Field Guide to Candy: How to Identify and Make Virtually Every Candy Imaginable (58 page)

Refrigerate in an airtight container between layers of wax paper for up to 2 weeks.

General Description:

Soft, sticky, sweet rice cakes,
mochi
are like the marshmallows of Japan
. Mochi come in many forms, from small round dumplings to delicately molded cakes, but they are always made from a glutinous rice flour paste that has a pleasantly chewy consistency. When mochi paste is sweetened and made into a confection, it is called
daifuku mochi
. The mochi paste is wrapped around a sweet filling, usually red bean paste or fruit.

History:

Small cakes made of glutinous rice are found throughout Asia and Hawaii. The making of mochi has become a time-honored ceremony called
mochitsuki
; enthusiastic participants pound the rice into a
paste with mallets. The Japanese confectionery tradition called
wagashi
includes daifuku mochi and other delicately formed sweets meant to be served with tea.

Serving Suggestions:

The classic filling for daifuku mochi is red bean paste. One popular variation is
ichigo daifuku
, with a piece of fresh strawberry inside the mochi. Other fillings include jam, peanut butter, and Nutella. Serve daifuku mochi with tea for a Japanese snack.

Candy-Making Notes:

When cooked, glutinous rice becomes sticky, unlike other types of rice. Glutinous rice flour can be used to avoid the traditional process of pounding rice. Glutinous rice flour and red bean paste can be found at Asian groceries.

Recipe:

1.
Combine rice flour, sugar, and 1 cup water in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir until just combined.

2.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and microwave the mixture for about 3 minutes, until it has puffed up into a dough.

3.
Let the mixture cool slightly and knead it a few
times to form a smooth dough. Dust with potato starch if it gets sticky.

4.
Pinch off a small piece of dough and press into a rough circle about ¼ inch thick. Place a spoonful of red bean paste or other filling in the center and form the dough around the filling, pinching the edges shut.

5.
Roll mochi in potato starch to cover completely. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

Yield:

About 12 mochi

Storage:

Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

General Description:

With its white, cloudlike appearance and delicately sweet taste, divinity leaves no doubt about the inspiration for its name
. This fluffy confection is made from a meringue of hot sugar syrup mixed with whipped egg whites, which is beaten to incorporate as much air as possible. Sometimes nuts are added; divinity with pecans is a favorite in the American South. Divinity is also referred to as
divinity fudge
or
divinity candy
.

History:

Divinity became popular along with the development
of corn syrup in the late 1880s in America. Most early divinity recipes use corn syrup as a partial substitute for the sugar usually used in making a meringue. Karo, one of the biggest makers of corn syrup, included recipes for divinity in recipe pamphlets attached to its bottles.

Serving Suggestions:

Walnuts and pecans are common additions to divinity; many old cookbooks also have “Christmas divinity” recipes that include chopped nuts and candied fruit in the mixture. You can add about ½ cup mix-in ingredients in step 5. You can also spread the mixture into a baking pan and cut it into squares after it has firmed up.

Candy-Making Notes:

It’s best to make divinity on a dry, cool day. Humid weather prevents divinity from setting up properly—it will remain soft and sticky. If it becomes too hard and stiff, add a few drops of hot water and mix again to soften it.

Recipe:

1.
Line several baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

2.
Combine the sugar, corn syrup, ½ cup water, and salt in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat until it reaches a boil. Continue cooking until the mixture reaches 257°F, hard ball stage.