I. Hate. Cooking. Sugar.

The title says it all, I hate cooking sugar in all it's forms. Today we made torrone (an Italian celebration confection), divinity (an old-school American candy), peanut brittle and Italian meringue. With the exception of the peanut brittle, the other three recipes utilized the same basic technique of making Italian meringue. Italian meringue can be used for scores of different desserts from pie topping to cookies to cake frosting and it is not too difficult to make. Basically, take sugar, water and corn syrup and simmer it until it is 248F. While the sugar is bubbling away (it takes a long while to get to 248F) begin to whip egg whites in a mixer until they are at soft peaks and then gradually add sugar to them and allow them to continue to whip until they are almost at firm peaks and then stop the mixer. When the sugar has reached 248F, start the mixer again and add the cooked liquid sugar slowly down the side of the mixer. Continue to let the mixer beat the meringue until it begins to cool. After the mixture has cooled a bit, you can add butter to make the meringue into a frosting. So, when you are making one of the different confections that we made today, the same method of the Italian meringue is used but the ingredients and/or temperatures that you cook the meringue change -- that's how you can use the same method to create a number of different desserts.

Here are some of the pictures of what we made today minus the torrone (which you will see tomorrow because it is still setting) and the Italian meringue because frankly it was kind of photographically boring. Please enjoy and send me good karma for the sugar cooking I will be partaking in tomorrow...

Delicious sqaure of fudge

Stack of Peanut Brittle

Mounds of Divinity -- Collin Murray's favorite