img_1839What the South lacks in snowy white winters, we more than make up for in Sugar! After all, how many regions can boast sugar plantations, big copper pots bubbling with molten  sugar for Pralines right on the streets, and Sugar Cane chopped and ready to make Sorghum Syrup? One of the joys of my childhood was getting a sliver of sugar cane and chewing on it at county fairs or farmers markets. Long jointed fat sugar canes stripped and chopped into three inch pieces were a special treat for adults and children alike. In the South,

  • Most of us are born with a Sweet Tooth.
  • Sugar is a pet name- pronounced- ‘Sugah’ even shortened to ‘Shug’ .
  • To say ‘Give me some Sugar.’ is to ask for a peck on the cheek or a Sweet Southern Kiss.

I admit to believing Sugar had it’s own special magical qualities. Cooks I knew would say: ‘Now, Betty Jo, you know we can’t make Divinity this week- it’s raining, we’ll have to wait until a good dry day or that Divinity will be as hard as a rock!’ The same was true for Pralines or Chocolate Fudge- make it on a rainy day and it would be grainy, they said- ‘Not fit to eat.’  And, horror of all horrors-  ‘Can you believe she put out that grainy Fudge and that hard Divinity? I almost died’.Sugar syrup is a staple in the Southern Pantry- a must have for iced tea or added with confectioner’s sugar to make Icing for cakes. Now, remember, we don’t say Frosting. For holiday candy making, making a sugar syrup with a candy thermometer is a must- it has to be bubbled to just the right temperature, for the type of candy you are making-img_1805

I have yet to per-fect even the first batch of Southern Pralines or Divinity- however they are on the culinary bucket list! I can make Snow White Marshmallows, a fairly decent caramel and if the weather conditions and the candy thermometer are just right, ButterToffee is one of my favorites! Topped with Chocolate and Chopped Pecans, I have to say- it is a little bite of heaven. img_1839

The mystery of sugar, the science of sugar, the timing, the weather conditions, the culinary art of candy making is daunting, yet somehow irresistible to me. I drag home five pound bags of sugar, dreaming of the perfect batch of Butter Toffee, Caramels or homemade Snow White Marshmallows, sugary visions dancing in my head. Give me some Sugar, a big pot and a candy thermometer and I’m transformed into a combination of Meteorologist, Mad Scientist and Cauldron Watcher. I feel very mysterious and sticky! If the candy doesn’t turn out- I throw it out and start all over! I never failed to be amazed how- cooking sugar to one temperature can result in an amber colored Butter Toffee and another temperature results in a perfect batch of Snow White Marshmallows- image

Here’s a photo journey- Butter Toffee first:

And Snow White Matshmallows:

Oh yes, Give me some Sugar! Pure Cane Sugar. Like I said, what we lack in Sugar White Snowfalls- we more than make it up in Granulated Sugar!  It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Give me some Sugar and the Magic begins!

Love y’all, Camellia

*All photographs are mine.

 

28 thoughts on “Give me some Sugah!”

  4. My mother would buy so much sugar this time of the year that the ATF would come check to make sure she wasn’t making moon shine. If sugar went on sell they would limit the number you could buy. So my mother would send her kids, their spouses and any friend she could find out to buy the limit. Come to think of it she never paid any of us back. Well she really did in cookies, fudge, pecan pies, divinity, pralines, pecan brittle and my all time favorite fruit cake.

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  6. Wow! This looks wonderful especially the butter toffee (is that the same as brickle?). My grandparents came from Germany and they didn’t make candy but rather fabulous pastries. Layers of flaky dough with butter and spices trapped inside. Miss those old time bakers! Yes, once in a while I will bake the old favorites but my husband as no sweet tooth at all.

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    1. oh I know those pastries must have been divine! yum! My husband doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth, he loves to eat fruit and all of that healthy stuff! ha! The butter toffee is not the same as brickle but similar…it has a distinct flavor…xoxo

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  7. Love this post! You do a wonderful job (as always). We definitely have a “sweet tooth” around here too. My Gram’s recipe collection is more than half all sweets (pies, cakes, candies, cookies, and so much more!)

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  9. Looks delicious! I love that kind of toffee as well. We make it with chocolate and pecans on both the top and bottom …. because why not?! Believe it or not, I think it tastes better made with margarine instead of butter. I know, sacrilege, right? But I dare you to try it…

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    1. Oh yes! sometimes I too do both sides with chocolate and pecans- I was making over 12 pounds of it recently for an event so I took the shortcut! I am not surprised about the margarine..I have an old recipe for cheese straws that called for margarine- I made them with butter and switched to 2/3 margarine and 1/3 butter, they were better! Do you think it is a stability factor? hmm

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      1. I wish I knew the answer…. I think margarine actually works better in many cookies as well, perhaps because it doesn’t burn like butter does? It doesn’t get as crispy, so maybe it helps things like cheese straws stay a more tender (?). Something about margarine being oil and not having any water in it like butter does, perhaps. I’m glad to read I’m not the only one who isn’t scared to use margarine here and there nowadays!

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      2. Good thoughts, maybe some of all ! No, I will try anything if the original recipe calls for it ! And I do know that my nngrandmother did not use milk her pound cake recipe bc she said it would make the crumb tough ???

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  12. Thank you ! I think there are various flavors being used in craft marshmallows, I say give it a try ! I tend to stay with traditional and either drizzle with chocolate or roll in toasted coconut for a change ! Let me know how yours turn out with rise water ! Hey I’m a southern girl and we do love rose water !

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