Many of us like to eat sugar in the bite of tea. For this, not simple refined, but boiled sugar is suitable, the recipe for which is quite simple. Even your child can cook this dish, there are no difficulties here. And if you add raisins, dried apricots, orange zest or cocoa to the recipe for homemade boiled sugar, then you will get great sweetness on your table with an exquisite taste.
Cooking features
To make your meal the way it is supposed to be - dull, honey, it is important to follow the recipe very clearly. Otherwise, instead of boiled sugar, you can get a transparent candy, which is also very tasty, but this is a completely different product. Remember that boiled sugar, the recipe of which you have carefully observed, must remain crystalline and opaque.
In milk or sour cream?
Many housewives prefer to make boiled sugar in milk. The recipe for its preparation is the same as on water. Milk gives the product a more delicate taste.
If you boil sugar on water, then this dish is called lean. Sugar with milk is already a more high-calorie and tender product. There is such a cooking option as boiled sugar on sour cream. Its recipe is identical to dairy or lean. But sour cream gives even more interesting tones to your dessert. In addition, depending on the fat content of sour cream, the dish will turn out even more high-calorie than in milk.
Getting started cooking
The recipe for boiled sugar at home is quite simple. So, we need the following products for cooking:
- 1 kg of sugar;
- half a glass of milk;
- peel of 1 orange.
That's all. Remember that milk can optionally be replaced with water, fat cream or sour cream (in the same amount).
Wash the orange well, wipe it and remove the peel. Try to keep it bitter. Some varieties of this exotic fruit have bitterness, which we absolutely do not need, and can even ruin the taste.
Finely chop the peel. If desired, you can rub the orange on a coarse grater. Or another option - cut the peel with kitchen scissors.
So, the products for cooking are ready.
How to cook
We start to cook boiled sugar with milk. A recipe with a photo will help you make sure that you are doing everything correctly.
To start, heat the pan over medium heat. When it is heated, pour half the milk and pour sugar. If you wish, you can add a couple of tablespoons of butter to the dish.
Bring the mixture to a boil over low heat. Do not forget to stir continuously so that it does not burn and boil evenly. The liquid will gradually evaporate, and your sugar will begin to acquire a crumbly structure. It is very important not to overdo the dish on the fire so that it does not begin to melt and turn into candy.
As soon as you see that the sugar begins to brown, pour in the remaining milk (or sour cream), and boil a little more. And only at the very end you need to add orange peels.
How to cool
Boiled sugar in milk, the recipe of which is given above, it is important not only to cook correctly, but also to cool just as well.
You need to cook a deep plate or bowl. Lubricate the walls of the dishes with vegetable oil. Put cooked hot product in this container.
Leave the container aside and wait for it to cool completely. You should not put the dish in the refrigerator to save time. Let this happen gradually at room temperature.
When the sugar has completely cooled, turn the plate over, gently tap on it, and the piece will fall out easily. Now you can break the sugar into pieces - it is ready to eat.
Another option is to simply lay waxed paper on the bottom of the pan , which also needs to be greased with oil. In this case, it will be even easier to get the cooled sugar from the container.
What to add for taste
Some housewives can skeptically shrug their shoulders - uninteresting boiled sugar, the recipe is painfully simple. Well, for those who like more complex dishes, there are plenty of options.
The following ingredients can be added:
- nuts
- sunflower seeds;
- dried dried apricots ;
- raisins;
- cocoa.
All these components must be entered at the end of preparation. Do not forget to pre-soak raisins with boiling water for half an hour, so that it swells.
But as for cocoa, it must be added at the beginning of cooking. It will give your dish a beautiful chocolate shade and an unforgettable taste. For one kilogram of sugar you will need no more than 2-3 tablespoons of cocoa powder.
It is advisable to chop the nuts well, but if you like large pieces, then leave it to your discretion.
Some nuances
When preparing this dish, it is important to consider some nuances so as not to spoil the product. So:
- Take a low but wide pan so that the sugar warms up evenly.
- Take your time and do not turn on a big fire.
- To check if the dish is ready, just drop a drop of hot sugar on a plate. If it has cooled and become hard - the dish is ready.
- Butter will give your dessert a more delicate flavor. In addition, it will help the product maintain its crystalline structure.
- Boiled sugar, as soon as it cools down, can be broken randomly, or can be cut into cubes. To do this, do not wait until the product is completely cold. As soon as you can take it in your hands, without risking to get burned, start cutting. To do this, take a knife with notches, determine what size you want to see sugar pieces, and start chopping.
Kids fun
Boiled sugar, the recipe of which is very simple, children love to cook with pleasure. This is worth using. After all, how pleasant it is to entrust your child with an “important” task, and then try with him what happened.
In addition, your child will be very proud if he cooks boiled sugar and then treats his friends to it.
By the way, this dish can be decorated with fresh fruits. To do this, you need to thoroughly wash the apples or pears, various berries. Cut large fruits into small pieces. When the boiled sugar cools down, but still remains soft enough, squeeze fruits and berries into it so that one half sinks into dessert and the other remains on the surface. It is very beautiful and original, and delicious. There is only one minus - with such a fresh additive, boiled sugar is not suitable for long-term storage, it must be eaten within one to two days.