Capstone – Sugar Techniques

Sugar is used in many ways in our everyday life, from sweetening our coffee in the morning to using it in the latest DIY. A favorite for many, sugar is used primarily in candy. Dating back to 3500BC, where the first recipe for candy was found in an Egyptian tomb. Nowadays, sugar is used for creating sculptures but also decorations that you would see for example, on a plated dessert. This project will be going into further detail to discuss and understand the depths of sugar art and the techniques behind it.

As noted earlier, the first candy recipe was discovered back in 3500BC. The next noted date was set in 4000BC, when sugar canes were cut in Papua New Guinea to get sap out of the canes. Throughout the Ottoman Empire, sugar was used to make figurines for celebrations. The art was known as a “royalty” and only kings and queens were able to have it. (McGee, 2004) Now, it is used all over the world and displayed in many different ways.

In order to make any sort of sugar decoration, you need to have the following two ingredients: sugar and water. Tools and equipment necessary would include: a pot, a candy thermometer, and a pastry brush. Begin by boiling your sugar and water until it reaches 155-160ºC; just above the hard crack stage, other known as clear liquid. To prevent crystallization; using your clean pastry brush, brush the sides of the pot with a little bit of water, making sure to not touch the syrup. (Gisslen, 2013) Another often-used ingredient when making your sugar syrup is to add a little bit of glucose and cream of tartar. By adding in these ingredients, it will make the mass have extremely fine sugar crystals (similar to what you find in fondant). Keep in mind, that if you add too much it will cause your sugar to become too soft and sticky

and will not harden when cooled. In an opposite case, adding not enough glucose or cream of tartar will cause the sugar to harden too quickly making it difficult to work with and easily break. (Gisslen, 2013)Sugar StagesThread Stage: 106-112ºC / 223-234ºFSoft Ball: 112-115ºC / 234-240ºFFirm Ball: 116-120ºC / 242-248ºFHard Ball: 122-130ºC / 250-266ºFSoft Crack: 132-143ºC / 270-290ºFHard crack: 146-155ºC / 295-310ºFCaramel: 160-182ºC / 320-360ºF(Joy of Baking, 2014)

As you may know, once sugar passes the hard crack stage

(154ºC) it begins to brown in color, if you do not want to have a brown look in your sugar. You can replace sugar with Isomalt*. Notes to key when using Isomalt: it may need to be heated higher than 160ºC, due to the fact that it’s working temperature is higher than sugar. Adding glucose or cream of tartar is also not necessary due to the fact that is does not crystallize as easily.

*Isomalt: A sugar substitute, has fewer tendencies to absorb

moisture from the air, lasts longer & stays drier. It is less likely to crystalize and stays clearer than sugar.(Gisslen, 2013)

Once your syrup has reached its desired temperature, submerge the pot of hot sugar in cold water to stop the temperature from rising and keeping it at the correct color. You are now ready to begin! So what exactly do you do now that you have this boiling hot sugar? There are many different techniques. The most popular and tracked longest in history of sugar art would have to be spun sugar. There are many others including, pulled sugar, blown sugar, cast sugar, pressed sugar, rock sugar and pastillage.

Spun sugar is essentially liquid caramel, resembling often a haystack or a bird’s nest; it’s made up of very fine strands of sugar. As your sugar is boiling, you

want to prepare your work

station by having two lightly oiled rods or rolling pins hanging off the edge of the table and having a piece of parchment paper below to catch the remaining’s. You can always use one rod if that is all you have. You will also want a cutoff wired whip. Once you have your sugar at it’s correct temperature, you want to cool it down a little by

placing it in some cold water for about a minute until it thickens slightly. Once it’s at its correct consistency, you want to place the whisk in the syrup and flick the sugar back and forth vigorously against the oiled rods, continuing doing so until you have your desired amount. After that is completed, you will carefully take off the sugar, that will still be pliable and you will shape it into a coil or however so desired.

Another favorite by many is Pulled Sugar. In order to prepare for this art, it is best if you have a heat lamp, a silicone mat, and a pair of rubber gloves may be to your benefit as well because this can be very hot. A few other things you may want if you want to make special decorations may include: rods, non-stick spray and a torch. Again using the same concept, you will heat up your sugar, water and glucose to desired temperature. Submerge in cold water to stop the temperature from rising and then place onto a silicone mat. If you so desire to have your decoration colored, replace the sugar with Isomalt and cook to desired temperature (168ºC). Cool and place on silicone mat, once sugar is at 154ºC, you may drop your color onto the sugar, using the

silicone mat to blend in the color into the sugar. Now that your sugar is ready, the concept is easy. You will pull the sugar in order to get the effect you want, by stretching it. If you would like to make spirals, using an oiled rod (or pencil) you can wrap the sugar around and let dry then slide it off.

How to make a flower with Pulled Sugar

a. Take

your prepared sugar from the silicone matb. Cut off a section and roll into a logc. Cut the log into 8 piecesd. Take each piece and mold into a petale. Bind together petals with torch lightly if sugar is hardened

Keep in mind that the sugar cools down quite fast; always fold the outside of the sugar towards the center so that it cools evenly. If you come to realize that the sugar is unworkable, just reheat in microwave. Make sure not to pull the sugar too much or with time it will lose it’s shiny appearance.

Blown sugar is one of the more difficult techniques, requires you to have a few tools on hand such as; a heat lamp, lightly oiled

scissors/knife for cutting the sugar, a silicone mat, rubber gloves, fan or hair dryer to cool your sugar down and most importantly: a blowpipe to blow the sugar. Blown sugar is best for making animals, balloons; most often fruits are made with this technique. To begin with this technique, you want to have the tip of the blowpipe lightly oiled so your sugar doesn’t stick to it. Shape the sugar into desired shape for whatever you are creating. For example, if you are making an apple, round the sugar into a ball. If making a banana, round into more of an oval shape. Begin to inflate the mass while shaping it with your fingers, cooling down with a fan once you have reached your desired shape. (Gisslen, 2013) It is best if you have a blowpipe with a bulb for inflating rather than one that you would blow with your mouth, although some pastry chefs may disagree with this. To give highlights, spray with dissolved color powder in alcohol or with a small paintbrush.

Cast Sugar also known as Poured Sugar is most commonly used in showpieces. Compared to blown and pulled sugar, this is one of the easier techniques. The method is quite simple; you will take your prepared sugar (which is made just like pulled and blown sugar) and then it is poured onto your prepared surface, which in the simplest case would be a lightly oiled silicone mat. If you desire to have a flat surface, just let sit until dry. If you would prefer to have it slightly bent,

you may bend the silicone mat to desired shape. For an alternative to the silicone mat, but when still wanting a rounder product, you may use a flan or charlotte ring. Making sure that whatever tool you use is lightly oiled so that once the sugar is hardened, it is not stuck. (Gisslen, 2013)

Pressed sugar is often used just as a base of a sugar sculpture. It’s made up with a different formula, containing much less water or as a substitute you can use egg whites instead. A formula may be, 1kg sugar to 50g water. It will resemble wet sand. Then it is placed into any lightly oiled mold and will take a few days to dry. You want to take it out the day it is dry otherwise it may not come out. (Johnsonda, 2012)

Rock Sugar is the least commonly used technique in today’s industry, although used in many Eastern cultures such as China and India. (iFood.tv, 2014) This technique is

made by heating up the total amount of water and half the desired amount of sugar. Once it has become a unified mix, you would add the rest of the sugar. Move the mix from a pot into a mason jar. Afterwards, submerge a string attached to a pencil, or whatever else you have lying around. The crystals from the sugar will begin to form onto the string. The longer you would leave them, the bigger the crystals or “rocks” would become. (iFood.tv, 2014)

Pastillage is a thick sugar paste, very similar to gum paste or marzipan, although often uneaten due to that it becomes very hard and brittle. Unlike previous sugar syrups, this does not use any of the above formulas, as it resembles more of a paste. A typical recipe would include; confectioners sugar, cornstarch, water, cream of tartar and gelatin. The cornstarch is used as a drying agent while the cream of tartar helps preserve the white look. Pastillage is often left white but

may be colored, if so desired. The gelatin is used as a stiffener and a stabilizing agent.

You must make sure that your work area is extremely clean and to use a stainless steel bowl when mixing because aluminum will give it a greyish look. You will want to work on a marble slab because it gives it a smoother surface. Dust lightly with cornstarch to stop from sticking. Makeup for Pastillage is very similar to gum paste and marzipan, including the tools that are needed. Pastillage dries out quicker than marzipan so make sure it is always covered. Work quickly and efficiently. (Gisslen, 2013)

How to make a flower out of Pastillage:1. Get desired amount of paste2. Cut section into 10 pieces (center, petal around center, 3 petals

then 5)3. Take the center and round into a pointy tip4. Take a second petal and smooth out the outer edges (the thinner

you go, the nicer and more delicate looking the flower)5. Continue to do the same with other petals and assemble

Remember to keep covered at all times as it dries out quickly. If it’s too dry to put petals together, brush some water to allow it to stick.

As you can see, there are many different ways and uses to use a household ingredient like sugar. Varying in technique you can create a very unique product and elevate any dessert to something elegant and one of a kind. Try out some of these different arts and see what works best for you and most importantly have fun!

Reference List

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