Sugar Cookery (Sweets)

[spogmai shaglay]

Sugar occurs naturally in nearly all plant sources, however sugar for general commercial use is obtained from two major sources, the sugar cane and sugar beet.
Sugar, their characteristics and uses

[spogmai shaglay]

Functions of Sugar in Cookery

1. Sweetening Agents: In food preparations like tea, coffee, desserts and puddings to make them more palatable.

2. Binding Agent: In preparations like laddoos, sugar binds the ingredients together to give it specific shape.

3. Coating agent: In preparations like sugar coated groundnuts and gauja (will be posting the recipe for this). These are dipped in concentrated sugar solutions and on cooling crystals are formed. These coat the surface of the products.

4. Decorative Agents: In cakes and pastries. In caramelized form it can give shiny, colourful base for icing of cakes.

5. Preservatives: In products like jam, jellies and murabba, sugar is added in sufficient amounts (60 to 70 %) to preserve the product.

6. Sugar acts as a substrate for yeast during fermentation.

7. In some baked products sugar contributes to development of volume and texture by its ability to help in aeration of batter.

8. It helps to stabilize egg white foam.

[spogmai shaglay]

Its very important to know the various temperatures at which sugar serves different functions for different types of sweet...

a thermometer would be of great help...if not available, then a bowl of ice water will help as the sugar syrup is dropped in this ice water and tested for its various stages and used according to the recipe...

like for a Gulab Jamun a thin sugar syrup which doesnt require much of cooking is required.... for Cashewnut Barfi sugar syrup of a soft ball consistency is required.. once if all stages are practiced i promise u can make any sweet of this world...

Note: once the sugar syrup reaches the desired temperature or consistency it should be got off the flame or within seconds the syrup reaches the next stage..

TEMPERATURE TESTS FOR SYRUPS AND CANDIES

[spogmai shaglay]

Sugar syrup thread
Soft Ball stage
Firm Ball stage
Hard Ball stage
Soft Crack stage
Hard Crack stage
Caramel Stage

[spogmai shaglay]

Lauki Halwa (Bottlegourd Halwa)


INGREDIENTS:
Lauki (bottlegourd), grated 3 Cups
Milk 3 Cups
Cardamom Pd. ¼ teaspoon
Sugar ½ Cup
Green food colour (optional) few drops
Ghee (Fat) 3 tablespoon
FOR GARNISHING:
Almonds 2 tablespoon

METHOD:
Heat the ghee in a pan; add the grated lauki and sauté till it turns translucent. Add the milk and cardamom pd. and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 – 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the halwa is almost dry, add the sugar and food colour and mix well. Stir for 5 to 10 minutes till the moisture had evaporated. Garnish with almonds.

Serve hot.

[spogmai shaglay]

ANJEER HALWA (DRY FIG HALWA)



INGREDIENTS:
Dried figs 200 gms/20 in no.
Ghee 3 tbsp
Almonds, blenched, peeled and powdered ½ Cup
Milk Pd. ½ Cup
Sugar 4 tablespoon
Cardamom Pd. ¼ teaspoon


FOR GARNISHING:
Almonds 2 tablespoon

METHOD:
Cook the figs in boiling water for about 3 to5 minutes. Drain and puree them in a food processor. Keep aside. Heat the ghee in a heavy bottom pan; add the powdered almonds and sauté over a medium flame for about 2 minutes. Add the pureed figs, milk powder, sugar with ½ cup of water and cook for about 5 minutes till the sugar has dissolved, stirring continuously. Add the cardamom pd. and mix well. Cook till the moisture evaporates.
Serve hot.

[spogmai shaglay]

This is very helpful for me Spogmai khor

Shlombay.. these are veryeasy recipes... u just need patience and the right ingredients in the right quantities.....

will share more.....

[spogmai shaglay]

GULAB JAMUN

MAKES: 25

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE GULAB JAMUNS:
Khoya, grated - 2 Cups/ 250 gms
Refined Flour - 5 tablespoon
Cardamom Pd. - ¼ teaspoon

FOR THE SUGAR SYRUP:
Sugar - 3 Cups
Saffron strands - few

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
Ghee (fat) for deep frying

METHOD:

FOR THE SUGAR SYRUP:
In a large pan, dissolve the sugar in 1 ½ cups of water and bring to a boil. Simmer over a slow flame till the syrup is of 1 string consistency. Remove any impurities which float on the top of the syrup using a spoon. Add the saffron and keep the syrup warm.

FOR THE GULAB JAMUN:
In a bowl, combine the khoya, refined flour and cardamom pd. and mix well. Knead into firm dough without using minimum water. Divide this mixture into 25 equal portions and roll into rounds. These should have no cracks on the surface as otherwise the gulab jamuns will crack while frying.

Deep fry in ghee over a slow flame till the jamuns are golden brown in colour (10 to 12 minutes). if the flame if high then the jamuns will darken form outside and will remain uncooked from inside...Drain and immerse in the warm sugar syrup. Soak for 30 minutes.

Serve warm.

[spogmai shaglay]

spogmai I heard India has tasty gulab jaman send me some.

yes.. there are varieties in Gulab Jamun toooo.... and yummy............ hard to resist eating themm


India has variety in sweets...its just endless......

and where should i send u the gulab jamun???? give me ur address i ll send it to u.....

[spogmai shaglay]

MILK COCONUT BARFI

MAKES: 75 pieces

INGREDIENTS:
Coconut, desiccated 750 gms
Khoya 1 kg
Sugar 400 gms
Milk, boiled and cooled 250 ml
Pistachios, blanched 100 gm
Rose water 75 ml
Ghee 1 tsp

METHOD:
Sauté khoya in a heavy bottom frying pan on slow flame or the khoya burns quickly. Add milk, little at a time, while stirring continuously. When it boils, add sugar and cook stirring slowly till it leaves the side of the pan. Remove from heat and slowly add coconut, stirring continuously.

Cool it down a bit and to 1/3rd of the mixture add colour and rose water. On flat tray apply ghee (fat) and spread the remaining mixture on top of the white layer.

Cool it and cut into desired shapes. Garnish with pistachios.

Serve chilled or at room temperature.

[Suresh *gk]

shall i have any videos or flashes for such sugar cookery stages. pls ????

[N.E rocker]

damn u spogmai!!!!!!!

[N.E rocker]

I love Barfi.

I heard India has some good barfi tell me about it Spogmai.

Dude there r like 100's of type of barfis.Spogmai can share few varities with us i think.In which part of india u live spogmai.Ny special delicacy from ur region??

[roadrunner]

Its very important to know the various temperatures at which sugar serves different functions for different types of sweet...

a thermometer would be of great help...if not available, then a bowl of ice water will help as the sugar syrup is dropped in this ice water and tested for its various stages and used according to the recipe...

like for a Gulab Jamun a thin sugar syrup which doesnt require much of cooking is required.... for Cashewnut Barfi sugar syrup of a soft ball consistency is required.. once if all stages are practiced i promise u can make any sweet of this world...

Note: once the sugar syrup reaches the desired temperature or consistency it should be got off the flame or within seconds the syrup reaches the next stage..

TEMPERATURE TESTS FOR SYRUPS AND CANDIES

Barfi is a lot more tastier than it sounds.