Sugar Nests

Method

1. Prepare your entire workspace by covering around the stove and on the floor with parchment, careful not to let any come too close to the burner, lest it catch fire. Keep a sheet of parchment handy for placing your finished nests.
2. On one piece of parchment, flip over a large or standard-size muffin pan so you can use the bottom and outside of the cups as a mold and lightly grease the bottoms of the cups. I like almond oil, but a nonstick spray will work just fine. Secure your candy thermometer into a 2- or 3-quart saucepan. Have a large metal bowl of ice water next to you so you can be ready to dunk the pot of cooked syrup in the bowl to cool it down.
3. Over medium heat, combine the sugar, water, and agave. Stirring occasionally, and brushing down the sides of the pan with a wet silicone brush to wash away any sugar crystals, cook the syrup until it reaches 310°F on your candy thermometer and turns dark amber in color (or Hard Crack Stage if using the Cold Water Method).
4. Remove immediately from the heat and dunk the pot into the ice water bath. Stir briefly just until thickened and remove from the water. Using the tines of a whip-style whisk or a fork, very carefully drizzle thin strands of the hot syrup onto the greased upturned muffin tins, creating a lovely mess of strands. Set the hot sugar mixture aside on a trivet until you’re ready to make the next batch of nests. Careful when working with this mixture as it is extremely hot. Use caution when handling and wear kitchen gloves if you have them.
5. Let the drizzled syrup rest for about 15 seconds or until only slightly warm to the touch. Use clean dry hands to gently remove the nests from the pan and bend and form the sugar into a nest shape, or other desired form, and place onto another clean dry sheet of parchment.
6. Repeat with the remaining hot sugar mixture (the mixture will remain warm in the pot). Work fast! The syrup cools quickly and you want to catch it in its perfect state of malleability and coolness to the touch.
7. Use immediately for garnish or store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.