Spun Sugar For Sugar Plum Fairy Recipes

SUGAR PLUMS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat eggs for 1 minute. Gradually add 1 cup sugar; beat 1 minute longer or until thickened. Stir in the almonds, coconut, dates and extracts. Transfer to an ungreased 11x7-in. baking dish., Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until browned and a thermometer reads 160°. Remove from the oven; stir. Let stand for 6-8 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Roll into 1-in. balls; roll in remaining sugar. Cool completely on waxed paper. Store in an airtight container.

SUGAR PLUM FAIRY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment; trace six circles measuring 3 inches in diameter on each. Turn paper over so ink is face down.
• Place meringue in an 18-inch pastry bag fitted with a jumbo star tip (Ateco #824). Pipe meringue into disks filling the circles, starting at center and working outward in a spiral. Pipe two more layers around edge, forming a bowl.
• Bake 1 hour, until meringue is set and no longer tacky. Reduce heat to 175 degrees. Bake until meringue is completely dry and crisp but not at all brown, 1 hour or more. Remove from oven; store in an airtight container until ready to use, up to 2 days.
• Place jam in pan over low heat. Cook until liquid, about 5 minutes. Pass through fine strainer; discard solids. Place jam in an airtight container until ready to use.
• Using a small brush, lightly coat berries with egg white. Sprinkle with superfine sugar until well coated, shaking off excess.
• In bowl of electric mixer, whip cream to soft peaks. Add jam; fold in, using rubber spatula. Place meringue bowls in jumbo paper cupcake liners set on plates. Spoon plum mixture into meringues; top with berries and spun sugar. Serve immediately.

SPUN SUGAR FOR SUGAR PLUM FAIRY

Steps:

• Cover a 4-by-5-foot area of floor with parchment or newspaper. Set a pasta drying rack or a wooden drying rack on the paper, and coat well with cooking spray.
• Combine sugar, the water, and corn syrup in a small saucepan; stir to combine. Place pan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Use a pastry brush dipped in water to brush down any sugar crystals on sides of pan. Clip on a candy thermometer; cook, without stirring, until temperature reaches 290 to 295 degrees.
• Remove from heat; let sit for about 5 minutes, until very fine threads form when whisk is lifted from sugar. Dip whisk into sugar; swing over rack, using a quick motion, to create long threads.
• When rack is coated with a thin cobweb-like layer of sugar, lift it in one piece from rack, and roll it gently into a ball. Set on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat until 12 balls are formed.