Ever wondered how pastry chefs on the food network made elaborate pieces of art out of sugar? It is a science that can make or break the sugar piece, adding too much or too little sugar, water, or anything in the recipe for that matter can alter the appearance of the final product.
When it comes down to it, you can choose between using berry sugar, (a finer white sugar) or isomalt. Most people use isomalt as it doesn't crystallize and tends to last longer as a final product then berry sugar does. Isomalt is a crystal form sugar substitute that can also be used as a sugar substitute.
When it comes to cooking sugar and isomalt, it is relatively the same in cooking times. Once it comes to a boil, you want to add your acid (cream of tartar) as well as any colour that you desire. Then bring it to a temperature of 160 degrees Celsius. The closer it is to this temperature, the stronger the final product will be. If you are a beginner, it is said to go towards 155 degrees Celsius as it is easier to handle and you will get a feel of how the sugar works.
As long as you follow these main steps, everything should work out just fine :)
1. Use white granulated sugar or isomalt. (Isomalt is more forgiving)
2. Place sugar and water in a clean pot. Put on heat and mix until the sugar is dissolved.
3. When sugar is dissolved, raise the heat and clean the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush. DO NOT STIR FROM NOW ON :)
4. use an accurate sugar thermometer to read the temperature of the sugar.
5. Add color at 125 degrees Celsius and the acid at 135 degrees Celsius. (best colour should be in a paste and have no acid properties)
6. once its reached 155 - 160 degrees Celsius, take off heat and shock it in a bowl of ice. Once it is slightly thickened and calmed down, then you can do what ever you like with your sugar.*
When it comes down to it, you can choose between using berry sugar, (a finer white sugar) or isomalt. Most people use isomalt as it doesn't crystallize and tends to last longer as a final product then berry sugar does. Isomalt is a crystal form sugar substitute that can also be used as a sugar substitute.
When it comes to cooking sugar and isomalt, it is relatively the same in cooking times. Once it comes to a boil, you want to add your acid (cream of tartar) as well as any colour that you desire. Then bring it to a temperature of 160 degrees Celsius. The closer it is to this temperature, the stronger the final product will be. If you are a beginner, it is said to go towards 155 degrees Celsius as it is easier to handle and you will get a feel of how the sugar works.
As long as you follow these main steps, everything should work out just fine :)
1. Use white granulated sugar or isomalt. (Isomalt is more forgiving)
2. Place sugar and water in a clean pot. Put on heat and mix until the sugar is dissolved.
3. When sugar is dissolved, raise the heat and clean the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush. DO NOT STIR FROM NOW ON :)
4. use an accurate sugar thermometer to read the temperature of the sugar.
5. Add color at 125 degrees Celsius and the acid at 135 degrees Celsius. (best colour should be in a paste and have no acid properties)
6. once its reached 155 - 160 degrees Celsius, take off heat and shock it in a bowl of ice. Once it is slightly thickened and calmed down, then you can do what ever you like with your sugar.*
Some different techniques include poured, blowing, spinning, and pulling. Here is a video of Susan Notter making a swan. She makes it look so easy, when I did this in school it took me three days to put it together and she did hers in three minutes. This goes to show that experience and lots of practice pays off. Susan Notter sugar swan video This gives you a taster of some different techniques when it comes to sugar art.
Sugar Swan sitting in a lake, hanging out with a bird. The bird was quite chilly. In this final piece I used blown, pulled, and poured sugar techniques.
In this final piece I used techniques that included pulled, poured, and blown sugar. I also made pastillage, another sugar art technique and suspended it in poured sugar. Its end result is a cross between an icing and marble. pastillage rolled out like a piece of dough is a perfect canvas for painting, but it breaks very easily. It sounds like fine bone china hitting a stone floor.
So what do you think when it comes to sugar art and its science? It is not as hard as it looks and putting even a little sugar decoration on top of a plated dessert will guarantee positive feedback.
Sweet Dreams,
Tyla
*Information was gathered from my textbook. Gisslen, W. (2005). Proffesional Baking Fourth Edition. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, inc
Whoa! That's amazing. It looks really complicated, I'll have to try it some time!
ReplyDeleteI know it probably tastes amazing, but i don't think I could eat it haha. I would just keep it; it's too cool =)
ReplyDelete