Instructions

1. Fill a large heatproof bowl half full of cold water and set it aside. The bowl should be large enough to place the bottom of your pan into the water later.

2. Place some sugar in a medium pan. Cover the sugar with just enough water to create the consistency of wet sand then place the pan over medium-high heat.

3. Cook the sugar, without stirring, over medium-high heat. Using a pastry brush that has been dipped into a small cup of water, wash down the inner sides of the pan every few minutes to help prevent unwanted crystallization. Alternatively, you can add a few drops of lemon juice to your sugar and water before cooking, as lemon juice helps prevent unwanted crystallization in sugar.

4. Continue cooking the sugar. If one side of the pan appears to be caramelizing more quickly than the other, move the pan gently in a circular motion to evenly distribute the color. Once the sugar starts to caramelize, watch it very closely; it can overcook in a matter of seconds. Cook the sugar until it reaches a medium amber color.

5. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully place the bottom of the pan into the bowl of cold water. Hold the pan in the cold water for a few seconds to stop the cooking process.

6. Set the pan aside and allow the sugar to cool a few minutes more. The sugar is ready to be used when it has thickened slightly.

7. Dip a spoon into the caramelized sugar. Drizzle the sugar into the desired shape onto a piece of parchment paper or a nonstick silicone mat. Allow the sugar to cool completely before using it as a garnish.