SC - Flavoured oils query

[Terry Nutter]

Well, I've never played with either of these recipes, but I have
done some candy making......

> I'm working on a soteltie for a wedding in a few weeks, and am redacting a
> recipe from Curye on Inglysch, the Goud Kokery section, rec'ts 18, 19
> (sloane ms 468, 121).
> 
> For to make gygngerbred
> Rec't 18: Boil half a quart of honey till is as thick as wax. Pour the honey
> in a pan that has been wetted with water. Add 1 lb. ginger, 1/4 ounce of
> pepper, and let cool.  Then follows complex directions for, basically,
> making honey taffy.
> 
> To make gyggerbrede
> Rec't 19 : Boil honey on the stove to clarify it. Grate "fine paynemayn or
> wastrel brede" and put it into the boiling honey. Stir quickly to combine,
> and remove from heat. Add ginger, long pepper, saunders, and shape/mix with
> your hands. Put into a flat pan, (shape to fit), and strew on sugar, and
> insert cloves (mysterious mention of putting the cloves near the"egg" at
> this point) if you wish.
> 
> It has occured to me that there are three problems here: A) The bread crumbs
> are not dry enough,  B) The honey should be cooked to a  "ball" or"crack"
> stage before the breadcrumbs are added C) The spices are too strong, if used
> as in rec't 18. I can fix the spice issue on my own, but I have a limites
> supply of honey, so I'd like to get some advice before proceeding.

The dryness of the breadcrumbs could effect the consistancy, in that you will
be re-introducing moisture that you boiled out.  However if you use too
dry a bread the product will be grainy.  Fine line there.

Regarding cooking the honey more:  that will certainly
make it harden up better.  Is your goal to have it edible when you 
are done?  if so, be careful of how long you cook it.  You can
definately create something that will hold up the weight but you might not
even be able to break it to eat it!  Taffy recipes usually go to 
something comparable to a soft ball stage, so if you want something a
little firmer, go to a hard ball sate.  I personally use a candy thermometer
and double check with the glass of cold water and drops of the candy.  (Do
you know how to do this?  take a glass of cold water, drop a few drops into
it and then reach in and gather them up - if they fall apart, it's not
done.  if they gather into a soft ball that holds together but squshes, 
give it a bit longer.  if it hardens into little balls or gathers together
and hardens to not be squishy, you are closer to something that will support
weight.  If you can snap the pieces, you are into a crack stage - this is only
useful if you are making a hard candy that you would suck on.  )

Hope that helps a bit....
Ruadh

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