Ice Impressions Ice Sculpture Recipes: Your Guide to Creating Ice Art

🍡 Traditional Chinese Tanghulu Recipe

Learn how to make traditional Chinese Tanghulu, a delicious and visually stunning treat. Follow our step-by-step recipe and create your own Tanghulu at home. Join us at Ice Impressions!

Traditional Chinese Tanghulu

You will need:

  • crabapples10 crabapples or hawthorns
  • granulated sugar1 cup granulated sugar
  • water1/2 cup water
  • bamboo skewers10 skewers

Instructions

  1. Start by washing and drying the crabapples or hawthorns thoroughly.
  2. Skewer each fruit carefully, ensuring the skewer goes all the way through.
  3. In a saucepan, combine the sugar and water.
  4. Heat the mixture over medium heat until the sugar dissolves completely.
  5. Continue to cook the syrup until it reaches 150°C, or until it forms a hard crack stage.
  6. Dip each skewered fruit into the sugar syrup, ensuring it's fully coated.
  7. Allow the coated fruit to cool and harden on a non-stick surface before serving.

Notes

Make sure the sugar syrup is hot enough to form a hard coating, but be careful not to burn it. You can test the syrup by dropping a small amount into cold water. If it hardens instantly, it's ready.

Ice Impressions invites you to explore the remarkable world of traditional Chinese desserts with our Tanghulu recipe. This timeless treat, also known as candied hawthorn or crabapple, is a delightful blend of sweet and tart flavors, encased in a stunning crystal-like sugar shell. The simplicity of its ingredients belies the artistry involved in its creation, much like the intricate ice sculptures we craft.

As you embark on this culinary adventure, you'll find that the process of making Tanghulu is akin to sculpting ice. It's all about precision, patience, and a keen eye for detail. The sugar syrup must reach the perfect temperature to form a hard, glossy coating, mirroring the delicate balance we strive for when carving ice under varying temperature conditions. Discover more about the art of Asian cuisine here.

Creating Tanghulu is not just about following a recipe, it's about embracing a piece of Chinese culture. This dessert is often associated with the winter season and is a common sight during the Chinese Spring Festival. It's a symbol of togetherness and joy, much like how our ice sculptures serve as stunning centerpieces that bring people together at weddings and festivals.

And while Tanghulu is traditionally made with hawthorns or crabapples, feel free to experiment with other fruits like strawberries or kiwis. The beauty of this dessert, much like ice sculpting, lies in its versatility and the endless possibilities it offers. For more inspiration on Chinese desserts, visit this in-depth guide on Chinese dessert culture and recipes.

Whether you're an experienced cook or a novice in the kitchen, we encourage you to try your hand at making Tanghulu. It's a delightful way to immerse yourself in the artistry of Chinese cuisine, and who knows? You might find that the skills you hone while making this dessert translate beautifully into the art of ice sculpting. For those interested in exploring more Asian recipes, here are some popular Asian dishes and their unique tastes.

At Ice Impressions, we believe that artistry can be found in the most unexpected places - from the delicate details of an ice sculpture to the glossy sheen of a Tanghulu. So, why not take a leap, try something new, and discover the artist within you today?