Cotton Candy Ice Cream Bomb Food

COTTON CANDY MILKSHAKE

Steps:

• Spread some vanilla frosting on a plate. Put some blue and red popping candy in a shallow bowl. Dip the rims of 2 glasses in the frosting and then in the popping candy. Set aside.
• In a blender, combine the blue cotton candy, 1 pint of the ice cream, 1/4 cup of the milk and 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a pitcher and rinse out the blender. Repeat with the pink cotton candy and the remaining 1 pint ice cream, 1/4 cup milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Fill each glass with the milkshakes, pouring in both colored shakes at the same time so the glass is half pink and half blue. Top each with some blue and pink cotton candy, a swirl lollipop and a rock candy lollipop. Add straws and drink immediately.

JACQUES' HOMEMADE COTTON CANDY

Steps:

• To make this recipe at home, you will need a pair of wire cutters and an old inexpensive whisk. Cut the round ends off an inexpensive whisk. Arrange the tines so they are evenly spaced. You will also need an open space to make the cotton candy. At home, slit open a garbage bag and cover the floor area. Wedge 2 long wooden spoons under something heavy so they extend off the edge of the counter.
• Place the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Insert a candy thermometer and cook the sugar mixture until it reaches 320 degrees F, what is known as the hard crack stage (the sugar becomes brittle when it comes in contact with a cooler surface). Remove from the heat and carefully pour into a medium-size microwaveable glass bowl. If you leave the sugar in the pan, the sugar will continue to cook and turn dark brown. A glass bowl will hold the temperature of the sugar. I put a towel under the bowl to keep the bowl from tipping over and to protect my hands from the heat of the glass. (The sugar will stay liquid enough to work with easily for about 10 minutes; after that it will start to thicken. If this happens before you are finished, just pop the bowl in the microwave for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the sugar is liquid enough to work with once again.) If you are going to color and/or flavor the sugar, add those drops now.
• Dip the tines into the hot sugar. Allow the sugar to drain off for 1 to 2 seconds until the draining sugar strands are relatively the same consistency. Then wave the whisk over the extended wooden spoons and allow the sugar strands to gently drift until they are resting on top of the spoons. Make sure you are about 12 to 18 inches above the spoons. Use broad long strokes and work quickly. Gather the cotton candy and roll onto paper that you've rolled into a long, thin cone, like cotton candy is served in at the carnival or serve as is. If you need to store the cotton candy for a few hours, place it in an airtight container. The delicate sugar will melt in a humid environment.

CHRISTMAS PUDDING ICE-CREAM BOMB

Steps:

• Combine the milk and half of the sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to just below the boiling point. Combine the egg yolks and remaining sugar in a bowl and beat until pale and ribbons form. Bring the milk back to the boil and pour in a thin stream onto egg yolks and sugar whisking steadily.
• Pour the mixture into a double boiler and stir until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Plunge the base of the pan into cold water. Transfer the custard to a jug and cover, chill and pour in the chilled cream.
• Stir in the brandy and churn in the ice-cream maker until it is the consistency of whipped cream. Crumble in the pudding and churn for a further five seconds. Scrape into a box and freeze for 1 to 2 hours. Chill the bomb mold. Remove mold from freezer and line each half with pudding mixture. Top each half with a brandy-butter-sugar mixture. Put halves together and close bomb. Allow to freeze hard. Turn out, pour some brandy over and ignite.