Sugar confections

by the end of the slide you will get an idea about the various sugar art used in the hotel or a confectionery

1. SUGAR CONFECTIONS The art of sugar confectionary dates back to 3500 years ago and was popularized by Egyptians. In those time it was prepared by using honey Sugar not only adds taste to the product but also plays a very important role in textures It is used to make decorations and sculptures The sugar cooked at a particular temperature then it is pulled, casted and even blown to create showpieces

2. STAGES OF SUGAR AND ITS USES The boiling of sugar is very crucial as it tends to change in every two degrees Density of sugar is measured in baume or brix , by using a hand held device called refractometer Above the temperature of 165 *c, the sugar will start to attain caramel colour and at 170-175*c it will burn to black in colour , referred to as black jack

3. TEMPERATURE STAGE OF SUGAR 107*C THREAD 112*C STRONG THREAD 118*C SOFT BALL 125*C HARD BALL 140*C SOFT CRACK 150*C CRACK 155*C HARD CRACK

4. PRODUCTS MADE FROM SUGAR SUGAR SYRUP One of the most crucial things of pastry kitchen. Used for moistening agents in cake and pastries

5. MARSHMALLOWS They are prepared by whipping sugar, gelatin and egg whites until foamy and then the mixture is piped or set in the tray. After 12-14 hours it is cut into desired shapes and coated with a mixture of icing sugar, cornflour and flavouring

6. CARAMELS, FUDGES AND TOFFEE For making caramel sugar, liquid glucose and water is boiled. As soon as the temperature reaches 170*c the mixture is removed and the base of the pan is dipped in the cold water to arrest the temperature Toffee is created by cooking sugar, liquid glucose, cream, butter and condensed milk to form sticky and chewy product known as toffee For making fudges toffee can be transferred into fudge by adding extra fat such as peanut butter or by agitating the mixture with whisk

7. CANDIES Made by heating the sugar to 160*c and then allowed to cool down to 150*c and then pulled and stretched and pulled again to make a shiny candy. Examples are lollypops, caramelitos

8. FONDANT It is used for icing wedding cakes and many other confectionary products. made by boiling sugar and water at a temperature of 105*c and then liquid glucose or cream of tartar is added and again boiled till 115*c. mixture now is cooled down and kneaded together like a dough

9. GUM PASTE It is made by combining icing sugar, cornflour and gelatin to the consistency of a dough. It is rarely used for direct consumption. Instead, this paste is used for decoration purposes such a showpieces, flowers, leaves or any other geometrical shapes

10. NOUGATINE It is made by caramelizing the sugar to a clear amber colour and then add sliced almonds are added. When it cools, it turn brittle and can be crushed to a coarse texture and used on cakes and pastries

11. ROCK SUGAR It is commonly used in sugar sculptures and can be broken into smaller pieces and used as garnish for deserts. It is made by boiling sugar to soft crack and a small amount of royal icing and mixed well. This will cause a rise like lava from volcano. Mix is immediately poured into a mould lined with aluminium foil and allowed to set

12. HONEYCOMB Similar to rock sugar but it resembles like sponge. It is made by boiling sugar, honey and water to 148*c . It is then cooled and baking soda is added and the mixture is whisked immediately and poured in a mould lined with parchment paper and allowed to set

13. JAM It is made with fresh fruits and sugar. Pectin, a natural enzyme present in a citrus fruit, helps in setting the fruit to a jelly consistency. Pectin is generally available in powder form also

14. SPUN SUGAR The sugar is boiled to around 165*c and then removed from heat source. An old whisk is dipped in the mixture and moved in fast and quick motion to form many thread like structure. Used as garnish

15. PATE DE FRUITS It is sugar and jelly confection that allows the fruit puree to set into a firm jelly which can be eaten as a sweet snacks. Extra pectin is added to the mixture to get a jelly consistency. When it cools down it is cut in various shapes and dredgred in granulated sugar

16. PREPARATION PRIOR TO COMMENCING SUGAR WORK PANS FOR BOILING SUGAR : copper pan or thick pan to be used as it ensures even heat circulation. MARBLE SLAB : it must be cleaned, wiped and lightly greased with vegetable oil OTHER EQUIPMENT : metal scrapper, sugar thermometer, scissors, knife and brush are required LEAF MOULDS : come in many shape and sizes SILICONE MOULD : used for making various shapes

17. STORAGE CONTAINERS : container made of good quality plastic to be used. A little silica gel or lime crystals should be placed at the bottom of the containers which protect sugar from humidity HEAT LAMB : the bulb has a minimum wattage of 250 watts so that it can help to keep the sugar temperature at 70-75*c BLOWING PUMP : it is and apparatus which has a metal tube attached to a hand operated pump BLOW FAN : used to cool the sugar especially when it is blown to create figures SILICONE MATS : it is used to hold on the sugar while it is being worked upon

18. INGREDIENTS FOR SUGAR WORK SUGAR : granulated sugar is used for the best results ANTI-CRYSTALIZING AGENTS : it is added to sugar to help prevent the sugar from crystallizing. It keeps it malleable and soft as long as it pulled Glucose - kind of invert sugar. Used in the ratio of 200gm per 1kg of sugar Tartaric acid solution- strongest of all anti-crystalizing agents. It is available in both powdered and liquid forms. Too much of it will lead soft to hold whereas too less of it will lead to too hard blown figures Cream of tartar- it is diluted to the sugar and used Lemon juice- it has also a bleaching effect on the colours of the sugar keeping them clear and bright Fondant - it is used as it contains a large percentage of glucose

19. COLOURS: various food colour are used. The best type are powder or gel forms as water might hamper the texture of the final syrup. Spray colours are also used in pulled or casted sugar SILICA GEL: it is used for storing and protecting sugar from the humidity. The advantage of this is it change its colours from blue to pink, when it is humid and can be regenerated once dried in oven to get rid of the moisture FOOD LACQUER/DECO SPRAY: it is used to give shine and protects the sugar structure from humidity

20. COOKING SUGAR SUGAR FOR CASTING No acid is added into the syrup as we need a brittle and a fairly hard structure. When the sugar is poured into the prepared mould , it is allowed to set without being disturbed

21. PULLED SUGAR Similar to the casting sugar but here acid such as citric acid or tartaric acid is added. Sugar is allowed to boil at 158*c and then tartaric acid is added and again boiled to 160*c The syrup is then poured over a clean and lightly oiled marble slab or silicone mat. When the sugar is cooled to 85*c, it is then folded in an inward motion It is then lifted and stretched to around 10-12 inches and the two ends are folded apart The two ends are joined again and pulled and then pulled again Colour can also be added and then pulled sugar flower or pulled sugar ribbons or pulled sugar garnish can be used

22. BLOWN SUGAR The sugar is cooked and pulled as per the pulling sugar technique The sugar is pulled under the heat lamp It is then made into a small ball and flattened to create a cup like structure the metal part is slightly oiled and inserted in the cup Air is blown into the sugar with the help of the pump It is important to keep cooling the sugar under a fan The blown structure is then removed from the metal tip by either pulling it away slowly from the tube or by heating the the tube with a blow torch

23. THANK YOU COMPILED BY CHEF MOHD ABDULLAH ALUMNI IHM HAJIPUR