SC - Confectioner's sugar

[UnruhBays, Melanie A]

Nikki McGeary wrote:
> 
> I've done a fair bit of reading of email listings and such recently,
> and I don't see a definite ruling on whether or not confectioner's
> sugar is period.  I'm considering making gum paste from scratch and
> would like to be as period as I can.  I guess today's confectioner's
> sugar is just a version of "pounded sugar"?

Confectioner's sugar contains a certain amount of starch (in the U.S.,
probably cornstarch made from maize) as an anti-caking agent. The fact
that the small percentage of starch probably is useful in the kinds of
applications confectioner's sugar is often used for probably hasn't
escaped the manufacturers' attention.

Period pounded sugar would be more or less pure sugar, although with
varying levels of impurites, often giving it just the faintest yellowish
color. The actual sugar in coarse form would be darker in color before
pounding -- "black" sugar, which would actually be dark brown, might
pound into something looking like light brown sugar in color, more
processed sugar might be straw-colored and yield a cream-colored powder.
Modern panela dolce or piloncilo give a nice, yellow powder, etc. 

There seem to be textural differences, as well. Pounded sugar tends to
be more flaky; it almost looks more like powdered detergent than like
granulated sugar. Finer grades would be, well, finer. 

I'd say the chances are that for things like sugar plate [later,
uncooked varieties] confectioner's sugar does a decent job: what's
another complex carbohydrate in addition to the sugar and the gum? Bear
in mind that most recipes call for a certain amount of either starch or
rice flour to be used to keep the plate from sticking to things, so a
small amount of that will end up in the finished product anyway. You
might experiment with either pounding your own sugar or try
unadulterated bar sugar (it's designed to dissolve quickly in cold
liquids without clouding them) for bulk usage.

Adamantius  
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com