Cotton Candy

20207 Views 18 Replies 9 Participants Last post by Maverick21321, 17 d ago

greasechef

Discussion Starter · May 30, 2006

I was thinking about things that have never been done with food earlier this week. One thought was the idea of using a cotton candy machine to make garnishes of one sort or another.

A friend of mine has a maple sugar kitchen where he ONLY works with maple syrup, one of his good sellers is a Maple cotton Candy. It is good, not like the pink and blue stuff from the fair. He uses a 4 to one ratio of white sugar and maple sugar.

That said, he won't let me dump wasabi into his cotton candy machine. Has anyone here ever done anything with a cotton candy machine? I'd bet that honey would do well if reduced and blended with white sugar. A little habenero goes a long way, as would lemon extract. Anyone ever used sugar that had been flavored by a vanilla bean?

Anyone have access to a cotton candy maker? Could be fun to try a few new flavors.

1 - 19 of 19 Posts

crazytatt

· #2 · May 30, 2006

I know that Hamaro Kanto, of MOTO in Chicago, has done fun and unusuall things with cotton candy(as with all foods). He is like the knig of food hackers,IMO.

All I know is that everything going in needs to be granular, and able to melt. In theroy, if you can treat it like pulled sugar, it could be spun in a c.c.machine. I like the whole maple cotton candy idea. As far as a garnishing application, hit it with a little chipoltle powder, and put on top of some maple glazed, cedar planked salmon? I am intrigued by this cotton candy thing...

greasechef

Discussion Starter · #3 · May 30, 2006

I was thinking about a final and last second addition to a hot and sour soup.

Or, unsweetened chocolate spun sugar sushi with something orange like salmon inside.

panini

· #4 · May 30, 2006

Does it have to be granulated.I'm thinking not. A sacrometer is all you should need. You should be able to spin everything from lemon to balsamic vinegar.I have spun balsamic to go over ice cream before.

ducky

· #5 · May 30, 2006

If your friend won't let you use his cotton candy machine, go get a cheapo small one off of e-bay for experimenting. That way you can test small batches and if you find something that won't come out of your machine and flavors everything after, for $5 to $10, just toss it or use it exclusively for that flavor.

momoreg

· #6 · May 31, 2006

Cool ideas! I've rented cotton candy machines from a party rental place, but I'm sure they would be upset if I'd thrown wasabi in there!!

greasechef

Discussion Starter · #7 · May 31, 2006

The cheapest small machine that I could find on eBay was $35 + $15 shipping, so fifty bucks. Worth the expense to try odd flavoured Cotton Candy.

Here's the short list of what I want to make...

Wasabi
Habanero
Coffee
Honey
Blueberry (With real blueberry)
Pineapple
Caramel
Chocolate

If it works, and anyone is interested, I'll make a sample pack and sell it near cost.

Any other flavour ideas?

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greasechef

Discussion Starter · #8 · May 31, 2006

http://www.jedsmaple.com/

Steve, owner of Jed's, lives just down the road from me. If you try his Maple C.C., let him know that you heard about him from me. He may throw an extra nugget of something in the box for you.

CrazyTat, I might be able to get some for you for nothing if you let me know how it works with the chipotle. :lips:

crazytatt

· #9 · May 31, 2006

Is a sacrometer the same as a hydrometer?

panini

· #10 · May 31, 2006

Oh man, please don't get me to BSing

.
I think a sacrometor is a type of hydrometer used to measure the density of sugar. I think there are many types of hydrometers used to measure density. Maybe someone can expound. I think the ones I have measure to the baum scale, I don't know if this scale is used for other applications, I assume it would be the guide for all.
pan

greasechef

Discussion Starter · #11 · May 31, 2006

http://www.beer-wine.com/category_pa...13&sectionID=1

According to the top item on the list, it's the same thing.

I was told that there could be no liquid with the granulated sugar going into a cotton candy machine. That said, I am not sure what use a hydrometer would be... They don't work if you rest them on top of a pile of sugar and habaneros.

ducky

· #12 · Jun 2, 2006

There were a ton of cheap ones when I looked a couple weeks ago. I should have grabbed one then. I'll keep an eye out. I was wondering about adding habaneros. I was wondering last night if there is a way to dry them and grind them to powder? Some of those freeze dried berries might be fun to play with as well. At our Taste of the Nation event here in Portland awhile back, one of the restaurants had savory cotton candy listed as one of their menu items but what they ended up serving was plain cotton candy. I've been intrigued since. How would you make savory cotton candy? Interesting to see that others are playing with it too. Maybe I'm not such a freak after all. Or just in good company maybe.

m brown

· #13 · Jun 3, 2006

granulated sugars and any kind of powder flavor or color added=
Have fun.
I have made tuile cookies with mushroom powder for a posh and very swell app,
why not funky cotton candy?!

You may want several different machines to work each individual flavor.

:bounce:

try kbtoys.com for the cheapo kiddy cc maker.

shroomgirl

· #14 · Jun 4, 2006

powdered flavors...so would cocoa work?
I bought a kid's cotton candy machine last Nov and it's been sitting in it's box waiting......

Shroom hunters generally eschew shroom desserts, except for candy caps which have a maple flavor, a large majority of my shroomy friends would prefer not to have fungus in our sweets. Aps yes.

Mini Bar in DC had a cube of foie rolled in almonds then wrapped in vanilla bean cotton candy. It was fun~ good. They served it skewered.

greasechef

Discussion Starter · #15 · Jun 4, 2006

Foie, as in liver?

Mmmmm, liver wrapped in almods, vanilla and spun sugar.

Excuse me while I hurl!

shroomgirl

· #16 · Jun 4, 2006

ok GC....foie is typically served either searred
or cold poached.....so a 1" square of cold poached foie rolled in chopped toasted almonds then a vanilla bean cotton candy layer.

If you like cold poached foie there's nothing offensive about the dish from Mini Bar. But hurl if you must.

greasechef

Discussion Starter · #17 · Jun 4, 2006

Thanks, I'll stick with the Carrot cake newburg...

rat

· #18 · Jun 21, 2006

Ok let me set you straight. The sugar going into the cc machine must be granular and dry. you can use flavored powders but they must be POWDERS or they will clog up the wheel in the machine. Isomalt will also work but it must be ground first. Otherwise sprinkle the flavor over the candy when you are done spinning it. for other flavors you have to make a reduction of some sort, add that to the sugar and let it dry, then sift and spin it. We do this all the time at work with red wine reductions, basalmic vinegar, herb infused sugars etc. It is a novelty to say the least and it will quickly wear off. I think the last time we dusted off the machine it was to make a high heel shoe dessert consisting of a ganache filled stiletto cone for the heel, a tuile shoe part, honeysuckle sorbet in the toe area and pink peppercorn cotton candy hiding it.
It was reminescent of the old hollywood foofy high heel shoes with the feather ball over the toes. It sold ok for 12 dollars a throw.
Regards. Pete.

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Maverick21321

· #19 · 17 d ago (Edited)

Using a cotton candy machine to create unique garnishes and flavors sounds like a fun and creative idea! While I haven't personally experimented with a cotton candy machine for anything other than traditional cotton candy, I can certainly offer some insights and suggestions.
Your friend's Maple cotton Candy using a combination of white sugar and maple sugar sounds delicious. It's interesting how different ingredients can be used to create unique flavors.
As for other flavor ideas, here are a few suggestions:

Honey: As you mentioned, reducing and blending honey with white sugar could work well. It might add a delightful sweetness and a hint of floral flavor to the cotton candy.
Spicy Variations: Adding a touch of heat to cotton candy could be intriguing. Be cautious with spicy flavors like habanero, as a little goes a long way. Start with a small amount and adjust to taste.
Citrus Infusion: Lemon extract or other citrus flavors could provide a refreshing twist. Adding a few drops of lemon extract to the sugar mixture might result in a tangy and fragrant cotton candy.
Vanilla Bean Sugar: Infusing sugar with a vanilla bean is a fantastic idea. Split open a vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds, then mix them with sugar and let it sit for a while. The sugar will absorb the vanilla flavor, and using this vanilla-infused sugar in the cotton candy machine could create a delightful vanilla cotton candy.

If anyone has access to a cotton candy maker and has experimented with different flavors, it would be great to hear about their experiences and discoveries.
Remember to clean the cotton candy machine thoroughly between flavor experiments to avoid any cross-contamination that might affect the flavors.
Overall, using a cotton candy machine to explore new flavors and garnishes can be a fun and exciting culinary adventure. Enjoy the process of experimenting and let your creativity guide you to discover delightful, unique, and freeze dried candies creations!

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