Comments on: i want candy!

Question: i want candy!

judith — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 10:39:08 -0800

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!

By: freq

freq — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 10:57:27 -0800

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.

By: zamboni

zamboni — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 10:57:41 -0800

For amateur historical European recipes, those friendly folks from the SCA are probably your best starting point - How to Make Comfits.

By: zamboni

zamboni — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:05:06 -0800

By: fiercecupcake

fiercecupcake — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:06:49 -0800

"Panning" is going to be a term useful to you. These people do this on a slightly larger scale.

By: bcwinters

bcwinters — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:20:22 -0800

Yup, there's a Candy Coating Attachment for a Kitchenaid mixer—but it's seven hundred bucks!

By: judith

judith — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:27:03 -0800

Thanks, all. I had not known the word "comfits" and that makes all the difference!