Reader Jen asks: Where do the names for the confectionery stages of sugar come from? A very interesting question. The names themselves are obviously descriptive of the way the sugar syrup behaves after it’s been heated to the requisite temperature. “Thread”-stage syrup forms threads as it’s drizzled from a spoon or fork. “Soft crack” and […]
READ ONCrack, speed ball…oh no wait, that’s what Lindsey Lohan had for breakfast this morning. What I meant to say was thread, soft ball, firm ball, hard ball, soft crack, hard crack. These are the terms for the sugar syrups used in the confectionery arts. What’s the difference between them? Simply, the degree to which they’ve […]
READ ONSyrups of different sorts are found all around us in nature, notably in the form of tree saps, which human beings around the world have harvested for eons. Most of us in the Northern Hemisphere automatically think “maple” when we consider tree syrups, but in reality there are many other types of sap-giving trees. Birch […]
READ ONHeavier still are these sauce-like syrups that weigh in at a ratio of 1.5 parts sugar to 1 part water or more. You typically find them in plated desserts where they’re puddled or drizzled around to create various decorative effects. The recipe is: 8 ounces water 14 ounces sugar Flavoring elements of your choice – […]
READ ONI’d put up photo tutorials for syrups, but in all honesty there’s not much to photograph (a pan of water with sugar being poured into it, that’s about it). Plus, the result would be a heck of a lot of syrup in my house! Cake syrups are typically a little heavier than poaching syrups, at […]
READ ONA fruit poaching syrup is typically the lightest of the syrups used in the pastry kitchen, at a ratio of 1 part sugar to 2 parts water by weight. Heavier syrups are sometimes used, certainly, but in general if you’re simply poaching peaches or pears, this is the formula you’d use: 8 ounces water 4 […]
READ ONSimply syrup is used mostly for drinks like sweet tea or for cocktails. It’s very light, made of 1 part sugar and 1 part water by volume. To make a simple syrup, combine: 1 cup (8 ounces) water 1 cup (7 ounces) sugar Heat for about three minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Allow it […]
READ ONReader Anne writes in with this very interesting email: I have a question about simple syrups. I have never seen a tutorial on how they are made, what the different ratios will yield, and what the best use for the different kinds are. It may be a basic thing, but I’ve never had to use […]
READ ON…there’s quite a bit of nerdy kitchen gear in stores this year. The L.A. Times has it covered.
READ ONLots of you have been asking me that over the past several weeks, since I left my gingerbread house undecorated in the tutorial. I can tell you that after the structure was completed, I set my young ones to the task of decorating it. But since a 6-year-old and a 3-year-old have limited attention spans, […]
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