Homemade sweets make attractive presents and they are fun to make. The sweets on my page range from simple uncooked peppermint creams which can be made by children with a little supervision, to more complicated fudges and toffees which require undivided attention and patience, as well as a certain amount of special equipment.
Essential equipment:
Sugar boiling
thermometer is the only really accurate way of measuring the temperature of the liquid when making cookerd sweets and can mean the difference between success and failure. Accurate measurement is imperative with some sweets to get the right consistency. Buy one which is easy to read and graduates from 16 C (60F) to 182 C (360F) or 232 C (450F). These thermometers are usually mounted on brass with a brass or wooden handle. Some have a sliding clip so that they can be fixed to the edge of the pan.
A new thermometer should be seasoned by placing in cold water, bringing the pan to the boil and leaving it in the water to cool. Check the reading when the water is boiling to see if it is accurate: it should be 100C (212F).
Shake a thermometer well before use, and be sure that the bulb is completely immersed in the mixture. Always read a thermometer at eye level.
It is important to warm a sugar themometer before dipping it in the hot liquid; if you put it straight in, the tube could burst. While you are not using the thermometer, stand it in a mug of hot water. Once you have finished measuring, clean the thermometer very thoroughly as any sugar crystals left on it could spoil the next batch of sweets.
Saucepans
Use a strong, heavy based one to prevent burning and sticking. Make sure it is large enough to allow room for the boiling sugar to rise in the pan. Non-stick pans are not suitable as the high temperatures reached may damage the lining.
Wooden Spatula
is used for working fondant mixtures and beating fudges. Avoid using the wooden spatula to stir melted sugar as you will find that the sugar crystals end up cooling on your wooden spatula and can be a nightmare to clean off.
Palette Knife
Your palette knife should have a flexible stainless steel blade. It is used for lifting and shaping sweets. A good palette knife will allow you to create a variety of finishes including smoothing finishes.
Cutters
There are so many shapes and sized cutters that it can be hard to know where to start. If you purchase a basic shape cutter set then this would be a good starting point and then add some more fun shaped cutters as you go/ Little shaped cutters make it easy to cut fondants, marzipans and other soft mixtures
Working surface
The ideal surface to work sweet mixtures is marble but there are some alternatives too if you find purchasing a marble slab unrealistic. If you really want the marble work surface without the cost then it is worth seeing if you can purchase a marble off cut from a stone mason or source via local antique reclamation yards as they do provide some alternatives. I have actually used a marble plinth from an old marble fireplace that I found at a reclamation yard. A good alternative is to use an enamelled surface or you can use a heavy wooden chopping board as long as it is dampened or well greased before use to prevent sticking. One point regarding the wooden chopping board - do make sure that if it does start to warp or split that you replace your chopping board. A worn or split board can harbour bacteria over time and it really is not worth taking the risk!
