SC - GLAZED LEG OF LAMB

Tue Dec 7 13:36:16 PST 1999

> but don't humidity and candy usually not mix?  The sugar won't behave 
> properly with lots of humidity, it won't set up.   I vote for a basin laid 
> over them to prevent browning, even though holding in that bit of humidity 
> might change the overall texture.

Under pure sugar circumstances, I'd agree.
Under room temperature, I'd agree
But this is not pure sugar, it is sugar amalgamated with egg white, the 
intent of which here is to be cooked, or the instructions would probably 
say to "dry it out well till it be set", as is done with royal Icing Piped 
decorations, which have a similar recipe, but are not cooked in an oven.
Also, even if there is humidity in an oven, the candy is still made hot. and 
moisture given OFF, not taken in, as it would be in a humid atmosphere 
that is room temerature.  The idea, as I see it, is to cook the egg, and 
slowly and evenly dry out the candy to harden it.  Besides, a basin of 
water is not going to make the air inside like a hot shower... Hot Air 
absorbs a considerable amount of water. If you had a window on the oven, 
I daresay it would not be fogged at all, the inside surfaces, ( and the candy ) 
would be just too hot to allow much condensation!
To Lady Brighid ni Chiarain:
As regards the recent experiment, Good for you!
Sounds like you have a good recipe. If you like picking the piped rosettes 
off a very good cake, then you will like this recipe!
Like your hubby, I have a sweet tooth, so I'll try this one too! 
Perhaps you can raise the amount of Crushed almonds. I am not sure if 
Roasted, blanched, boiled, oven dried, or raw almonds will make 
differences to the textures, but I think it will. I think that the amount of 
OIL in the nuts will effect the way that the meringe holds air.

I'd also point out that the "sifting" tool used would likely have been a silk 
boulting cloth, which would result in a finer grind of sugar than was used in 
the redactions. I think that whne one makes a blanket statement like "they 
didn't have finely powdered sugar in period" it is usually not entirely correct.
If I put sugar in a food processor and processed it, the result would be fine 
powder, true, but liberally laced with cracked granules. these would sink 
to the bottom of the container. This may explain why the amounts got smaller 
before the texture went sandy, as you got lower in the container where you 
put the powdered sugar, you probably had a Higher concentration of larger 
granules. If the sugar was filtered though a boulting cloth, though, then 
most of the larger granules would be trapped, and the flour fine sugar 
passed through. I'd say, in this case, that except for the 3% corn Starch 
added to as an anti-clumping agent, regular old confectioner's sugar is not 
an unreasonable facsimile of finely boulted ground sugar. 
IIRC, the particle size is only slightly smaller than that of good milled flour. 
I believe that flour is the same size as or smaller then 2X superfine. 
Why try to mill your own sugar, when you use pre-milled flour?  
Go ahead and use the confectioners sugar. 
Because it is a consistent milling, your results will be more consistent as well.

Brandu

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