Tanghulu | Chinese Sugar-Coated Fruit Skewers

Wash the strawberries and grapes, then hull the strawberries. Peel the mandarin oranges and separate them into segments. Remove the white pith without piercing the membranes; a punctured segment will leak juice. Dry all the fruit on paper towels until no moisture remains to the touch.

Thread three or four assorted fruit pieces onto each of eight wooden skewers. Set out a parchment-lined tray and a bowl of cold water.

Put the sugar and water in a small, deep saucepan, stir once, then stop stirring and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat when a thermometer reads 149–154°C / 300–310°F, the hard-crack stage. If you do not have a thermometer, drip some syrup into cold water; it should harden immediately and snap when broken, without sticking to your teeth. If the syrup starts to color, it has begun to caramelize.

Tilt the saucepan slightly, dip in a skewer, and turn it quickly once to coat all the fruit. Lift it out and shake off the excess syrup over the pan 1 time. Lay the skewer on the parchment. If the syrup thickens, return the pan to the heat for a few seconds. Sugar at this temperature can cause severe burns; keep children away from the counter.

The coating turns glassy and hard in 1–2 minutes and makes a crisp ticking sound when tapped with a finger. Serve the skewers right away.