Recipe - Caramel Cage Covers For Ice Cream

One half cup Water
1 cup Sugar
1 pn Cream of tartar
Aluminum foil
6 ounce Ladle
Vegetable oil
Candy thermometer

Cover the outside (rounded part) of a 6 ounce ladle with aluminum foil. Making
sure to keep the surface smooth and tight. Lightly oil the domed surface of
foil.

Now pour into a saucepan the sugar, water and cream of tartar. Shake the
pan to mix and cover. Heat this covered mixture over medium low heat until
the sugar dissolves. Remove lid and continue cooking the syrp until it
turns a light gold color (about 340 degrees F. on candy thermometer).

Remove the pan from the heat and let sit at room temperature for 68
minutes. The syrup will turn a darker gold color.

Now you are ready to make the cages. Just hold the foil covered ladle over
the pan, dip a spoon into the caramel mixture and drizzle over ladle,
moving you hand around in a swirling motion to form a wed or lattice
pattern on the foil. Prop up the ladle so the caramel cage cools completely
(about 10 minutes).

Pry foil away from the ladle carefully so as not to break the fragile cage.
Trim away the uneven strands with scissors to form a nice straight bottom.
Now carefully peel off the foil and you have a beautiful candy cage to
place over a single scoop of ice cream. Try to find a dish so the cage fits
on the edge of the dish. Instruct your guests to tap the cage with the back
of a spoon and enjoy the special effect.

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini