Blown Sugar

This is not easy, but it's really cool! You start with satinized sugar like you use for pulling sugar, but instead of pulling it, you shape it into a ball with an indent in it. Then put it on the end of the pump--which is basically a blood pressure pump with narrow, copper piping instead of a blood pressure cuff on it--and, just like blowing glass, pump it until the sugar is the shape you want. The hot spots get thinner and therefore larger air pockets under them and, conversely, the cold spots remain thicker and flatter, so if you are really good at it, like our chef, you can make some pretty impressive things. I made a sort of golden apple/pear (and a pulled sugar rosebud); the chef made an amazing bird sculpture.