Halloween Science: Tricks and Treats

Did you know that cooking is science?  It involves all kinds of complex reactions.  Try out some of these fun (and edible) cooking science activities--with a spooky twist!  This post was inspired by kitchenpantryscientist.com.  Check out their website for even more awesome science ideas!

Vampire Rock Candy
(Makes enough for a Halloween party)
What you'll need
5 cups granulated white sugar
2 cups water
cake pop sticks or wooden skewers
red food coloring

Directions
1. Dip one end of the wooden skewers in water and then roll them in granulated sugar.  The sugar should cover 2-3 inches of the stick.  Let them dry completely.
2. Boil 2 cups of water and 5 cups of sugar until the sugar is dissolved.  It should look like syrup.
3. Let the syrup sit until it is no longer hot and then pour it into a large glass jar or a deep bowl.
4. When the syrup is completely cool, set the sugary end of the skewers into the syrup, evenly spaced.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let them sit for about a week.  Move the sticks from time to time so they don't stick to each other or the bowl.
5. When the rock candy is done, pull them from the syrup and let them dry.  Save the syrup.
6. When you're ready to serve your Vampire Rock Candy, pour a few cm of sugar syrup into the bottom of a pretty glass and add a few drops of red food coloring.  Stir.
7. Put your rock candy, handle side up, into the glass.  Enjoy your blood-dipped rock candy!

How it works
This is crystal science.  Crystals are solids formed by a network of repeating patterns of molecules.  When you boil the sugar into the water, it makes a supersaturated solution, meaning it contains more sugar than can stay in the solution.  As the temperature decreases, the sugar comes out of the solution, forming crystals.  The crystals bond to the sugar "seeds" on the sticks, making rock candy!


Alien Eyeballs
What you'll need
Two 3oz packages of lemon Jell-O
One 6 oz package of Berry Blue Jell-O
Water
Potato peeler
Toothpick or skewer
Two oval-shaped ice cube trays
Cherry Kool-Aid
Blue Raspberry Kool-Aid
Straw

Directions
1. Dissolve two 3oz packages of lemon Jello in 1 and 1/4 cups of boiling water.  Allow it to cool briefly, and pour it into ice cube trays.  Refrigerate until firm.
2. Dissolve 6 oz package of blue Jell-O in 1 and 1/4 cups of boiling water.  Cool briefly.
3. Using the end of your potato peeler, hollow out a circle in the middle of each yellow Jell-O "eyeball".  Carve the circle about halfway to the bottom of the gelatin.  Use a toothpick to remove the cored Jell-O.
4. Fill the hollow with the liquid blue gelatin and return to the refrigerator to harden.
5. Once set, put ice cube trays containing Jell-O eyeballs in a casserole dish of hot tap water for 1-2 minutes.  This will help you unmold the gelatin.  Remove the eyeballs from the ice cube trays.
6.  Use a straw to add red Kool-Aid liquid to the center of each eyeball.  Then use a toothpick to draw lines out from the center.
7.  Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for a few hours so that the Kool-Aid will start to diffuse.
8. Repeat the process with blue Kool-Aid liquid.
9.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.  The Kool-Aid colors will diffuse into the eyeballs!

How it works
Molecules move from areas of high concentration, where there are a lot of other similar molecules, to areas of low concentration, where there are not as many similar molecules.  This is called diffusion.


Halloween Meringues
What you'll need
3 egg whites from extra large eggs
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
gel food coloring
toothpicks
sprinkles or dusting sugar (optional)
parchment paper
mixer
baking sheets
pastry bags (or large Ziploc bags with the corners cut off)
Round piping tips (if you have them)

Directions
1. Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees F.
2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Beat egg whites on medium speed until they start to foam.
4. Add cream of tartar and continue to beat the egg whites on high.
5. When soft peaks form, add sugar a tablespoon or so at a time as you beat the eggs.  Add the vanilla.
6. Continue beating the mixture until stiff, glossy peaks with rounded tips form.  Don't over-beat.
7.  Add a round tip to the pastry or plastic bag.  Fill the bag with the meringue.  You can color the meringue with food coloring before piping.
8. Use the bag and tip to pipe half of the meringue into blobs.  (Tip: make colorful streaks on the meringues by using a toothpick to smear food coloring on the inside of the pastry tip before putting it into the bag and piping the meringue.)
9.  A small tip can be used to create eyes for the blobs, snakes or worms, or you can decorate with sprinkles and dusting sugar.
10. Bake the meringues for 1-2 hours until they feel dry.  Let them cool before eating!

How it works
Meringues are egg whites whipped into sugary foams.  As you whip air into the mix, glue-like egg proteins stick to the bubbles, forming a thick foam.  The sugar combines with water from the eggs to create a sweet syrup.  When heated at a low temperature for a long period of time, the sugar and protein go from elastic goo to a crunchy, glassy state!