SC - Rose Doughnut Questions

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Varju at aol.com wrote:

> OK we have established that the cane honey is either molasses or treacle.  My
> question first question is, what is "the right consistency" for the batter?
>  Also what would be "plenty of hot butter"? (enough to submerge the rose
> completely, or. . .)

I don't feel we have established satisfactorily that cane honey is
either molasses or treacle. Both are byproducts of sugar production, but
because of their water content and commensurate weight, are difficult to
transport across Eurasia, even assuming they are just coming across the
water from Cyprus to Hungary. Molasses appears to have become a common
food product in 18th-century New England, and treacle is, I'd bet,
something the English started having common access to, also in the 18th
century, when they began to process beet sugar.

Personally I'd suggest a thickish cane sugar syrup like the ones
fritters have been dipped in all over the Balkans and the Mediterranean
coast for centuries.

As for batter consistency, I'd suggest a smooth batter thin enough that
a rose can be evenly covered without damaging it in the process, but
thick enough so that it protects the rose from the direct heat of the
fat. Say, like somewhere in between a standard crepe batter, and a
standard American pancake batter.

The reference to butter, I'd interpret as meaning to deep-fry in
clarified butter. Sounds prohibitively expensive, possibly. You might
try Crisco, or perhaps, if you have access to an Indian market, some
vegetable ghee, which is kind of like butter-flavored Crisco.

Adamantius  
______________________________________
Phil & Susan Troy
troy at asan.com
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