These take about 15 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to make. You will need a sharpening steel and parchment paper in an airtight container with a lid, and a bowl of iced water.
Put the sugar in a 1-quart saucepan. Pour the water down around the walls of the pan carefully so that no water or sugar splashes up. Draw your finger through the sugar in an X to let the water infiltrate the sugar completely. Bring the water to a boil and continue to cook over medium heat without stir