Almanac – Confectionery
April 4th, 2013It’s time for another sweet almanac entry. And I mean that literally because our subject is confectionery. They haven’t learned to Dutch-process chocolate in the early 18th century so getting hard chocolate candies isn’t possible. Instead, they make do with a variety of nuts, fruits, and sugar. I make sugarplums every year for Christmas, and they are a fantastic treat. The sugar, honey, and fruit create a taste that blossoms in your mouth as you eat it. Incredibly delicious.
Comfits intrigue me. These hard candies were common on the tables of kings and queens in the 18th century and were a status symbol because they were so time consuming to make. Thanks to technology, this treat of the nobility is now available to everyone. For the comfit is the ancestor of the M&M. So the candy of kings can now be found in nearly every vending machine in the country and is available for the cost of your pocket change.
We live in an age of miracle and wonder.
Only a few more days left in our Art Contest. Laura has a good lead but Amasugiru can easily catch up. Voting closes at midnight on Saturday so vote today.
When I was in pastry school I had to work with marzipan. The easiest things to make are carrots, but marzipan roses were fairly simple once you got the trick of them.
I hate marzipan and most sugary almond products though. It all tastes like cyanide to me.
Do you have a recipe for Sugarplums? Sounds like something to try out.
I use the one is created by Alton Brown (one of my favorite chefs). It is from his episode “Twas the Night Before Good Eats” where the recipe is given by the Sugarplum Fairy herself. She is delightfully funny and wicked. “That would be bad. And bad rhymes with mad. And mad rhymes with pain…” The video is on the link.
Alton Brown’s Sugar Plum Recipe