Darienne

If you decide you want to make the hedgehog spikes out of Mexican paste, I have the Nicholas Lodge book out of the library...on ILL... I can send you a photo of his hedgehogs. Mexican Paste is made from icing sugar, gum tragacanth, glucose and water. I can send the recipe. I would warn you that Lodge's hedgehogs are incredibly labor intensive and you're probably better off if you can get your original recipe.

Many thanks to you all for the fascinating information. You could live forever and learn something new every day.

I shall be on the look-out for them. Thanks.

Thanks for the information.

As for the rhubarb, I will report back ...but it will be a good while before that happens. I don't know loquats. Sounds a bit like kumquats. Do they taste anything alike? I don't know which process would be more useful to candy them. If you wanted slices, then the Wybauw process for sure. If not, then one of Andie's processes would be better perhaps. Depends also on the seeds in the fruit...whether you eat them or not...if there are seeds. Do write back about the loquat please.

Thanks. Of course. Fudge! Where was I? And caramel corn. Methinks I slept. Thanks again.

My version looked like this: ← Thank you for the photo. I am speechless.

My DH and I are the Mom and Dad now. Still, the best thing I have come across lately is the chocolate covered toffee from Enstrom's in Grand Junction, CO. I had seen it written up in some book as the best toffee in the USA and as we were going past Junction, thought we should stop in and taste it. Keep in mind that I am not a toffee lover by any means, but I thought I had died and gone to toffee heaven. I know you can get it online from Enstrom's. Truly delicious.

A candied rhubarb tepee. Who knew? Thanks. I'll look up the CT book.

Thank you. Very interesting. I have never tried any fruits in this fashion, but now I will for sure. To me there is something fascinating about the process. Glad you pointed out the error in the formula. What a hoot! (Actually having been a 'non-cook' cook for lo! these many decades, I am finding the entire field of endeavor fascinating. Especially the alchemy of taking basically water and sugar and a touch of something else and creating pure magic.)

Oooooh! Beautiful! I will try that method. Please, each session of syrup of increasing sugared strength: - how cool was it before pouring over the kumquats? - how long did the kumquats sit each time? They are radiant looking! I did mine whole and then had to cut them up to get out the seeds. However they pretty much all ended up in sauces and ice cream. Truthfully, I didn't even know they had such big seeds in them. Learn, learn, learn... Thanks,

Thanks John and Pastry Girl. I did the kumquats the same way...try them in vanilla ice cream. So good. I bet the candied Rhubarb would have much the same effect. I'll just wash the stuff, get the DH to slice them (my manual dexterity is blown), and then into the syrup they go. Friend back home...east central Ontario...has a ring to it, doesn't it?...informs me that green things are just poking up a tiny bit. It's been a cold April and we are up several hundred feet from the environs. Oh, John...you poured the syrup over the kumquat, but you didn't heat them at all? Not even on low in a crock pot? I did mine on low in my crock pot.

Good point. It appears some recipes talk about cutting the rhubarb into 5" long or so thin pieces and then slicing them into ribbons using a mandolin and then simply dipping them into a simple syrup which coats them and then they harden in the drying. I admit I haven't read the recipes very carefully...am getting ready to leave Moab...and was hoping for eG input. Sorry. Lazy and overtired at once. And can't type either...

I like, no I love, making marshmallows. And kids will love the rainbow effect. Good one. Thanks.

If it stands still long enough, I will try to candy it, but never thought of rhubarb. A friend sent me a recipe for Candied Rhubarb this morning which I saved...it turned out a garbled mess...hate computers. Then I googled candied rhubarb and found a few recipes. However, has anyone tried it? We'll be home in Ontario in a week and a half. And we have several hundred year old patches of rhubarb on the farm. (As we speak I am drying a batch of ginger to take me on the long journey home. And using the last of February's candied kumquats in a batch of Alton Brown's Seriously Vanilla ice cream. What did I ever do for fun before Andie came into my life?)

Thanks from one Ontarian to another. BTW, Barbara and I made sponge toffee last summer and laughed so hard as the toffee climbed out of the prepared pan and onto the counter. Oh no! Attack of the toffee monster!!! Perhaps a larger pan would help????

We'll make it there though heck should bar our way. I'll help on the computer. We are in Ontario. Plus I have no contacts in the industry...unless you count Kerry Beal. And, she said truthfully and modestly, I have no expertise in any area. Time is not a problem for me.

The chocolate might well melt. It could easily be 90 Fahrenheit with 90 degrees humidity. A killer. The marshmallow cones sound like a possibility. Fun for the kids. Pralines. I never know what kind of pralines anyone means. Please explain. Plus there are no low humidity days in Ontario in the summer. We could do them in a heavily A/C room if needed, but you can't get the humidity down very low when you are fighting that much heat and moisture. Compounded chocolate??? Kids don't know the difference. I would hate to put our name on that, but it sure is one sensible idea....actually lots of adults don't either.... Barbara wants to do chocolate dipped strawberries. My problem is the 'last minute' part of that one. What about sponge toffee? Thanks to all so far...

Confectionery partner, Barbara, and I have been asked to make some goodies for a local charity to sell to raise money. To date I have made hundreds of hard tack lollies but that's about it. Suggestions are welcome. Easy, popular, stands up the best to heat and humidity and no electricity. Thanks. Edit: sorry, wrote that in too much of a hurry. I meant that I had already made lollies to sell. I've made other confections, but not in great quantities or to sell. Also does peanut brittle sell in the summer?

Fault...schmault. There's no fault here. Girls gotta have fun sometimes. Especially when they did not get to go to the conference.

Thank you. No, I mean 'merci' beaucoup.

All best to you, my friend.

Aw. We wuz jes' funnin' around...

Lovely! My next-door-neighbor/landlady/friend in Moab loves Turtles. We have made them twice now and this might be a treat to make for her just before we leave. Our Moab stay is almost over. Could you please walk me through the steps again: crust - crushed vanilla wafers and walnuts (I'll use pecans) layer 1 - caramel layer 2 - chocolate cheesecake topping 1 - ? topping 2 - drizzled dark chocolate & walnuts (again, I'll use pecans) Is this more or less correct? Thanks.

Ditto for me. See tonight's incredible raspberry mousse.