SC - Re: Comfits
ChannonM at aol.com
ChannonM at aol.com
Fri Oct 13 09:47:09 PDT 2000
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
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