Colored Shaped and Flavored Sugar Cubes

Products Used

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon flavored extract (vanilla, cherry, almond, orange, maple, coconut, strawberry)
  • 3 teaspoons water
  • 1 - 2 drops food coloring
  • 1-inch or 1.5-inch cookie cutters (fondant cutters work well because they are so small)

      Directions

      Sugar Cubes: 

      1. Pour sugar into a large bowl.
      2. In a separate small bowl, combine water, extract, and food coloring.
      3. Pour flavor/color mixture into sugar bowl and mix thoroughly until evenly combined. (Be sure to check for little globs of color or your sugar cubes will not be evenly colored.) The mixture should feel and look like wet sand (but not soggy sand). If your mixture is too dry, add a 1/2 teaspoon of water at a time. If it is too wet, add sugar by the tablespoon until texture is right.
      4. Pour wet sugar mixture onto a wax paper lined baking sheet and shape into a flat, tightly packed square. To help make straighter edges, you could also line the inside of an 8" x 8" baking pan with wax paper and pack tightly with your wet sugar mixture. Cut the block into perpendicular rows, creating cubes.
      5. Let the cubes dry for about 30 minutes in place. Then move to a wire rack to dry an additional hour or more depending on the humidity level in your area.

      Shaped Sugar:

      1. Follow steps 1 – 3 for sugar cubes.
      2. Lay out a piece of wax paper on your work surface and pack wet sugar mixture tightly into each small cookie/fondant cutter.
      3. Immediately after sugar is packed into the cutter, gently and carefully push it out of the mold onto wax paper. Work your way around the shape in order to push shape out on all sides at the same time, keeping the shape in place on the wax paper. Let dry for at least an hour before moving to drying rack. For the next 24-hours, gently flip sugar shapes several times to encourage drying. Repeat until completely dry.
      4. When sugar designs are completely dry, you will be able to squeeze gently without the shape breaking apart.
      5. Serve in a regular bowl or store in an airtight container. Use within 2 weeks or freeze.

      In a Hurry?

      Don’t have time to create your own custom designed sugar cubes? You can quickly dye store bought sugar cubes with either of the methods below:

      1. Toweling: Squeeze a few drops of food coloring onto a clean paper towel, then gently dab towel onto a sugar cube. Set cube down to dry and repeat process with remaining cubes.
      2. Misting: Mix 1/2 cup water and food coloring in a fine misting bottle. Spray each cube individually and set aside to dry.
      Dixie Crystals Insight

      Dyed and flavored sugar cubes are not just for kids. If you are serving champagne or wine at your next party, drop a couple of these beautiful colored and flavored sugar cubes into the glasses and wait for the oohs and ahhhs.

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