[2346a—SUCRE EN GLACE (Icing Sugar)]
This is sugar strained through a silken drum-sieve. The sugar strained through this silk has the delicacy of starch. At times it is used instead of Fondant for the glazing of cakes, but it is mostly used for white and caramel glazings. For this purpose the sugar is held in a tin box, covered with a lid pierced with small holes, called a sugar dredger.
To glaze white is to cover a cake, a fritter, or other object with a coat of icing sugar. This operation is effected by shaking the sugar dredger over the object to be glazed.
To glaze with caramel is to cover a [Soufflé], a souffléd omelet, fruit fritters, a custard, [Pannequets], or other objects with a coat of icing sugar. By placing the sugar-coated object in fierce heat, a few minutes suffice to melt the sugar, which is converted into a brilliant covering of caramel.
[2347—SUGAR GRAINS]
These are used in pastry to border certain cakes, or to surround the sugared-paste bases on which cakes are set. For this purpose the parts to which the sugar is expected to adhere must be besmeared with cooked apricot.
To make them, roughly pound some loaf sugar, and sift the latter first through a coarse strainer, and then through a finer one, according to the size the sugar grains are required to be. The powder will, of course, fall and leave the grains clean.
[2348—COLOURED SUGAR GRAINS]
To colour sugar grains, spread them on a piece of paper, and add a drop of liquid vegetable-colouring or a very little coloured paste per tablespoonful of sugar. The amount of colouring matter may either be lessened or increased, according to the strength the shade is required to be.
Rub the sugar in the hand to colour it evenly; dry it in a [693] ]moderately warm drying-box, and keep it in the dry in well-closed boxes.