Tag Archives: Confectionery

Desiccated Coconut

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Desiccated Coconut

Delicious desiccated coconut.

  • Desiccated coconut is generally grated coconut meat, that lacks much liquid content, if any, due to it being dried.
  • A variant of desiccated coconut, ‘dried coconut’, can be purchased, although it contains more moisture than desiccated.
  • Desiccated coconut often comes in the form of a coarse powder, flakes or shreds, that vary in size and generally contain no more than three percent moisture.
  • Desiccated coconut that has had sugar added to it during the production process, is known as a ‘sweetened’ version, and it is often used in sweet dishes.
  • On contact, moisture is absorbed into desiccated coconut, causing it to swell and grow in size.

Desiccated Coconut, Shredded, Assorted, Culinary, Food, White, Yellow, Fine, Large, Small, Ten Random Facts

  • The typical colour of desiccated coconut is white or a creamy white, similar to fresh coconut meat.
  • Desiccated coconut is best stored in a dry location, away from light and in cool conditions.
  • In cooking, desiccated coconut is used to add texture, taste or visual appeal to a dish, most commonly in sweets, ranging from desserts to baked goods, and it is often used as an outer coating on sweet, rolled balls of food, and the product can also be blended to make coconut butter.
  • Lower quality desiccated coconut features discoloured spots or dark brown flecks; the latter caused by the accidental inclusion of coconut skin.
  • Desiccated coconut is very high in manganese and fat, and it is high in fibre, copper, magnesium and phosphorus.
Bibliography:
What is Desiccated Coconut?, 2013, P.T. Harvard Cocopro, http://www.harvardcocopro.com/Desiccated_Coconut.html
What is Desiccated Coconut?, 2015, WiseGEEK, http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-desiccated-coconut.htm

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Popping Candy

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Popping Candy

‘Pop! Pop! Pop!’ goes the popping candy.

  • Popping candy is a confectionery item that notably reacts by fizzing on contact with moisture.
  • ‘Popping candy’ is also known as ‘Pop Rocks’, ‘Space Dust’, ‘Action Candy’ and ‘Cosmic Candy’, all of which have been names of commercially produced versions of the candy.
  • Corn syrup, sugar and lactose are the primary ingredients of popping candy, along with flavours and colours.
  • Popping candy is typically made by allowing the melted mixture of ingredients to come in contact with carbon dioxide gas that has been pressurised, causing small bubbles of the gas to be caught in the confectionery as it cools.
  • On contact with moisture, popping candy makes sounds of crackling and popping, caused by the release of carbon dioxide as the candy melts, usually on one’s tongue.

Popping Candy, Cola, Bols, Ten Random Facts, Confectionary, Packet, Cubed, Crunch, Pile

  • Popping candy was created in 1956 by William Mitchell, a chemist for the American company General Foods, and it was a failed experiment, as it was originally intended to be a fizzy ‘tablet’ to create an instant carbonated drink, that was not successful.
  • The minuscule bubbles of carbon dioxide in popping candy are able to be seen with the use of a microscope; while the product can be purchased in small sealed packets, and can also be found in chocolate bars and included in other confectionery items.
  • The well known myth that the combination of stomach acid, carbon dioxide and carbonated drinks causes stomach explosions, which surfaced in 1979, was ever only a myth, and was confirmed as such when it was busted by MythBusters in 2003.
  • Popping candy typically looks like small crystals or ‘rocks’, although it can be powdery, and it comes in a wide variety of colours and a number of flavours.
  • Popping candy did not become commercially available until 1975, when General Foods released the product, known as ‘Pop Rocks’, however it was removed from sale in 1983 due to it being a commercial failure, however, the confectionery was later manufactured in the 2000s by various companies, and became a success.
Bibliography:
Hiskey D, Why Pop Rocks Pop, 2011, Today I Found Out, http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2011/01/why-pop-rocks-pop/
Pop Rocks, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pop_Rocks
Pop Rocks History, n.d, Pop Rocks Candy, http://www.poprockscandy.com/history.html

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Sherbet Powder

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Sherbet Powder

Your mouth will burst with flavour with sherbet powder.

  • Sherbet powder is confectionery in a powder form, and is notable for the fizzing effect it has, on contact with saliva.
  • ‘Sherbet powder ‘ is also known as ‘keli’, ‘kali’, and ‘sherbet’, and the word originates from the Arabic ‘sharba’, which, when translated, means ‘a drink’.
  • Sherbet powder is commonly eaten by using a small spoon, a finger, or a stick item, such as a lollipop, to collect the powder.
  • Sherbet poweder can come in a wide variation of colours, including white, green, yellow, red and blue; and flavours, that are often fruit-based.
  • Sherbet powder was invented around the 1800s by chemists in Europe, when the reaction of carbonate and acid was discovered.

Sherbet Powder, Straw, Rainbow, Blue, Yellow, Bowl, White, Reaction, Ten Random Facts, Chemical

  • Sherbet powder is most commonly packaged in straws or small packets, but it can also be found in glass jars or plastic containers, and can be found surrounding the exterior of some confectionery, or in the interior of others.
  • The acid and carbonate of sherbet powder reacts by fizzing on contact with a liquid, such as water or saliva.
  • Sherbet powder was originally used to make a fizzy drink, before carbonated drinks became common, after which time, it became a popular sweet.
  • Sugar is the main ingredient in sherbet powder, and this is mixed with an acid, a carbonate, and flavourings.
  • Sherbet powder became very popular after it was invented, due to its inexpensive price and easy accessibility.
Bibliography:
Sherbet Powder, n.d, ifood.tv, http://ifood.tv/asian/sherbet-powder/about
Sherbet (Powder), 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherbet_(powder)

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Cadbury Heroes and Cadbury Favourites

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Cadbury Heroes and Cadbury Favourites

Which chocolate in the Cadbury Heroes or Favourites box is your favourite?

  • The confectionery, Cadbury ‘Heroes’ and Cadbury ‘Favourites’ are an assortment of chocolates that are usually packaged in a purple box or tin.
  • ‘Cadbury Heroes’ were originally known as ‘Cadbury Miniature Heroes’, and the chocolates are made by the Cadbury confectionery company.
  • ‘Cadbury Heroes’ is the British version of the confectionery product, while the Australian and New Zealand version is known as ‘Cadbury Favourites’.
  • Cadbury Heroes and Cadbury Favourites contain smaller versions of popular Cadbury chocolate bars, while boxes of these are available in small and large sizes.
  • The production of Cadbury Heroes is said to have been prompted by a similar confectionery assortment created by the Mars company, known as ‘Celebrations’.

Cadbury Favourites

  • Cadbury Favourites contain a different assortment of chocolates to the Cadbury Heroes chocolates; and the former has a wider selection.
  • Popular chocolates that have been featured in the assortments of Cadbury Heroes and/or Cadbury Favourites include Crunchies, Twirls, Dairy Milks, Dreams, Picnics, Time Outs, Boosts, Eclairs and Cherry Ripes.
  • Cadbury Favourites and Cadbury Heroes were released in 1998 and 1999 respectively, and quickly became a hit among chocolate fans.
  • Cadbury Heroes and Cadbury Favourites range from 7 to 12 varieties of chocolate per box, and they are available in packages that contain generally between 300 and 800 grams (10.5 and 28 ounces) of mini chocolate bars.
  • In 2008, the British Cadbury Heroes swapped their popular Crunchie chocolates, as well as Dreams, for other less popular chocolates, causing much outrage by the public.
Bibliography:
Cadbury Heroes, n.d, Cadbury, https://www.cadbury.co.uk/products/Heroes-2410?p=2410
Heroes (Confectionary), 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroes_(confectionery)
Smillie S, Heroes to Zeroes, 2008, The Guardian, http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2008/dec/19/cadbury-heroes-picnic-dream-bournville

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Cookie

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Cookie

Do you call it a biscuit or a cookie?

  • Cookies are food items that are made usually by baking a mixture of flour and other ingredients in an oven, and they are commonly eaten as a snack.
  • In Britain and other European countries, ‘cookies’ are typically called ‘biscuits’, while the American versions of ‘biscuits’ are known as ‘scones‘ elsewhere, and the term may also refer to ‘crackers’.
  • The word ‘cookie’ comes from the Dutch word ‘koekje’, meaning ‘little cake’, while ‘biscuit’ comes from the word ‘bescuit’ which means ‘twice cooked’ when translated from Old French.
  • Cookies, or biscuits, were originally used as easily transportable food items, and they were commonly used as a staple food when at sea, especially in the British Royal Navy.
  • Cookies are available in a wide variety of shapes and colours, although they are typically coloured brown, tan or white, and they can be made at home or purchased in supermarkets.

Cookie, Anzac, Golden, Ten Random Facts, Biscuit, Gluten Free, Culinary, Snack, Four, Group, Nice

  • Biscuits, or cookies, were originally baked at least twice, and sometimes more, making them very hard, to increase their durability and to decrease their spoilage properties, and as a result extend their storage life.
  • In 600 AD, the Persian community were making sweeter and softer cookies and biscuits, compared to the original hard, dry and bland versions evident around that time.
  • Cookies are most commonly a rough circular or rectangular shape, often around 5 centimetres (2 inches) across, although they are often made larger or smaller.
  • Butter or oil, sugar, flour, and egg are common ingredients for making modern cookies or biscuits, with fillings and/or coatings common, using foods including chocolate, nuts, fruit and jams.
  • Biscuits were originally often dunked in a hot beverage or other liquid, so that they became soft enough to eat easily, and this practice is not uncommon today, even though modern cookies are generally much softer and only baked once.
Bibliography:
Biscuit, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biscuit
Cookie, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cookie
Olver L, Food Timeline: cookies, crackers & biscuits, 2015, Food Timeline, http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodcookies.html

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Meringue

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Meringue

Light and airy meringues.

  • Meringues are a light weight and traditionally white food made by whipping ingredients, and they are often eaten as a sweet dessert.
  • Meringues are made primarily of sugar and egg whites that have been whipped together, and sometimes binders, such as cornstarch; acids, such as cream of tartar; and flavouring, such as vanilla, are included.
  • Meringues are typically sweet flavoured and have a crisp outer surface, with either a light chewy or crisp textured interior, and food colouring can be added for decorative effects.
  • The earliest known record of the word ‘meringue’, is found in the 1692 cookbook written by the chef François Massialot of France, in Europe, although it is believed that the food has its origins in the 1500s.
  • One of the first documented meringue recipes was from an early 1600s recipe book written by Lady Elinor Fettiplace, from England’s now Oxfordshire in Europe, and the recipe was named ‘white biskit bread’.

Meringues, Small, Factory, White, Pink, Green , Coloured, Three, Group, Culinary, French, Ten Random Facts

  • The shape of meringues is generally achieved by using spoons or a piping bag, and once formed to the desired shape, they are generally cooked in an oven on a low temperature.
  • The primary reason for beating the whites of eggs is to break certain bonds, which causes the mixture to stiffen, and if the sugar is not well incorporated into the mixture by significant beating, it will cause small droplets of moisture to appear on the exterior once cooked, which is known as ‘sweating’.
  • There are three main types of meringue: Italian; Swiss; and French; each made using different procedures, and the latter is the most common.
  • Meringues can be used as an ingredient in many other desserts, notably tarts, pavlovas, puddings and cakes.
  • Meringue never contains fat, as its inclusion would cause the mixture to cave in, although it does contain a significant portion of sugar and protein.

 

Bibliography:
Meringue, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meringue
Muster D, The Origins and History of the Meringue, n.d., In Mamas Kitchen, http://www.inmamaskitchen.com/FOOD_IS_ART/meringue2.html

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