Experimental cookery

Concentration and temperature for cooking the sirup. A sucrose solution containing 80 per cent of sucrose, i.e., 80 grams of sucrose and 20 grams of water, boils at 112°C., is saturated at 90°C. and super- saturated below 90°C. Therefore, no crystals are formed in a sucrose solution cooked to 112°C. until the temperature drops below 90°C. Woodruff and van Gilder found that fondant cooked to 115°C. has an average water content of about 13 per cent. The higher the temperature to which the sirup is cooked, the less the percentage of water in the fondant. If fondant contains too small a proportion of water, it is dry and crumbly ; if too much, it is sirupy and runny. When the sirup is cooked to 109° to 111°C. (Experiment 7B), the fondant contains a high percentage of moisture. Sirups cooked to this temperature give a fondant too fluid to knead or mold, unless it is beaten when hot. Fondant sirup for ordinary home use may be cooked from 113° to 115° C. The lower temperature gives a softer fondant for remelting and making candy like peppermints; the higher temperature gives a drier fondant for molding. It should be 58 SUGAR COOKERY Fig. 1. — Crystals from fondant. The sirup was cooked to 113°C. — then beaten immediately until the mass was stiff enough to knead. Magnification approxi- mately X 200. Fig. 2. — Crystals from fondant. A portion of the same sirup as that in Fig. 1. It was beaten slightly while hot to start crystallization; then left to stand several hours until the whole mass was crystallized. Magnification approximately x 200. {Photomicrographs of sugar crystals by courtesy of Ethel L. Sivanson.) SUGAR COOKERY 59 Fig. 3. — Crystals from fondant. A portion of the same sirup as that shown in Fig. 1. Cooled to 40°C. Then beaten until the mass was stiff and kneadable. Magnification approximately x 200. ^xT. '^ At- \ )_■?', Fig. 4. — Crystals from fondant. A portion of the fondant shown in Fig. 3, immediately after adding 6 per cent of beaten egg white. Magnification approxi- mately X 200. 60 SUGAR COOKERY Fig. 5. — Crystals from fondant. A portion of the same fondant shown in Fig. 3 after 20 days' storage. Note aggregation of the crystals. Magnification approxi- mately X 200. Fig. 6. — Crystals from fondant to which 6 per cent egg white v as added after 20 days' storage. Compare with Fig. 4, Magnification approximately x 200. SUGAR COOKERY Fig. 7. — Crystals from fondant. A portion of the same fondant shown in Fig. 3 after storage for 40 days. Note the growth of crystals. Magnification approxi- mately X 200. Fig. 8. — Crystals from fondant, with 6 per cent of added egg white after 40 days' storage. A comparison with crystals in Fig. 4 and Fig. 7 shows that egg white tends to retard crystal growth during storage. Magnification approxi- mately X 200. 62 SUGAR COOKERY ■ f ■• ^ V ?/ # - C> \' ' , ^ >4 t ^ .'•i -tr '^ ■";.0 'x^ w <tl *^^ . *^^ / ^■- , . > , ' ' #- " \ A , , - ■i^di' Fig. 9. — Crystals from divinity which was beaten until a piece dropped from a spoon would hold its shape, yet still appear glossy. Magnification approxi- mately X 200.