SUGAR ARTWORK

Decorative Sugar artwork

When syrups are boiled until nearly all the water is evaporated, the sugar becomes solid when cools. This process enables us to make decorative pieces out of sugar that is boiled to 149˚c or more and shaped while still hot.

Sugar that is boiled in a syrup undergoes a chemical change called inversion; which a molecule of double sugar combines with molecules off water and changes into two molecules of simple sugar (dextrose and levulose). Invert sugar resist recrystallization, and plain sucrose, (granulated sugar) crystallize easily.

The temperature to which syrup is boiled is also important. The higher the temperature, the harder the sugar will be. The temperature ranges recommended is 155˚-160˚c, and the actual temperatures used for the pulled and blown sugar was 160˚c.

Cooking the sugar to a higher temperature makes it harder and more brittle and thus more difficult to work.  Cooking to a lower temperature makes softer sugar that is easier to work, but the pieces may not hold up as well, especially in humid climate.

Guidelines:

•                      Use pure white granulated cane sugar.
•                  Place the sugar and water in a clean, heavy pan. Place the mixture over low heat and stir gently until the sugar is dissolved.
•                 When the sugar is dissolved, raise the heat to moderately high and do not stir anymore. To prevent crystallization, use a clean pastry brushed dipped in hot water to wash any sugar crystals down the side of the pan. Do not let the brush touch the syrup.
•                        Always use a sugar thermometer.
•            Add coloring and tartaric acid solution at the temperatures specified in the recipes.
•          Liquid colors in an acid solution should no be used. For the best results, use powdered colors and dissolve them in a little water or alcohol. Good quality paste colors can also be used.
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TOOLS FOR SUGAR WORK:

Sugar lamp, sugar thermometer, rubber gloves, blowpipe, cut off wire whip, blow torch.

1.   Spun Sugar

Spun sugar is a mass of threadlike or hair like strands of sugar used to decorate cakes and showpieces. Spun sugar should be made just before it is needed because it does not keep well. It gradually absorbs moisture from the atmosphere and becomes sticky.

Procedure:

a.     Prepare the syrup. When the correct temperature is reached, remove the pan from the heat and allow the syrup to stand for a few minutes until it is slightly cooled and thickened.

b.     Dip the cut off wire whip in the syrup and tap lightly to remove excess. Wave or flick the whip vigorously over the wooden rod so that the sugar is thrown off in fine, long threads.

c.     Repeat until the desired amount of spun sugar is hanging from the rod. Carefully lift the mass from the rod.

d.     Coil the sugar, or shape as desired for decoration.

e.     If the syrup cools too much to spin, simply rewarm it over low heat.

2.      Poured sugar

Poured sugar also called cast sugar, is boiled sugar that is allowed to harden in various shapes. Usually it is cast in flat sheets like glass, although like nougatine, it can be bent and shaped while it is hot and pliable. The syrup can also be colored before it finishes cooking.

An easy way to make a mold of any shape is to roll heat resistant plasticine into a rope and work it to the desired shaped on and oiled marbled slab or silicone ma. Whatever mold used, it should be lightly oiled to prevent the sugar from sticking.

Once the edges of the sugar shape have hardened enough, remove the mold. When the entire shape has hardened enough, slide a palette knife under it to detach it from the work surface.  To bend cast sugar, remove it from the work surface while it is still soft enough to be pliable. If it gets too hard, simply place it on an oiled baking sheet and heat it in an oven just until it is pliable. Then bend as desired, or use and oiled mold to shape it.

Procedure:

a.     Prepare the syrup as in the formula. Color the syrup as desired.

b.     When the syrup reaches the proper temperature, briefly plunge the base of the saucepan into cold water to stop the cooking. Let stand for a moment.

c.     Place a lightly oiled mold on a sheet of parchment. Pour the hot syrup into the mold to the desired thickness.

d.     Before the sugar cools, it can be marbled with another color.

3.      Pulled Sugar

Pulled sugar is a sugar that is boiled to the hard crack stage, allowed to harden slightly, then pulled or stretched until it develops a pearly sheen.

After it has been heated to the proper temperature, it must again be pulled and folded until it is cooled to a workable temperature and even in texture. Test the sugar by pulling a bit from the edge of the ball with thumb and forefinger and attempting to break it off. If it breaks off cleanly, the sugar is ready. This pulling and folding procedure is called pearling. If this is not done, it will not be possible to work the sugar properly.

Tools For Pulled Sugar:

a.     Sugar thermometer, for accurate control of the temperature of the boiling syrup.

b.     Sugar lamp or other warmer, to keep the stock of sugar warm and soft.

c.     Scissors and knife, lightly oiled, for cutting the sugar.

d.     Alcohol lamp, for melting sugar in order to fasten pieces together.

e.     Blowpipe, for blowing sugar; a pipe with a bulb for inflating is easier to use than one that is blown with the mouth.

f.        Silicone mat or oiled marble slab, for pouring out the cooked syrup.

g.     Hair dryer or fan, for cooling sugar items.

h.     Rubber gloves, to protect from burns when handling hot sugar.

Stages Of Doneness In Sugar Cooking:

STAGE	TEMPERATURE (˚c)
Thread	110
Soft ball	115
Firm ball	118
Hard ball	122-127
Small crack	130-132
Crack	135-138
*Hard crack	143-155
caramel	160-170

Pulled Sugar

Quantity	Unit	Ingredient
500	Gm	Sugar
250	Gm	Water
100	Gm	Glucose
A few drops		Strawberry essence
A few drops		Red coloring
A few drops		Banana essence
A few drops		Yellow coloring
60	Gm	Icing sugar
60	gm	Potato starch

Method:

1.      Bring sugar and water to boil to dissolve the sugar.

2.      Add glucose, bring to boil over medium high heat.

3.      Divide the syrups into 3 saucepan to color them.

4.      Allow to boil without stirring until it reach 132˚C.

5.      Remove from heat immediately and pour each color into different silicone mat.

Spun Sugar

Quantity	Unit	Ingredients
300	Gm	Sugar
150	Gm	Water
60	Gm	Glucose
A few drop		Coloring

Method:

1.      Bring sugar and water to boil to dissolve the sugar.

2.      Add glucose, bring to boil over medium high heat.

3.      Allow to boil without stirring until it reaches 132˚C.

4.      Remove from heat immediately.

Pour Sugar

Quantity	Unit	Ingredients
500	Gm	Sugar
250	Gm	Water
100	gm	Liquid glucose
A few drop		Coloring

Method:

1.      Make syrup of the sugar, water and glucose.

2.      Boil to 125˚c and add coloring if desired.

3.      Continue to boil to 165˚c. if desired, a few drops of another color could be added at this point without mixing to create a marbled effect.

4.      Stop the cooking immediately by plunging the base of the pan into cold water. Remove from the cold water and allow to stand for 2-3 minutes to thicken slightly.

5.      Pour into desired mold until approximately 5mm thick.

6.      Once edge has set enough, remove rings. Score lightly with an oiled knife.

7.      Use a little reheated sugar as glue to attached pieces together.