Italian Confectioner

Ingredients

• powdered loaf sugar
• clarified sugar
• gum Arabic
• cold water

Directions

The book gives no oven temperature. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps was added when the recipe was transcribed, as a starting point.

1. Cut two pieces of wood, one concave and one convex, about the size of half an egg.

2. Cut pieces of paper to form half a ball and fold them into small folds.

3. Fill the paper forms with powdered loaf sugar.

4. Boil clarified sugar until it reaches the blow stage.

5. Pour about 1 inch of sugar into each mold.

6. Place the half balls in the molds without touching each other.

7. Put the filled molds in a hot oven at 400°F (200°C) for about 6 hours.

8. Strain off the syrup and let the molds dry for 7-8 hours.

9. Turn the molds upside down and remove the powdered sugar.

10. Wet the interior paper with cold water using a camel's-hair pencil to remove it easily.

11. Smooth the dry candy with a fine file or scouring paper to ensure both parts meet perfectly.

12. Fix the two halves together with a little gum Arabic.

13. Optionally, paint small flowers or a motto inside for decoration.