Make your own sweet shop: Sherbet with lolly dippers
By ANNIE RIGG
Old-fashioned marshmallows, truffles, fudge and sherbet dippers with a modern touch
Homemade sherbet with lolly dippers
Makes 12
For the sherbet
- 500g (1lb 2oz) caster sugar
- 2tsp citric acid
- 1tsp bicarbonate of soda
- A few drops of lemon or orange extract and natural raspberry flavouring (from supermarkets)
- Yellow and pink food-colouring pastes
For the lolly dippers
- Sunflower oil for greasing
- 300g (10½oz) granulated or caster sugar
- 150g (5½oz) golden syrup
- ½tsp cream of tartar
- 1tsp orange or lemon extract
- Red or pink food-colouring paste
- Sugar thermometer
For the sherbet, tip the caster sugar into the bowl of a food processor and blend for 1 minute until the sugar is finely ground. Add the citric acid and bicarbonate of soda and blend again to combine thoroughly. Tip half of the sherbet into a bowl and set aside. Add a few drops of lemon (or orange) extract to the sherbet in the food processor bowl and a tiny amount of yellow food-colouring paste.
Blend again until thoroughly combined and the sherbet turns a delicate pastel colour. Tip out of the food processor and repeat with the reserved sherbet, adding pink food colouring and raspberry flavouring instead of yellow colouring and lemon flavouring. Store the sherbet in airtight jars until ready to serve.
To make the lolly dippers, grease a 12-hole lolly mould with sunflower oil or line a baking sheet with greased baking parchment. Tip the sugar and golden syrup into a small, heavy-based saucepan.
Add the cream of tartar and 175ml (6fl oz) water and set the pan over a medium heat to dissolve the sugar, stirring frequently. Pop the sugar thermometer into the pan and bring the syrup to the boil. Continue to cook steadily over a medium heat until the syrup reaches 154°C (309°F) or the ‘hard crack’ stage on the thermometer. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and add the flavouring and a tiny amount of food-colouring paste to the syrup and stir until evenly mixed.
Pour the mixture into the moulds and place a stick in each lolly. Leave until solid and cold before removing from the moulds. If you don’t have lolly moulds, let the syrup cool and thicken slightly, then spoon neat circles onto greased baking parchment and place a lolly stick into the middle of each.
To serve, pour the sherbet into little jars or waxed bags and serve with lolly dippers. The sherbet will keep for a month in an airtight jar in a cool, dry place. The lollies are best served after 1-2 days and can be stored in individual cellophane bags at room temperature.
Adapted from Sweet Things by Annie Rigg. Photographs Tara Fisher. Published by Kyle Books on 12 September at £16.99. © 2013 Annie Rigg. To order a copy for £12.99 (incl p&p) call 0844 472 4157
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