Almond and Peppermint Cotton Candy Bites
This holiday
If you have read any of my holiday posts you might have noticed that I am a bit obsessed with the movie Elf. This year I have been decorating with felt chains, having snowball fights, and pouring candy cane syrup into my coffee.
To keep this Elf mania going, I made flavored cotton candy bites for dessert. There is a scene in the movie where Buddy the Elf eats cotton balls. If you haven’t seen the movie, this probably sounds horrible, but if you have watched it, then, you probably chuckle every time you are holding a cotton ball and also pretend to eat it.
For my first batch, I used a tub of champagne flavored cotton candy I purchased at Target. I used a small fork to pull small pieces of candy out and quickly formed small balls with the palm of my hands. We had so much fun eating the cotton candy bites that I decided to make some more with my cotton candy machine, here is how;
Materials
- Cotton Candy Machine
- 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
- Almond or peppermint extract (optional)
Cotton Candy Bites
Begin by turning the cotton candy machine on at least 5 minutes before you begin making the candy. It needs to be really hot to work properly.
In the meantime, Add 3-5 drops of extract to the sugar and mix until all the large clumps have dissolved. Keep in mind that any clear extract will work, the goal is to add flavor, not color.
Once the machine is hot, turn it off, wait for it to stop spinning and then add one tablespoon of the sugar mixture to the center and turn it on again.
Next, Allow a few minutes for the sugar to heat up and be ready to make some Cotton candy!
Then, use a paper or plastic cone to catch the cotton candy. I hold mine at a slight angle and roll it until a large cotton candy ball forms, and there is no more floss forming on the machine.
Leave the machine running while you form smaller balls.
1 Tbsp yields 3 medium balls or 5-6 small balls.
For the next step make sure your hands are clean and completely dry.
Next, pull a hand full of cotton candy into your hands and use only the palms of your hands to form a small ball. Don’t apply too much pressure or you will ruin the texture, remember this is a very delicate treat. Repeat until all the cotton candy is gone.
Turn off the candy machine to add more sugar and repeat all the steps above.
Finally, serve right away or store in an airtight container.
Below is a picture of the medium sized balls. Snow balls!
What is your favorite christmas movie? Have you decorated your home or made meals inspired by it? Leave comments below.
