On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 1297

Candycanesandafter-dinnermintsare
commonexamplesofsuchconfections.An
opaquebutsatin-orsilk-likesheenresults
whenthecooledbutmalleablesyrupis
repeatedlypulledandfoldedbackontoitself.
Thisworkingincorporatessomeairbubbles,
andtheseinturnencouragetheformationof
tinysucrosecrystals.Bothbubblesand
crystalsinterruptthecandystructure,givingit
acrisp,lightqualityandmakingiteasierto
breakbetweentheteeth.(See“SugarWork”
below.)
CottonCandyCottoncandyorcandyflossisa
verydifferentkindofhardcandy,filamentsof
sugar glass so fine that they have the
consistencyofacottonballanddissolveaway
the moment they touch the moist mouth.
Cotton candy is made in a special machine
thatmeltsthesugarandforcesitthroughtiny
spinnerets into the air, where it instantly
solidifiesintothreads.Itwasintroducedatthe


1904World’sFairinSt.Louis.
BrittlesBrittlesarealsocookedtoaverylow
moisture content, around 2%, but unlike the
other hard candies, they include butter and
milk solids, and usually pieces of nuts.
They’re thus opaque with fat droplets and
proteinparticles,andbrownincolorthanksto
extensive browning reactions between sugars

and proteins. Baking soda is often added to
brittlesyrupsafterthey’recooked,forseveral
reasons: alkaline conditions favor browning
reactions, help neutralize some of the acids
produced thereby, and the bubbles of carbon
dioxide that result from this neutralization
become trapped in the candy, giving it a
lighter texture. The original Frenchpraline
wasabrittlemadewithalmonds.(Themodern
New Orleans praline is soft and chewy, more
like a caramel, and contains New-World
pecansinsteadofalmonds.)
Caramel,Caramels,Caramelization