Dragon's Beard Candy
Dragon's Beard Candy, also known as Chinese cotton candy, is a traditional Chinese sweet that dates back hundreds of years. It is sweet and slightly chewy, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Equipment
- Kitchen scale
- saucepan
- candy thermometer
- Nonstick silicone pastry mat
- Large baking sheet
- Non-stick food handling gloves
Ingredients
- 280 g granulated sugar (1 cup + 3 tbsps)
- 150 g water (½ cup + 2 tbsps)
- 15 g white vinegar (1 tbsp)
- 45 g corn syrup (2½ tbsps)
- 2 cups cornstarch
Instructions
- In a saucepan, mix sugar, water, corn syrup, and white vinegar. Heat over medium-high heat until the mixture vigorously bubbles. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Insert a candy thermometer into the saucepan and continue boiling until the temperature reaches Hard Ball Stage (250°F to 265°F or 121°C to 130°C).
- The sugar mixture will require 20 to 30 minutes to achieve the desired consistency. In the meantime, you can prepare the cornstarch: Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F. Spread 2 cups of cornstarch evenly on a large baking sheet. Bake the cornstarch at 150°C/300°F for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn off the oven without opening the door and allow the baking sheet to stay inside to remain warm.
- Place a nonstick silicone pastry mat on the countertop, then pour the hot syrup onto it carefully. Allow it to cool for 3 to 5 minutes, until you can gently touch the surface with your fingertip without it sticking.
- As the candy dough cools, take the baked cornstarch from the oven. Place it on your countertop for convenient access later.
- Work quickly while the dough is warm, as it will firm up once it cools down. Roll the candy dough into a log from one end to the other. Divide the dough evenly into two portions. If the dough feels too hot to handle, consider wearing a pair of nonstick food handling gloves.
- Stretch, twist, and fold the candy dough for a couple of times. This method enhances the dough's elasticity, reducing the likelihood of it breaking apart when pulled later on. After the final stretch, join the two ends of the candy dough together to form a bracelet-like circle.
- Place the circular candy dough on the baking sheet and dust it with cornstarch. Gently stretch the dough to form a larger circle, reaching approximately 10 inches in diameter. Twist one side of the dough to form a figure "8" shape, fold the two circles together.
- Continue the process of stretching, forming figure-eights, and folding the dough. Remember to consistently dust cornstarch over the dough to prevent the candy threads from sticking to each other. Repeat these steps 10 to 13 times or until the candy threads achieve your desired thinness. (*If some candy threads break during the process, don't worry or give up. Simply remove the broken or thick threads and continue pulling the rest of the dough.)