Sugar Techniques Workshop at ICE

Original post published February 8th, 2019. Last updated on December 8th, 2023.

Last weekend, while most of America gathered to watch the Super Bowl, I was busy doing something much more fun: learning the art of the sugar showpiece!

I’d worked with molten sugar a little bit in the past, though mostly in the form of candymaking (lollipops, candy canes, and the like) so the techniques discussed in this workshop were mostly brand new to me. I quickly learned that making a sugar showpiece is much more difficult than it looks. And, as a few friends pointed out on social media, it already looks pretty difficult!

This was a multi-day workshop at the Institute of Culinary Education in NYC. Over the course of several days we learned the basic recipes, methods, and fundamental sugar techniques. These included pulling, blowing, and casting sugar. The course was taught by ICE chef-instructor Kathryn Gordon.

Our group worked both with sugar itself, and with a substitute called isomalt. Isomalt has a reputation for being a bit less temperamental. This came in handy for a group of beginners!

Of the various techniques we learned, I think my favorite was learning how to make sugar ribbons. I also enjoyed pouring the molten sugar into various molds, and over ice cubes to create an abstract effect. But by far the most difficult technique we covered was blowing sugar. This a technique similar to glass blowing and is used to make hollowed-out, balloon-like objects.

I look forward to working with molten sugar more extensively in the future. And in the meantime I’ll be watching lots of sugar artist videos on YouTube. Not to mention thinking of all of the creative ways I can incorporate pulled and blown sugar into my pastry work!

At the end of the workshop, we assembled all of the various bits and pieces we’d created to form a small sugar showpiece featuring a blown sugar bird. I definitely have a lot of practicing to do. But for the most part, I was pretty happy with my first sugar creation!

Making a Sugar Showpiece: Step-by-Step

I love learning all I can about the various pastry arts. For more of my educational adventures, check out my post on exploring the art of chocolatemaking at Ecole Chocolat!

All About Sugarwork

To learn even more about sugarwork, check out my experience studying advanced sugar techniques with Chef Nicolas Houchet. You can also visit my detailed pastry school diary to read more about my sugarwork studies during my nine months as a Diplôme de Pâtisserie student at Le Cordon Bleu London. Or, view my sugar portfolio to see more of my work.

There are also some great sugar artists to follow on Instagram (check out the mind-blowing work of Stephane Klein!) and several books on the topic, including The Art of the Confectioner: Sugarwork and Pastillage by Ewald Notter.

If you’re looking to hone your own sugar skills, both the Institute of Culinary Education and Le Cordon Bleu London offer periodic sugarwork courses as continuing education/professional development for pastry chefs.

And if you aren’t following along already, please feel free to connect with me on Instagram. I’m always happy to chat with fellow bakers, pastry chefs, and sugar art enthusiasts!