Ingredients
2 cup sugar
½ cup water
20 whole hazelnuts

Sharpening steel, dessert spoon, parchment paper in an air tight container with a lid, bowl of ice water, tooth picks

In a saucepan place the sugar. Pour the water around the edge of the pan carefully to avoid any splashing up of the water or sugar crystals on the walls of the pan. Draw your finger through it in an X to let the water infiltrate the sugar completely. Bring the sugar water to a boil and, without stirring it, continue to cook till amber colored. Meanwhile, oil the sharpening steel with vegetable oil very lightly. Test the color of the caramel periodically by placing a drop of the caramel on a white plate. When it’s slightly lighter than you want it stop the cooking by placing the bottom of the pot in a bowl of ice water. Swirl it a bit to distribute the cooling. When the caramel has cooled enough to slowly fall from a spoon gather up a glob (about 1 tablespoon) on the dessert spoon and hold it over the saucepan. Let it drop and once you have a strand falling from the spoon, hold the sharpening steel over the sauce pan and wind it around the sharpening steel to form a spring. When you reach the end of the steel pinch the end of the caramel to cut it off. Let cool slightly, about 30 seconds, then slide it off the sharpening steal. Place in an air tight container with folded parchment paper in between each boing.

Make the hazelnut spikes stick a toothpick into the nut. Place a stick of cold butter or a piece of hard cheese on the counter at the edge. Dip the hazelnut, one at a time, in the caramel, then stick the toothpick in the butter with the hazelnut sticking out. The caramel will slowly drip then set to create a strand hanging from it. When they cool, remove them from the butter and place them in an airtight container, with wax paper between the layers.