by taking a small amount of spun sugar working directly on a table with both hands. The spun sugar is shaped to simulate a nest. These may be used as ice cream dishes. A dipper of ice cream is placed in the center, with a little whipped cream and a cherry to top it off. DO NOT pour sauce on as it will melt your spun sugar. Make up this dessert just before serving because melting ice cream will also damage your spun sugar. A large nest is made in the same manner and may be tied with a pulled sugar ribbon and bow. This nest may be used as a centerpiece, to hold mint patties, or chocolates, etc. Another use of spun sugar is to place it around the base of wedding cakes.

PULLED SUGAR EQUIPMENT

A small brass screen with a 40 to 60 gauge mesh is used to lay the candy on while working pulled sugar. The electric heater is a standard home heater with the protective guard removed from the front. The heater is used to keep the batch of candy soft and pliable. The small leaf mold shown on the next page is made of lead. Once a leaf is pulled out it is pressed into the mold producing the veins and indentations of a leaf. We use a scissors to cut the pulled sugar ribbons, bows, etc.

A canvas strip approximately 3 feet long and 14 inches wide is used to stretch out ribbons and bows. A marble slab is used for pouring batches of candy on. Although marble is the ideal surface for pulled sugar work, you may use porcelain, a large cookie sheet or Formica. A surface about one foot wide and two feet long is needed for the amount of candy given in the following recipe.

PULLED SUGAR RECIPE

Here is a pulled sugar recipe:

3/4 cup water

3 cups granulated sugar

4 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Bring water to a boil, add dry ingredients and mix well. Cook quickly to 312° washing batch down with a brush and warm water three times while cooking to eliminate crystals on side of pan. Do not stir while cooking.

Remove from heat and pour on greased marble slab. If you use porcelain, Formica or large cookie sheet instead of marble, be sure to follow the steps outlined here:

When the batch reaches 312° remove from heat and place pan in cold water for two minutes. Stir constantly to keep the candy from hardening on the sides of the pan. Pour candy on surface heavily greased with lard. As the edges of the batch cool, lift them toward the center of the mass using a metal scraper or spatula knife. Continue turning the edges of the batch inward and work the candy to another area of the surface in order to prevent sticking and to hasten cooling.

PULLING CANDY

When the sugar is cool enough to handle, roll it into a ball and pull. Each piece should be pulled about 20 times. The sugar will soon take on a sheen and become whiter and whiter. If colored candy is desired, a small portion of paste color may be folded in before the batch is pulled. Do not grease your hands before making something from pulled sugar.

WORKING THE BATCH ON THE SCREEN

The batch is divided into two portions and is placed on the screen directly before the electric heater. The candy must be kept at a workable consistency. While working with one portion, keep the other portion of candy warm and pliable in front of the heater. If the candy you are working with becomes too stiff, switch to the warm piece.

As we progress from a leaf to a little wild flower, yellow jonquil, sweet pea, calla lily, orchid and a rose, you will notice that all the petals are pulled from the candy in the same manner. They all start by looking like a leaf. Then by using your thumb and fingers and shaping the leaf and pulling slightly all the different petals are made. It is very important that you learn to make a leaf properly. Once leaf-making is mastered the rest of the flowers can be made without too much difficulty.

Make sure you keep the candy soft enough to work with. This is why we divide our batches into 3 parts. While you are working with one piece and it tends to get hard, the other two pieces are warmed directly in front of the heater. While working with the candy, continue moving the pieces around to maintain as even a temperature as possible through the candy. That's how you should work with the pulled sugar to make the good candy.

LEAVES

To make a pulled sugar leaf the candy is first stretched out or thinned down. This is done by stretching with both hands. The left thumb is placed in the stretched candy and pulled out. After pulling the leaf out with the thumb as illustrated, cut the leaf at an angle with a pair of scissors. The leaf is then pressed on a mold giving a veined and realistic look.

LEAVES

llustrated are four types of pulled sugar leaves: the first is a plain leaf; the second is three leaves placed together on a stem; the third is a large oak leaf. To obtain the uneven effect on the sides, the leaf is pulled out slightly with the fingers. The same is true of the last and smaller leaf.

WILD FLOWER

Any bright colors may be used. The center is a small ball. In making the individual petal as in Step I, the candy is stretched thin. The left thumb is inserted in the candy and pulled out. Notice the petal resembles a small leaf. The petal is either cut off or snapped off. We use the method of snapping to save time. To do this pull the petal out and squeeze the end together between the thumb and forefinger. Turn the hand and pull away from the batch thus snapping the petal off to a point. When the six small petals are made they are stuck to the center by taking each petal and touching it to the heater coil and then touching it to the center. The six pulled sugar petals are put on as illustrated, finishing your first simple flower.

SWEET PEA

The sweet pea is made up of 3 pulled sugar petals. Each petal simulates a small leaf and is slightly curved to the shape of the thumb. The petals are pulled out and placed back-to-back. Then a green leaf is put on the base of the 3 petals completing the sweet pea.

YELLOW JONQUIL

The center is made by pulling out a strip of candy 2 inches long and 1 inch wide. One side of this strip is ruffled up using the thumb and forefinger. After the ruffle is made the strip is formed into a cone. The six petals that make up the yellow jonquil are pulled out much like the wild flower and are made longer. Each petal should have a slight point. This is made after the petal is pulled out. Using the thumb and forefinger pinch the tip of the petal and pull slightly to a point. Upon completing the six pulled sugar petals, they are stuck on as described under Wild Flowers.

CALLA LILY

The Calla lily is made of white pulled sugar. The first step is to make a large leaf about 3 inches long and 21/2 inches wide as illustrated in Step 1. To form the calla lily, the right forefinger is placed down in the corner of the large leaf. Step 2: The right side of the leaf is wrapped around the finger and slightly turned back. A long green stem and two narrow leaves are then put on. The stamen is made by pulling out a narrow piece of candy, moistening it and rolling it in yellow sugar. Touch the end of the stamen to the heater coil and place in the calla lily.

PULLED SUGAR BIRD

A length of candy 11/2 inches long, 1/2 inch in diameter is cut off at an angle while still warm. The cutoff part is squeezed down to form the bill as illustrated. A long narrow leaf is then pulled out and while still soft is stuck to the lower portion of the head that forms the neck.  Another long, wing shaped leaf is pulled out and placed on the opposite side. Thus the body is formed. Two more of these long leaf shaped wings are pulled out and put on in the same manner at a slight angle. This completes the pulled sugar bird.

THE EASTER LILY

This flower is made of white pulled sugar. Each petal is much like a leaf. After the petal is pulled out, the round portion of the petal is pinched and pulled slightly to give it a pointed edge. The second petal is pulled out and immediately stuck to the first petal at a slight angle. This procedure is followed until 6 petals are assembled as illustrated. If you work quickly the candy should remain soft. The petals are then put together forming a cup. Should the petals become hard, put them in front of the heater until they have softened. Then fold them over and form the cup. Hold this cup at the base and pull the ends of each petal slightly forming the Easter Lily. Three yellow stamens of pulled sugar are then placed in the flower. This flower is a little difficult to make because it must be formed after the petals are completed.

THE POINSETTIA

The poinsettia is made in bright red with a deep yellow center. A small dab of candy is first pulled out of the batch. The petals of the poinsettia are long narrow leaves. After each petal is pulled out it is squeezed slightly and curved. Six petals are used around the base and three around the upper portion. These were stuck on after hardening. Three tiny yellow bell shapes were pulled out of the bright yellow sugar and placed in the center completing the poinsettia.

THE AMERICAN  BEAUTY ROSE

The American Beauty is made with a deep red tint. After stretching the candy to thin it down, put your left thumb in and pull down and out. This tends to wrap or curve the sugar around your thumb. Cut petal off or snap it off. Then at the top, with both thumbs and both forefingers, roll the two sides of the petal back slightly. This forms a true rose petal. Four more petals are made in this manner and stuck together as each petal is formed. They should form a half circle. The petals are then put together as shown in the next step forming the center of the rose.

The bud is formed by pulling out a petal and wrapping it around the thumb and then rolling it slightly. Another small petal is pulled out and wrapped around the first petal. Three more petals are pulled out much like the rose petal except the tips are not rolled back. Six more individual petals are then pulled out. These are worked around the outside of the rose to put the rose together. The finished rosebud is touched to the heater coil and stuck down into the center of the four petals already put together. The three narrow petals are then heated in the same manner and placed around the bud forming the inside of the rose. The six individual petals that are not illustrated are fastened to the bottom of this by touching them to the heater coil briefly and placing the petal directly under the center. Your American Beauty Rose is now formed. A long green stem and bud are used to give a life-like effect.

THE ORCHID

The top row illustrates the center portion of the orchid. First, a large leaf like petal is pulled out much like the calla lily. The outside of this leaf is ruffled       slightly. This large ruffled leaf is rolled into a cup shape by placing the right index finger at the point of the leaf and by rolling the candy around it forming the center. The three narrow leaves or petals of the orchid are pulled out in the same manner as the poinsettia. The two larger orchid petals next to them are  pulled out and the edges ruffled slightly with the thumb and index finger. The six sections of the orchid are fastened together by heating each individual petal and sticking it to a base, completing the orchid as illustrated. All of these petals should be curved slightly. This is done while the petal is still somewhat soft, This pulled sugar orchid is made in purple and white with a long green stem.

PULLING SUGAR RIBBONS AND BOWS

After working with pulled sugar, you can understand flower making is time consuming. Therefore, when decorating a cake completely in pulled sugar it is to your advantage to cover most of the cake with ribbons and bows. This can be done quickly and still give the cake a decorative appearance.

There are two types of ribbon that we use on the cake: The solid color ribbon, and the striped ribbon. In decorating a cake, the ribbons and bows are made first because the ribbon candy must be soft and pliable to be handled properly. To keep the candy from sticking, the ribbons are pulled or stretched on a heavy piece of canvas. Pulling ribbons takes practice. You'll encounter most of your difficulties with the candy hardening before you finish pulling the ribbon. Learn to work quickly. The finer the ribbon, the higher the gloss obtained.

A piece of candy about 7 inches long and 2 inches wide is cut from the batch. It is placed on the canvas and stretched out to about twice its length. The ribbon candy is folded over side by side, doubling the width. Then stretch and fold over again. This procedure is repeated 3 or 4 times, working very quickly, until a thin shiny length of ribbon is obtained. The ribbon should be 3 feet long. Cut into 6 inch pieces and fold over making up the bows.

Picture above illustrates the bows being pulled. In the foreground are the cut pieces and also the folded ribbons. This same procedure of pulling the ribbon out is used for making the bands that encircle the cake tiers. These bands are made to the desired width and cut off with a scissors. The ribbon is lifted while still soft and put around the cake.

CONSTRUCTING A BOW

After the large band of ribbon is placed on a cake a thin circle of ribbon candy 3 inches in diameter is fastened on. Each section of bow that has already been made up is touched to the heater coil and attractively placed on the circular base. Five or six are used for the outside and four for the inside. This completes the bow.

RIBBON STRIPING

To demonstrate this ribbon striping we used red and white ribbon pulled sugar candy. A strip of red candy six inches by two and a half inches was taken from the batch. Then a strip of white candy six inches by one inch was placed next to it. Because the two are warm, they will stick together. The candy is then pulled out to twice the normal size and cut in half. The white sides are placed together as shown. The white strip is then in the middle. This piece of candy is again pulled to twice its length and cut in half. This time the red sides are placed together. Now you have two red stripes. The candy is again pulled out and cut in half. Again the halves are placed side by side giving four narrow stripes. Stretch the candy again, cut in five inch lengths and fold as illustrated.

EASTER LILY SPRAY

The Easter Lily Spray is made like the other cake top layouts. A long narrow leaf is used with the Easter Lily. The flowers are placed side by side giving this cake top a natural look.

JONQUIL SPRAY

This 12 inch cake top was first bordered in tube work. Four green stems were pulled out of the pulled sugar and placed on the cake as illustrated. After the yellow jonquils were made up, they were heated on the under side and placed in position on the stems. Two love birds were then added.

SWEET PEA CLUSTER

For this cake top four clusters of sweet peas were used. Before the clusters are put on, leaves are worked in. The sweet peas are slightly heated and then put on the leaves in clusters.

POINSETTIA CAKE

The poinsettia spray is made by pulling out three long green stems and cutting them off. The underside of the poinsetta is heated and fastened to the stem. Five long, narrow green leaves are then pulled out and placed on the stems.

ROSE CAKE

One long stemmed American Beauty Rose with buds and leaves complete this cake top. The border of this cake top is made by pulling two long pieces of candy out and rolling them together on a canvas.

ROSE SPRAY

For this floral layout four long stems were pulled out and cut to the desired length. While still soft the stems were placed in position. One large rose at the base and four small roses make up this floral piece. The roses, buds, and leaves were made up in advance and stuck to the cake top. An inscription may be written in the same manner as on a tube decorated cake.

CANDY CANES

To prepare these delightful decorations, pull a piece of candy 3 ft. long and about 1/4 inch in diameter from each of two batches of contrasting colors. The two candy strips are then placed side by side on the canvas. Hold one end fast and roll the other end in an arc to create a rope effect with the two colored strips. This length of candy is then cut into desired lengths for the candy canes. The rope of colored candy may also be used as a cake border as shown here.

CRYSTAL BASKET

For the Crystal Basket we use the same recipe as for Pulled Sugar Work. Coloring is put in before the batch is poured on the marble slab. The crystal look is obtained by leaving the sugar in. its natural state (by not pulling sugar). A piece of sugar candy weighing about 1 lb. is rolled with a rolling pin to form a circle of 8 inches in diameter. While the candy is still  soft,  the criss-cross  indentations are added by pressing with the blade of a knife. The edges are then fluted up as you would the edges of a pie. For the handle of the basket, a heavy clothes hanger was straightened out and clipped off at a 2 foot length. Then we bend the wire to the desired curve and run it through soft sugar candy. Two pieces of soft candy were stuck at the base of the wire and then touched to the electric heater. The wire is then placed in posi-tion on the basket. The ribbon is then pulled out in delicate pink and wrapped around the handle.  The bow is made up ahead of time on a piece of sugar candy. After hardening, it is fastened to the top of the basket as illustrated.

OPEN SWAN

To be used as a centerpiece for weddings or showers. The pulled sugar swan is made up of four sections. The neck is pulled out of a piece of candy to about 12 inches long and then cut off at a 45° angle. Using your fingers and thumb, the head is formed from this 45° cutoff. The long piece of candy is shaped in a question mark as illustrated. The two wings are 9 inches long and 4 inches wide at the longest points. These are rolled out of sugar and cut to form this leaf. Before hardening they are shaped into a curved effect. The base is slightly smaller than the wings and is turned up at the end. After the four sections are hardened the neck is stuck to the base. The two wings are stuck to the neck. Feathers are placed on beginning at the back of the wing and working forward. They resemble long fine leaves. A dainty pink bow with streamers was tied around the neck of the swan. Pastel pink roses were worked around the base. This pulled sugar swan has an open back.

Are You Ready To Move Onto The Next Lesson? Click Here