about sweet

tráng miệng (refresh your mouth)

techniques

candy

stage	temperature	cold water test consistency	appearance	common uses
thread
soft ball
firm ball
soft crack
hard crack
light caramel
dark caramel

invert sugar

substitute for corn syrup density: 1.42 g/ml

• mixture of glucose and fructose monosaccharides, or sucrose disaccharides broken down into its components through hydrolysis
• used to keep cakes/cookies/etc. moist and tender (as invert sugar contains water) ¹
• used for sweeter flavor than sugar

instructions:²³ 700 g sugar, 300 g water, 7 g potassium citrate or 2.8 g citric acid + 3.2 g baking soda; heat to 113ºC then let cool; store in a sealed container in a dark and dry environment

gelling agents

agar-agar vs. gelatin 1:3 conversion

primary flavor profiles

https://ringhilterra.github.io/dessert-flavor-pairings/ gustatory

• sweet
• sour
• bitter
• salty
• umami
• piquant
• astringent

notes on flavors

berries—rubus⁴

• pacific blackberry/dewberry (r. ursinus): native to pnw
  • parent of marionberry and boysenberry

chocolate

cocoa vs. cacao

• cocoa
  • roasted at high temperature
  • sugar and dairy usually added
• cacao:
  • not roasted
  • fermented

dutch-process

powder vs. bar vs. nibs

vanilla

vanilla bean grades

• for the most part interchangeable
• grade a “gourmet”
  • higher moisture content
    • more easily absorbed into ingredients
    • more pliable → easier to work with
  • oilier skin
• grade b “extraction grade”
  • lower moisture content
    • more concentrated flavor in extract
    • paying less for water weight

vanilla bean varieties

• madagascar/bourbon—also grown in réunion and comoros⁵
  • most common
  • sweet, creamy, slightly smoky, rich
• tahitian
  • very common
  • fruity, floral, light
• mexican
  • floral, richer than madagascar, popular in savory dishes
• indonesian
  • sweet, smooth, mild
• ugandan
  • strong, robust, popular in savory dishes
• tongan
  • sweet, mellow, smooth, creamy, mild
• indian
  • woody, spicy, bold
• west indian/caribbean
  • sweet, floral, mild

extract vs. paste vs. powder

• extract has the lightest taste
• paste has the strongest taste, has spects
• powder doesn’t add moisture
• 1 vanilla bean ≡ 1 tbsp vanilla paste ≡ 1 tbsp vanilla powder ≡ 2 tbsp vanilla extract

how to make extract

for 250 g extract

• single fold: 6 (~17 g) split vanilla beans per 250 g alcohol (80 proof)
• double fold: 8 (~22 g) split vanilla beans per 250 g alcohol (80 proof)
• extraction time: at least 6 months, ≥ 12 months is best

how to make paste

for 500 ml paste⁶

• 16 (~44 g) vanilla beans
• 225 g sugar
• 160 g 80 proof alcohol
• 75 g water
• 40 g light corn syrup or invert sugar
  • → 28 g sugar, 12 g water, 0.28 g potassium citrate
• 0.75 g xanthan or guar gum (for thick smooth consistency) blend everything on high except gum to fine sand consistency (2–3 min). blend in gum on low to incorporate (~30 s). store in airtight container RT indefinitely. paste will thicken over a month, but can be used immediately.

log

2026-08-08 used mexican vanilla beans, grade a

inspirations

https://ibakemistakes.substack.com https://elanneboake.substack.com/p/pandan-and-peanut-rice-cream https://scientificallysweet.com

Footnotes

1. https://www.pastryclass.com/articles/invert-sugar-guide-making-using ↩

2. https://www.tomspatisserie.com/en/recetas/homemade-invert-sugar/ ↩

3. https://distilmate.com/blog/how-to-make-invert-sugar/ ↩

4. https://berrynationusa.com/blackberry-complete-guide/#botanical-profile ↩

5. https://agriospice.com/a-guide-to-8-different-vanilla-bean-varieties-and-their-flavor-profiles/ ↩

6. https://gneissspice.com/pages/vanilla-paste-tutorial ↩