Snow Roach Snow Cones

Procedure

1. Brew the Cobalt. Bring the 1 cup water and 1 cup granulated sugar to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the syrup turns clear, about 3 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the butterfly pea flowers and steep 10 minutes, until the syrup is deep cobalt. Strain, pressing on the flowers, then stir in the vanilla extract and a pinch of fine salt.⏱ 3:00⏱ 10:00
2. Mix the Lemon Reagent. In a second small saucepan, warm the ⅔ cup granulated sugar, ⅓ cup water and lemon zest over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, then simmer 1 minute. Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and a pinch of fine salt. The juice goes in last because boiled lemon tastes cooked. Strain out the zest once it cools.⏱ 1:00
3. Whisk the Snow Cap. Whisk the sweetened condensed milk, coconut milk and a pinch of fine salt until smooth. Pour into a squeeze bottle or small jug and refrigerate.
4. Deep chill. Refrigerate the Cobalt and the Lemon Reagent until cold, at least 1 hour; cold syrup melts less snow. For the last 15 minutes, put 8 paper cones or small cups in the freezer.⏱ 1:00:00⏱ 15:00
5. Make the snow. Let the ice cubes sit at room temperature for 5 minutes; slightly wet ice shaves fluffier and shatters less. Shave them in a snow cone machine or ice shaver. No machine? Pulse 2 cups of ice at a time in a blender in 1-second bursts until it looks like fresh powder, and keep each batch in the freezer while you shave the next.⏱ 5:00
6. Build the summit. Pack the snow loosely into the frozen cones and mound each one into a tall dome. Spiral 2 to 3 tablespoons of Cobalt over the top, slowly, so it soaks in instead of pooling.
7. Run the experiment. At the table, drizzle about 1 tablespoon of Lemon Reagent over each blue dome and watch it turn violet where it lands. Crown with a ribbon of Snow Cap and serve at once, with spoon straws.