SC - Re: Comfits

[ChannonM at aol.com]

Due to our recent posts regarding the above, I thought it would be timely to 
post what I wrote to Gwen Cat in a private email. Since I walked through my 
method, here it is

<and I do 
> want 
>  to pick your brain about the sugar comfits - how do you do them so they 
stay 
> 
>  separate and white (since mine tent to want to turn light golden and glob 
>  into bunches...
>  

This came with practice in my case. Getting the sugar to a high enough temp 
and for long enough to accomplish the coatings is the difficult part. What I 
found was that the sugar had to be at hard candy stage. I did not use a 
thermometer, but a glass of cold water. When the syrup went to the stage 
where it threads, I found it was best. I held the bowl of spices in my left 
hand and poured in about 1/2 Tablespoon of the hot syrup into about 1/8th cup 
of spices. I then used a fork to turn them around in the bowl.I know it says 
use your hand, but hygeine took over.  This stage took longer than expected, 
but eventually you can feel them begin to separate and break apart, and then 
they begin to roll on their own. When the weather was warm, I actually put 
them in the fridge to cool off and would go back to them in a few minutes. 
You have to be carefull not to add too much syrup at the beginning of this 
stage, that is where the patience comes in. After about 6 rounds of the 
process, I could begin to add more syrup. This was usually good because the 
syrup would be beginning to crystalize. I had to turn down the heat 
repeatedly to keep a constant temp, but eventually the sugar would begin to 
boil and then would crystalize upon which I would add a dash of water and 
begin again. Very time consuming, but as you saw at the Confections class at 
the symposium, the comfits I made recently  were about a quarter inch in 
diameter and where white and ragged. I was amazed at how they matched the 
picture of them in period. That was very rewarding. 

It's too bad you can't make it to the symposium I'm sponsoring. I'd teach my 
methods just for you! I will be doing a demo at our Crown Tournament 
Craftperson's Faire in a week. Maybe I can get someone to film it.

I hope this has been of some help.<>>

Hauviette