Sugar Bowls

The making of a sugar bowl.

 I saw some bowls made of Isomalt and thought I’d give it a try.

 

In preparation, I filled two helium balloons with water, then let a little bit of liquid flow out to get rid of any air bubbles. Water in the balloon disperses heat from the hot liquid mixture.

   I set the balloons on a small pyrex dish so that gravity would let the liquid drip to the tabletop instead of sliding around the balloon.

 

I heated a cup of Isomalt and ¼ c of distilled water to 300 degrees, then added a few drops of red and blue food coloring. Since I wanted a kaleidoscope effect, I didn’t mix the colors to uniformity. Pouring hot liquid over the balloons made me nervous, so I took them out on the porch in case of any mishaps, (easier to clean).

The next step involved snipping the balloon near the bottom. With the first one, my other half suck a pin in the balloon but not near enough to the bottom. It exploded. The pressure behind the release sent sugar pieces everywhere. With the second balloon, he used scissor to cut a small hole near the very bottom where the pressure (from expansion) was less.

I loved the way this turned out. Next time, with smaller balloons, it will be the perfect size. If I’d used red and yellow, it would’ve looked more lie flames.