i want candy!

July 11, 2008 10:39 AM

I want to recreate some delicious candied herbs I'd purchased in Italy several years ago, and am utterly unable to find a recipe for candy-coating herbs or making dragees. To clarify, I'm looking to achieve the hard candy coating you find on Jordan Almonds or on the candied fennel seeds you find as part of mukhwas at Indian restaurants. The only advice I've found is in this book from 1800 - surely someone has made these since then!
posted by judith to Food & Drink (6 answers total)

I don't know if there is a good home-based equivalent, but candy companies use copper or stainless steel coating pans that sort of tumble the candy/nuts/what-have-you. They're basically a large spherical pot with rounded sides. I could imagine an attachment for a kitchenaid mixer like this, but i've never seen one.

Something resembling these here. but on a smaller scale.
posted by freq at 10:57 AM on July 11, 2008

Best answer: For amateur historical European recipes, those friendly folks from the SCA are probably your best starting point - How to Make Comfits.
posted by zamboni at 10:57 AM on July 11, 2008 [1 favorite]

Best answer: See also: Smooth comfits.
posted by zamboni at 11:05 AM on July 11, 2008 [1 favorite]

"Panning" is going to be a term useful to you. These people do this on a slightly larger scale.
posted by fiercecupcake at 11:06 AM on July 11, 2008

Yup, there's a Candy Coating Attachment for a Kitchenaid mixer—but it's seven hundred bucks!
posted by bcwinters at 11:20 AM on July 11, 2008

Response by poster: Thanks, all. I had not known the word "comfits" and that makes all the difference!
posted by judith at 11:27 AM on July 11, 2008