Spun Sugar Nest Recipes

Steps:

• Cover a low counter or work surface with parchment paper. Using masking tape, attach a wooden spoon to the counter so its handle extends over the edge. Cover floor of surrounding area with parchment paper.
• Stir together 2/3 cup water, sugar, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. (Do not stir.) Cover; cook until sugar crystals are dissolved, about 2 to 3 minutes. Uncover; cook until mixture turns amber, about 5 minutes. Swirl pan to even out color. Remove caramel from heat.
• Cut the looped ends of a wire whisk with wire cutters (or use two forks held back to back). Dip ends into caramel. Standing over the spoon handle, swing caramel back and forth like a pendulum over the handle in long arcs. The sugar should solidify slightly in the air, drawing out long threadlike strands. As sugar drapes itself over handle, gather it up in small bunches, and transfer to parchment paper. Arrange small bunches of spun sugar around base of hen cake to make the nest.

Steps:

• Mix the ingredients together in a medium pot and, using a pastry brush soaked in water, wash down the sides of the pot to make sure there is no caramelization to color the sugar before you get to temperature.
• Heat the ingredients on the stove top to 300 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat and cool to 275 degrees over a water bath.
• Dip a fork in the sugar syrup and stretch the sugar syrup back and forth across the bottom of a pre-greased bowl, going as quickly as possible. Gently gather the spun sugar and place it on a dessert plate.

Steps:

• Using masking tape, attach 2 wooden spoons to your work surface, placing them side by side with handles extended over edge. Lightly brush oil over handles. Cover floor with newspaper.
• Prepare an ice-water bath. Bring sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Cook until mixture turns pale amber, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat; transfer pan to ice-water bath. Let cool until slightly thickened (like the consistency of honey), about 1 minute.
• Cut the looped ends of a wire whisk with wire cutters (or use 2 forks held back to back). Dip ends into caramel. From about 2 feet above spoon handles, swing caramel back and forth like a pendulum in long arcs, allowing strands to fall in thin threads over the handles. Immediately gather strands into a loose nest. (If caramel becomes too stiff, gently reheat over low.) Use immediately.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line mini cupcake pans with 48 mini cupcake liners.
• Melt the chocolate in the boiling water. In a small mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy and stiff but not dry. Add 1/2 cup sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and vanilla on medium speed until fluffy. Add the egg yolks and beat well. Blend in the melted chocolate. Sift together the rice flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the chocolate mixture, beating after each addition until smooth. Fold in the Chocolate-Cardamom Ganache. Fold in the beaten whites. Fill the cupcake liners halfway and bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
• To assemble: When the cupcakes are cool to the touch, prepare a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Fill the bag with Chocolate Buttercream and pipe the tops of each mini cupcake, keeping the icing in low profile. Dust the top of the cupcakes with the cocoa powder. Place a Spun Sugar Bird's Nest on top of each cake. Carefully peel the Jewel-Encrusted Bird's Egg off the silicon mat. Place an egg inside each nest.
• Crush the cardamom in a spice grinder. Place the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Bring the cream and cardamom just to a simmer over medium-high heat; pour the mixture over the chocolate. Let stand, without stirring, until cool. Beginning near the center and working outward, stir the melted chocolate into the cream until the mixture is combined and smooth (do not over stir).
• In a medium bowl, beat the butter until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the melted chocolate and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and beat for 3 minutes. Gradually add the sugar and beat until creamy and at desired consistency.
• Secure a long-handled wooden spoon under a heavy cutting board on the edge of counter, with the handle facing out and extending over the edge. Place newspaper on the floor directly under the cutting board.
• In a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the sugar and corn syrup and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Stop stirring. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Cook until the mixture turns pale amber and registers 340 degrees F (hard-crack stage) on the candy thermometer. Dip the prepared whisk into the caramel. Holding the whisk about 2 feet above the spoon handle, swing the caramel back and forth like a pendulum in long arcs, allowing the strands to fall in threads over the handle. Let stand until ready to use. Gently gather the strands into a ball, shaping nests with your fingers, about 1-inch in diameter.
• Heat the white chocolate over a double boiler until melted. Remove from the heat. When the chocolate begins to cool, transfer it to a pastry bag and tie off the top of the bag using a twist tie.
• Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat. Cut a small slice off the end of the pastry bag (if the chocolate runs out to quickly let it sit a bit longer). Draw an oval egg no bigger than 1/4-inch. As soon as you draw the shape, sprinkle it with an assortment of the crystal sugars, layering them on top and next to one another. (Make it easy by putting the sugars into small ramekins so you can easily get to the desired color.) Place the eggs in the fridge to set up for a few minutes.