Description
Strawberry Tanghulu is a traditional Chinese snack featuring fresh strawberries coated in a hard, crunchy sugar glaze. This recipe shows you how to create a shiny, sweet candy shell that perfectly complements the juicy, tart berries. Ideal for a fun, colorful treat that’s both visually appealing and refreshingly delicious.
Ingredients
Scale
Fruit
- 10 to 15 fresh strawberries (firm and dry)
Syrup
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
Others
- Bamboo skewers
- Optional: ice water bath for setting
Instructions
- Prepare Strawberries: Wash the strawberries thoroughly and dry them completely to ensure the sugar syrup adheres properly.
- Skewer the Strawberries: Thread 1 to 3 strawberries onto each bamboo skewer, arranging them as desired.
- Make Sugar Syrup: In a saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Heat the mixture, bringing it to a boil without stirring, until the syrup reaches 300°F (hard crack stage) on a candy thermometer.
- Coat the Strawberries: Dip each skewer into the hot syrup, ensuring that the strawberries are evenly covered with the glossy sugar glaze.
- Set the Coating: Allow excess syrup to drip off the skewers, then place them on parchment paper or briefly dip them into an ice water bath to help set the candy shell.
- Cool and Harden: Let the coated strawberries cool for about 5 minutes until the sugar coating hardens into a crisp shell.
Notes
- Ensure strawberries are completely dry before dipping to prevent the syrup from becoming sticky or losing its shine.
- Use a candy thermometer for the correct sugar temperature to achieve the perfect hard crack stage.
- Be cautious handling hot sugar syrup as it can cause severe burns.
- If no thermometer is available, test syrup by dropping a small amount into cold water; it should harden and shatter.
- Serve promptly after cooling to enjoy the best texture, as humidity can soften the candy shell.
