Spinning sugar…not as easy as I thought

I was inspired by MasterChef Professional (well done Steve Groves, you’re brilliant) to try spin some sugar. Turns out it’s pretty hard. Professionals always make things look easy!

My book told me to dip the pan in water before spinning but it seems to cool the syrup so quickly. Any chefs out there got any tips?

Also, it was pretty challenging to figure out how to avoid getting blobby bits.

The ones below are my favourite. Especially top left and centre, as they are 3d swirls rather than just flat. I did that on the back of a spoon handle. A fat handle of course.

Then I created a monster.

And then a bowl on the back of a ladle.

Which I promptly broke before I could even photograph it. Managed to fake it though.

What I did figure out is that they fingerprint easily so you’ve got to handle them really carefully. That help avoid breakages too as I discovered.

They need to be handled even more gently than someone needing a gentle massage that’s for sure.