The dust method creates a powder-like substance or fine, coarse particles that can be sprinkled over a drink to add an aroma, rim a glass, or create an illusion of dirt spread all over a plate, cigar ashes, cotton candy, etc.
I use two ways of creating powders: Maltodextrin, the Tapioca one, and food dehydrator.
The specific Malto I used is Tapioca (cassava root) Maltodextrin, a food starch used to absorb and thicken fat. The final product is a powder which melts in your mouth and has a nice texture. Any liquid or solid item with high-fat content can be used. Olive oil, Caramel, Nutella, peanut butter, and bacon fat are some of the right ingredients. If they are in a solid state, like bacon fat, they must be liquefied before that; others, like Nutella, don’t have to be.
The general ratio is 40-60% of the fat content. The powder can be made using a blender or manually.
In a blender, add;
120 gr Nutella
80 gr Tapioca Maltodextrin
Blend it, scrape the sides of the blender occasionally; if it is not powdery enough, add more Maltodextrin. Store in the fridge for a couple of weeks.
Manually;
In a bowl, add Nutella first, then add a spoon of Maltodextrin and stir. Keep adding Malto and stirring until you get a nice fluffy powder. Strain through a fine sieve.
Don’t add the powder to a drink. It will lose its texture.
Another way of making dust is to use a food dehydrator. For that purpose, you will need a liquid with a higher sugar content. Since one of my favourite aperitifs is Campari, I used it to make cotton candy. Not all aperitifs or liqueurs will dehydrate to crystallized form. That might have something to do with their ingredients, but trying is fun.
Cotton Candy Campari
Ingredients
- 500 ml Campari- the amount depends on the size of the dehydrator tray.
- Food Dehydrator
Instructions
- Pour the Campari onto the food dehydrator tray.
- Turn it on and have a drink(s). The wait time varies. I have a smaller one, and it took me around 6 hours for all the liquid to vaporize. What you have left is a substance with a crystallized texture.
- Scrape it, cover it, and store it in the fridge.
- When using the Campari, you have two options: a muddler or spice grinder to crush and pulverize it to make it look like refined sugar.
- You can rim the glass, sprinkle it on the drink, or run it through a cotton candy machine.
- The cotton candy can be served as a garnish on top of a drink or placed into an empty cocktail glass, after that the drink can be poured on top of it in front of the customer.
Notes
Another way of dehydrating a Campari is in the oven in a low heat140-185F, I haven't used this method, but I've seen different posts on the web of people describing how is done.
