Easy Candy Sugar Balloon Bowls
I love, love, love experimenting and developing something new that’s never been seen before on the internet or TV. As I write this there are no blog posts about this, no YouTube videos and no Pinterest pictures – it is just totally fresh and new. To be honest I didn’t think this idea would work, I expected that I’d get hot sugar splattered around the kitchen. But it really did work and they looked even more beautiful and amazing than I’d imagined they would. I’ll definitely be doing more of these.
Candy Splash Sugar Bowl Recipe
(Developed by Ann Reardon. IMPORTANT: if you use this blog post to film your own video or write a post PLEASE do the right thing – GIVE CREDIT AT THE START of the video/post and put a link above the fold to my original video. “I found these on the internet” is NOT giving credit, the internet is not a person, it does not create anything. I know that this sounds a bit like a rant but I’m really tired of getting blatantly copied without credit. C’mon, you can be better than that 🙂
300g (10.58 ounces) or 1 1/3 cups sugar
200g (7.05 ounces) or 1/2 cup glucose syrup
75mL (2.54 fluid ounces) water
flavouring and colouring (optional)
Candy Thermometer
Balloons (CAUTION make sure you have helium quality balloons and test with an un-inflated one first to check it does not melt).
Fill your balloon with water and remove all the air as shown in the video. Dry with paper towel and rub with a little oil.
Mix together sugar, water and glucose syrup and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Wash down the sides of the bowl using a wet pastry brush. Heat the syrup up to 150C (302 degrees Fahrenheit). Remove from the heat and stir in desired colours. Then pour over the balloon.
Leave to cool completely then make a small cut in the balloon and let it deflate.
Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
Sugar Bowl Part 2 and Danger WARNING
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I used this recipes to make a dome for my gingerbread creation and it was so beautiful! Didn’t have a candy thermometer and realized after the first try that I had to boil until it started hardening in threads in the air (about 10 minutes?) but it’s now 2 days since creation & no softening or stickiness at all
Having so much fun. Thanks so so much
Not sure what went wrong. My candy never hardened. Was it because it was too thin. My mixture was wrong maybe. I didn’t warm it enough, but it didn’t come out good. My son didn’t have candy bowls for his bday party, thank God I let him know we were just trying it for the first time. Maybe next time. Fingers crossed.
If you had the right quantities of ingredients it’s likely you didn’t get the mixture hot enough. If you don’t have a thermometer capable of going that high, I’ve found the mixture turns yellowish at around the right temperature (150C, hard crack).
Where in the U.S. can I purchase the small helium quality water balloons for making the sugar bowls? I couldn’t find a “supply” link on your video. On wait list for your book!
Thanks,
Marilyn
I love this! I used it as a topper for my sister’s birthday cake! It was beautiful! Thank you for this recipe!!!
Followed you recipe to make a sugar bowl for a gumball machine cake! Thank you! It worked, not the best job but I was happy with my first try! Will definitely do more!
Hi Ann,
Brilliant recipe as always.
I wanted to know whether there was a way we could make the singer bowls last longer?
I meant last longer… Auto correct
*sugar not singer?
I’ve been keeping the silica packs from other food products and using them in airtight containers with my sugar bowls. They’re still a little bit sticky but last significantly longer!
I can’t get it to stick to the balloons, was trying to make snowglobe but it only sticks a little bit on top then brakes up along sides but can’t even make a bowl with what stuck. Help?
Hi Bobbie, did you add enough glucose syrup? I find without enough of that, the mixture doesn’t hold.
How long should it be on the heat? Mine was also sticky after 12 hours. Really want to do this ?
Hi Rina, it needs to be on the heat until it hits 150C, so generally it will take several minutes to hit this stage.
Hi. I followed you recipe but mine is not hardening. What may be the problem?
Hi Rina, it’s likely you didn’t take the temperature to the hard crack (150C) stage. It needs to reach this temperature to be able to set effectively.
Can this be done without color to make edible snow globes? Will they come out clear enough?
I try to make sugar balloons decorations but couldn’t do it as the sugar melts but not staying hard please need ingredient count
thank you
Amazing. …!!!!!!
Thank you so much for this! I showed my nephew (15), and he wants to try it. When I saw the video, I thought it would be beautiful way to serve various kinds of trifle. But then you said they absorb moisture and can melt. I’m wondering if there’s something you could coat the inside of the bowl with (plastic wrap I guess will do if nothing else is available so long as the guests are warned about it). Also, as you’re Australian and I’m not, I’m not certain how the terminology differs. In the U.S. (or at least, the parts where I’ve lived), custard has eggs (it’s also usually baked, though not always) while pudding does not and is an instant mix (most common) or cooked in a saucepan. Do you consider both of these custard, or is there a different term? (I know the British version of pudding is something like a really heavy cake that’s boiled in a cloth from the videos I’ve seen, so that’s totally different than what I’m talking about.) The most common trifle we make is a layer of jello topped with a layer of pudding (with a tablespoon or two of the jello while it’s still very soft mixed in to add flavor and color) topped with dream whip (like whipped cream, but much lighter). Instant pudding is cold, so I’m guessing it would be a better choice than a cooked option to avoid melting the sugar bowl. But it and the jello still pose the moisture problem. We could substitute cake cubes or fruit for the jello for variety and do it just before serving. But the jello version has to set up in the bowl to take on the shape and have that smooth three-layer look. As we have a diabetic in the family, I’d like to do the jello version because I can use sugar-free jello and sugar-free pudding mix. (I’m trying to research something unique for Christmas dinner.) Any suggestions? Thanks!
Try making lemon posset and placing inside the bowl with a shortbread biscuit dipped in the sugar mixture
Love this, made them successfully first time, although I did burn myself adding the colouring, but well worth it. Bravo and thanks for sharing this great technique. First small attempt pic uploaded.
I got water all over myself and didn’t even get a bowl plus’s it doesn’t even taste nice
Hi Lia, you can add flavour when you add the colour if you like – it will taste like hard boiled lollies.
That sounds like a you problem, not a recipe problem
Hi Ann can I exactly eat the sugar bowl or is it just for putting sweet treats inside and only eating that and the bowl itself
Hi
Thank you for sharing your technique
How long can this stay before it starts melting? Looking to use it on a cake but scared it might melt before the client picks up. Any suggestions? Thanks
The problem arises when these are exposed to moisture, so if you put these on at the last minute they’re less likely to get sticky and start eroding.
My partner is a nursery man and I’d like to make him a a candy sugar tunnel house. What could I use instead of a balloon? A plastic bottle would be the best shape but would it melt? How about glass or ceramics, can you use candy on them? Never done anything with candy before 🙂 Thanks!
What about one of those longer balloons that clowns use to make balloon animals? There might be helium grade versions of those.
Where can you buy glucose syrup? Is it supposed to be in a liquid or solid form? And how do you keep the mixture clear. My first batch with Karo syrup turned a bit yellow.
I think you can use corn syrup, but it will be yellow because that is the colour of corn syrup! You can buy glucose syrup on Amazon, I believe. It should be in liquid form!