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Dessert

Gum Drops

A confection made by setting gum arabic syrup in cornstarch and coating with sugar.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 5 ingredients
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Gum Drops

Ingredients

Directions

Make the syrup

  1. Combine gum arabic, confectioners’ sugar, and water in a bowl.

  2. Mix thoroughly without stirring.

Mold the gum drops

  1. Pack cornstarch into a tray and make holes using the closed end of a thimble.

  2. Pour the syrup into the holes.

  3. Flavor the syrup while it is hot, if desired.

Set and coat

  1. Leave the gum drops in the cornstarch for several days in a warm place to finish setting.

  2. Brush off excess starch, dampen the gum drops, and shake them in granulated sugar.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.

Explore the science

What each ingredient does

Gum arabic
Forms the gel structure that lets the drops hold their shape as they set.
Confectioners’ sugar
Adds sweetness and body to the syrup, helping it set firm and smooth.
Cornstarch
Acts as a dry mold that keeps the syrup drops from sticking as they set.

The step that matters

Mix thoroughly without stirring. Stirring whips air into the syrup, which leaves bubbles in the set drops. Mixing thoroughly without stirring keeps the mixture smooth and clear.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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