Make your own edible balloons for dessert! Because cake is, like, so five minutes ago.
This project was inspired by Alinea restaurant in Chicago.
Supplies:
* 7 grams gelatin (one packet)
* 2 tablespoons water
* 1 cup sugar
* 2 tablespoons cornstarch
* ⅔ cup light corn syrup
* ½ cup water
* ½ teaspoon salt
* Food thermometer
* Vinyl tubing
* Helium tank
* String
Instructions:
1. In a small bowl, combine 7 grams of gelatin and 2 tbsp of water. Set aside.
2. In a medium pot, combine 1 cup sugar, 2 tbsp cornstarch, ⅔ cup light corn syrup, ½ cup water, and ½ tsp salt. Mix together and bring to a boil.
3. Heat mixture until it reaches 255°F/124°C, then turn off heat.
4. Carefully mix in gelatin and remove from heat.
5. Attach one end of a vinyl tube to a helium tank. Use a piece of tape to secure it in place.
6. Dip the other end of your vinyl tube into your sugar mixture. Make sure the opening is completely covered in your mixture.
7. Hold your tube over your mixture pointing down toward the pot. Carefully inflate by slowly filling it with helium.
8. As the balloon inflates, turn the tube upward to allow the balloon to form.
9. Once filled have another person use a piece of string to capture your balloon.
10. Carefully wrap the string at the base of your balloon on the tube, twist the string once wrapped. As one person slowly pulls the vinyl tube away, the other person will use the string to scrape off the balloon base of the tube.
11. Eat immediately. The taffy balloon can be eaten on its own or popped, then wrapped around a stick for easier consumption.
