Yeeeeoowwwch! My pal Kathleen is an avid and talented baker, and in the midst of a late night apple tartlet frenzy, managed to wound herself severely with a lashing of molten sugar. If you've never suffered a sugar burn, consider yourself among the blessed. Professional bakers refer to boiled sugar as "edible napalm," as it's blisteringly hot and adheres to skin in a way that make it almost impossible to wash or scrape off in the frenzy of the moment.

Yes, a hospital trip would have been a logical solution, but a New York City emergency room on a Friday night seemed like neither an efficient nor inexpensive bet. Kathleen took to the internet to research the appropriate first aid for a sugar burn, and made a quick stop by Facebook to announce her plight. The sympathy and suggestions from friends began pouring in: "package of frozen edamame," "If hot sugar or water burns skin, place skin in cold water (not ice)." "Pure aloe squeezed from a leaf will promote healing, you should be able to obtain it from the greengrocer or garden shop." "Wrap lightly in gauze."

She settled for a combo of the latter two and is in much better shape today, but Monday (or, uh, Sunday) morning quarterbacking it -- what is in fact the best way to deal with a sugar burn? Even for veteran web researchers like those rallying around Kathleen, it proved incredibly difficult to pin down an definitive answer. If we can collectively share some wisdom here in the comments, perhaps it might serve as a starting point for someone in a similar situation in the future. Links or advice, anyone?

Oh -- and I'm getting her an elbow-length silicone oven mitt for Christmas. Shhhh!