How to Make Sugar Easter Eggs

One of the appeals of panoramic eggs is the beautiful miniature scenes contained within the egg. To make the inside scene:

1. Pipe a small amount of royal icing into the bottom portion of the intact egg half. This is to anchor everything else you add.

2. Add a layer of green-tinted coconut or Easter grass, if desired, and press gently to adhere it to the frosting.

3. Begin to add toys, pictures, small candies, or sugar decorations. It is easiest to add a dab of royal icing to the back or bottom of your decorations to help them stick.

4. Continue to add decorations until your egg is complete.

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Brown Sugar Toffee

One of the best parts of this job is that no one tells me what to do. (The VERY best part of this job is that I get paid to make and eat candy, obviously, but I don't want to rub it in too much.) People sometimes ask me where I get ideas from, or how I decide what candies I want to make next, and the answer is pretty simple: I make whatever sounds good to me. Of course I try to make sure there's a variety of recipe types, and fun ingredients, and not too much repetition, but at the end of the day, my taste buds pretty much set the agenda, and for the past 5 years that's worked out surprisingly well.

But living in my own little candy world can have its drawbacks, and sometimes I wonder if the things that appeal to me appeal to anyone else. (Besides my husband. He loves everything I make. But then again, he once ate a moldy truffle and didn't even notice the fuzzy green mold, so he's not exactly a discerning palate.) So, a few times a year, I poll the readers and ask what kinds of recipes they want to see. Most recently, I asked my About Candy facebook friends what I should make next. I was a little surprised by the results-- I expected my beloved chocolate to sweep the polls, but "Brown Sugar Toffee" was the overwhelming favorite. Who knew?!

Of course I bow to the people's demands, so may I present a brand-new recipe for Brown Sugar Toffee!

Toffee using all-brown sugar is actually much harder to make than regular granulated sugar toffee, because of the moisture and impurities in some brown sugars. I think this recipe does a great job of balancing the darker flavor and crunchier texture of brown sugar with traditional toffee ingredients like butter and toasted nuts. The photograph shows plain toffee, but this is also a great recipe to cover in chocolate, because the deep brown sugar taste goes well with either a sweeter chocolate, like milk or white, or a semi-sweet variety.

Naturally, next week we're back to my candy dictatorship, but for now we can revel in the democratic process at work. And hey, I'm a benevolent candy dictator, so I always welcome suggestions via the comments, over email, or--best of all--on the facebook page. Your wish is my command!

Get the recipe: Brown Sugar Toffee

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Brown Sugar Toffee Photo c2011 Elizabeth LaBau, licensed to About.com, Inc.

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Brown Sugar Toffee

(c) 2011 Elizabeth LaBau, licensed to About.com, Inc.

Brown Sugar Toffee has a deep, rich, caramelized taste from the brown sugar in the recipe. A generous helping of nuts adds toasted flavor and crunch. If you like a little chocolate with your toffee, check out the chocolate variation at the bottom of the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups toasted nuts, like pecans or almonds
• 1-1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• 1/2 cup (4 oz) unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 tbsp light corn syrup
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• Candy thermometer

Preparation:

1. Prepare a baking sheet or 9 x 13 pan by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Coarsely chop the toasted nuts, then scatter them in an even layer all over the foil-covered pan.

3. In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, water, cubed butter, corn syrup, and salt, and place the pan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar and butter dissolve, then wipe down the sides with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Insert your candy thermometer.

4. Cook the candy, without stirring, until the thermometer reads 285 degrees F (140 C).

5. Once at 285, immediately remove the pan from the heat and add the vanilla extract and the baking soda. Stir until the baking soda causes the toffee to foam up and become a lighter, opaque color.

6. Pour the toffee in an even layer over the nuts on the prepared pan. Try not to spread it too much with a spatula, as the more you work it, the more you'll eliminate the air bubbles that give it a light and crispy texture.

7. Let the toffee cool completely at room temperature, for at least 1 hour. Once cool and set, break it into small pieces by hand. Store Brown Sugar Toffee in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. If you live in a humid environment, it might get soft and sticky after a few days.

Chocolate variation: If you want to add chocolate to your toffee, have 1 cup of chopped chocolate prepared. Once you have poured the toffee onto the nuts in the pan, let it set for 1 minute, then sprinkle the top of the hot toffee with the chopped chocolate. Allow it to sit for another minute, while the heat of the toffee melts the chocolate, then use a spatula to carefully spread the chocolate into an even layer over the entire surface. If you'd like, you can sprinkle the top of the chocolate with more chopped nuts. Let the toffee and chocolate cool and harden completely before breaking it into pieces as described above.

Click Here to View All Toffee Recipes!

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Sugar-Free Powdered Sugar Replacement

(c) 2011 Elizabeth LaBau, licensed to About.com, Inc.

If you're on a sugar-free or reduced sugar diet, you are probably familiar with sugar replacement products such as Splenda. Although there are a wide variety of sugar substitutes available, most of them are in granulated or brown sugar form. Sometimes, though, recipes will call for powdered sugar, and granulated sugar just won't do. Here's what to do to create powdered sugar from Splenda.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup granulated Splenda (not the coffee packets or the brown sugar varieties)
• 1 tsp cornstarch

Procedure:

Place the Splenda and the cornstarch in a mixer or food processor. Blend on high speed for approximately 1 minute, until the texture is similar to powdered sugar. You may need to scrape down the mixer or processor bowl several times in the process. Sugar can be stored in an airtight container for up to a month. Try dusting it on candies, tarts, or lemon bars.

Like with any sugar replacer, this is best used when you need the flavor of sugar but not necessarily the baking properties. Don't try to use Splenda-based granulated or powdered sugar in recipes where sugar is the main ingredient, or where the recipe depends on sugar to give it structure or caramelizing properties.

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A Guide to Sugar

One thing most candy recipes have in common is their copious use of sugar. It’s important to know the distinctions between different types of sugar products, so that your candies are successful.

• Granulated sugar: This is derived from either beets or sugarcane, and when a recipe calls for “sugar” or “white sugar,” it is referring to granulated sugar.

• Brown sugar: This is granulated sugar with molasses added. It comes in “light” and “dark” varieties; light brown sugar has a milder flavor and is usually recommended for candy making. Brown sugar should be packed down in a measuring cup while measuring. Generally, brown sugar should not be used to replace other sugars.

• Superfine sugar: Also called caster sugar. This is granulated sugar with a very fine texture. It is useful when making candy centers because it dissolves quickly and doesn’t produce a grainy texture. Superfine sugar can be used in place of regular granulated sugar without adverse results.

• Powdered sugar: Also called confectioner’s sugar or icing sugar. This is very fine-textured sugar with cornstarch added; it needs to be sifted before use. Do not use powdered sugar to replace any other sugars in candy recipes.

• Corn syrup: Also known as glucose. Corn syrup is produced from cornstarch and comes in “light” and “dark” varieties; in confectionery light is generally preferred. Corn syrup prevents other sugar from crystallizing and makes cooked candies firmer, so is often used in cream fillings and fudges.

• Invert sugar: Liquid sugar. It improves the shelf life of many candies. Only use invert sugar if a recipe specifically calls for it.

• Honey: Any mild bee’s honey can be used in recipes that call for honey. The honey should be liquid, not of the “creamed” or “honey spread” varities.

• Molasses: A by-product of the sugar refining process, it is a thick dark syrup with a distinctive taste.

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