SC - Re: Marzipan Mold Material

[Elise Fleming]

Volodislav wrote:
>I'd be fascinated to see a chanterelle mushroom mold. They're shaped
>(actual chanterelles, anyway) like curved paper fans; it doesn't sound
>like an easy mold to make from metal. Maybe wood?	

English recipes list molds of wood, metal, and plaster.

>this is entirely conjecture on my part but.....
>i remember seeing a recipie (possibly in to the king's taste or to the 
>queens taste) about sugarpaste icing (sugar plate) molded into hollow 
>walnuts with other treats inside, much like a modern british party 
>cracker.   they suggested teh mold be made from alabaster.  and that 
>the sugarplate be baked in the oven i'm guessing on low to dry out the 
>paste. 

Sugar paste _was_ made in various shapes, sometimes (as in the above 
example of walnuts) with treats or trinkets hidden in them.  But, to my 
knowledge, they were _never_ put in a oven to dry out.  I tried that 
only once, not having planned far enough in advance to let the items 
air dry, and I figured that the Tudor kitchen would have a nice warm 
oven to sit the items near.  Even at 140 degrees (the lowest my oven 
will go) the item melted and became unusable.  Sugar paste can be baked 
in an oven, as in 17th century recipes for certain jumbles.  In these 
recipes, the sugar paste is wrapped around a "snake" of marzipan, then 
bent into knot shapes.  The sugar paste, on baking, puffs up and 
somewhat loses shape.  It is a lovely, delicate flavor.

> they would have probably used the same for marzipan if they were 
>doing similar moldings with it.  why have to have two sets of molds 
>made? 

It could be that one would be more detailed than the other or of a 
different size.

Some molds of wood were made in two or three parts.  Hot sugar syrup 
could be poured into these molds (which had to be pre-soaked in water), 
whirled around the head or rolled between the palms, and then removed 
from the mold, forming a lovely hollow sugar item.

Alys Katharine





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