The complete confectioner, pastry-cook, and baker : plain and practical directions for making confectionary and pastry, and for baking; with upwards of five hundred receipts consisting of directions for making all sorts of preserves, sugar-boiling, comfits, lozenges, ornamental cakes, ices, liqueurs, waters, gum-paste ornaments, syrups, jellies, marmalades, compotes, bread-baking, artificial yeasts, fancy biscuits, cakes, rolls, muffins, tarts, pies, &c. &c. With additions and alterations / by Parkinson, practical confectioner, Chestnut Street.

  • Parkinson, Eleanor.
Date:
1844
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The complete confectioner, pastry-cook, and baker : plain and practical directions for making confectionary and pastry, and for baking; with upwards of five hundred receipts consisting of directions for making all sorts of preserves, sugar-boiling, comfits, lozenges, ornamental cakes, ices, liqueurs, waters, gum-paste ornaments, syrups, jellies, marmalades, compotes, bread-baking, artificial yeasts, fancy biscuits, cakes, rolls, muffins, tarts, pies, &c. &c. With additions and alterations / by Parkinson, practical confectioner, Chestnut Street. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.

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    the foundation on which he must build to acquire success in his under- takings. , ..... There are seven essential points or degrees in boiling sugar; some authors give thirteen, but many of these are useless, and eerve only to show a critical precision in the art, without its being required in practice; however, for exactness, we will admit of nine, viz:—1. Small thread. 2. Large thread. 3. Little pearl. 4. Large pearl. 5. The blow. 6. The feather. 7. Ball. 8. Crack. 9. Caramel. This last degree derives its name from “ a Count Albufage Caramel, of Nismes, who discovered this method of boiling sugar.”—Gunter's Confectioner. In describing the process, I shall proceed in a different manner to other writers on the subject, by classing it under different heads, ac- cording to the uses to which it is applied. SYRUP. Under this head are comprised the degrees from the small thread to the large pearl; for at these points the sugar is kept in a divided state, and remains a fluid of an oily consistency. A bottle which holds three ounces of water will contain four ounces of Fyrup. The method of ascertaining those degrees, according to the usages of the trade, is as follows:— Small Thread.—Having placed the clarified syrup on the fire, let it boil a little, then dip the top of your finger in the boiling syrup, and on taking it out apply it to the top of your thumb, when, if it has attained the degree, on separating them a small ring will be drawn out a little distance, about as fine as a hair, which will break and re- solve itself into a drop on the thumb and finger. Large Thread.—Continue the boiling a little longer, repeat the same operation as before, and a larger string will be drawn. Little Pearl.—To ascertain this degree, separate the-finger from the thumb as before, and a large string may be drawn, which will extend to nearly the distance the fingers may be opened. Large Pearl.—The finger may now be separated from the thumb to the greatest extent before the thread will break. CRYSTALLIZATION. This takes the degrees of the blow and feather. The particles of the sugar being now brought together within the sphere of their activity, the attraction of cohesion commences, whereby they attach themselves together and form quadrilateral pyramids with oblong and rectangular bases. This is generally, but improperly, termed candy, thereby confounding it with the degrees at which it grains, also termed candy. This certainly seems “ confusion worse confounded ;” but if things are called by their proper names, many of those seem- ing difficulties and technicalities may be avoided which tend only to confuse and embarrass the young practitioner, without gaining any