Sugar Glass Shards add a striking, clear accent to any sweet treat or are a great candy snack on their own!
While making my GBBO Season 13 Finale, I made a box out of sugar glass, and I turned the leftovers into sugar glass shards. It was a recipe that I had to do multiple times. Not because I made the dish incorrectly, it just took a moment to turn out in the exact way that I wanted it to.
The first batch was too thick, the second batch was too dark, and the third was just right. But I really love the way that the first batch turned out and I did not want to discard it. So, I decided to make sugar glass shards! And it was simple to change the panels into shards.
Sugar glass shards are great to use as decorations on other desserts or they are just great to eat as candy. I know I have been enjoying eating a shard or two every day. While I didn’t add any flavoring, I think pure flavor has a slight caramelization taste which is delicious, but I can see how adding essence could bring a fun flavor.
Check out the Make section of MCG for more fun recipes like desserts and savory dishes. Leave a comment below and let me know what you think and how the recipe works for you!
Ingredients
The one thing I love about sugar glass shards is that they don’t require a lot of ingredients. Really only two ingredients are needed to make the basic version: sugar and corn syrup. Simple!
Process
Cooking the Sugar
Working with sugar feels easy and dangerous all at the same time. I feel like it requires you to watch it carefully but not touch it. Which is very difficult because I always want to make things around to see how they are doing.
I started the process of making sugar glass shards by combing the sugar, corn syrup, and water into a pot. I mixed the ingredients to get the sugar spread throughout the liquid instead of clumping at the bottom. Then it was time to put the pot on the stove.
And now for the hardest part. Don’t do anything. I placed a thermometer into the mixture to keep an eye on the temperature but otherwise, I just left it alone. Not stirring the mixture was extremely difficult. But it worked out for the best.
I love watching the mix turning clear as the sugar melted. It just felt so good to see the sugar working perfectly as the liquid started bubbling up and the caramelization process started.
After the sugar mix came to the right temperature, I removed it from the heat and quickly added in the color (this is where any extract should be added as well). Then I poured the mix into the molds that I was using.
Sugar Glass Shards
For glass sugar shard, molds are not necessary. I could have used a lined baking tray, but the molds to make the whole process a little more manageable. It only took about 30 minutes for the mixture to cool and harden.
Finally, I placed the glass sheets into a Ziplock bag and used a rolling pin to smash them. It’s the easiest way to make shards! Although it is important to be careful not to hurt the surface underneath, I highly recommend using a cutting board to help absorb the impact.
Reflections
Yea…. I love sugar. My dentist and my doctors have scolded me multiple times about this… I try to listen, but sugar is so good. These sugar glass shards are gorgeous. A part of me wants to make different color panels so I can make a mosaic out of the different color shards.
This recipe is easy to make (especially if you can leave the mix alone) so I really enjoy making the sugar glass shards. I think that this is a great easy candy, and the recipe makes so much! This is perfect for people just getting into making homemade candy.
Lessons
Bringing Sugar Panes Together
When making my box, I wanted the seams to be the sugar coming together. I’m not sure where I got the idea (I know, or at least, I believe I saw someone else do this first) but I decided to use heat. I heated a pan and melted the edge of the sugar before quickly sticking it to another pane.
This worked great for welding the pans together but there was some residual burn on the sugar from doing this process repeatedly using the same pan. If I were to do it again, I would use a heat gun or target flame around the edge. Also, would have been more careful because hot sugar causes burns.
recipe
Sugar Glass Shards
Ingredients
- 7 ½ Cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 Cup Water
- 3 Cup Corn Syrup
- Food Coloring optional
- Flavored Extract optional
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together in a pot and bring to a boil over low to medium heat. The sugar should fully dissolve, and the liquid should run clear.
- Bring to 350° Fahrenheit. The mixture should only gain some light color from the beginning of caramelization.
- Mix 2-3 drops of food coloring and any desired extracts, optional.
- Pour into molds to get a specific shape or onto a silicone lined baking tray if no shape is desired.
- Place glass panes into a Ziplock bag, place them on a cutting board, and use a rolling pin or other hard object to smash the glass into shards. Hit sparingly to keep medium to large pieces.
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