SC - Re: Comfits

[Elise Fleming]

Greetings!  A recipe for comfits was asked for.  Dawson (I believe it 
is) has one which I tried, and made comments on, but it is terribly 
long.  I can post it if people don't mind the length, or I can send it 
privately if you send me your address.

Regarding the comment about making them:  It is a lengthy process, 
time-consuming and tedious.  No, it isn't as simple as making a sugar 
syrup and dropping them in.  (Rumor has it that the modern comfits made 
commercially take more than a day to make, but I can't verify that.)  
Basically, one makes a sugar syrup to a specific "density" and then 
ladles small amounts onto small amounts of the seeds.  You then use 
your hand (!  Yes, you really can!) to move the seeds around in the pan 
which "sets" the sugar.  You continue to add small amounts of syrup, 
drying the seeds in between.  Small comfits take some 12 or more coats. 
 The problem I've found is that not all the syrup goes onto the seeds.  
You end up with some coated seeds and a bunch of sugar globs which 
continue to grow and attract more syrup!  The idea is to coat the 
seeds, not the globs!  The small batch that I did, less than a cup, 
took over three hours for some twelve coats.  If you can buy some from 
Indian stores, they are really cheaper!  :-)

Alys K.
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