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📝 Description
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🥘 Ingredients
To every lb. of sugar allow 1/2 pint of water, 1/2 the white of an egg.
👨🍳 Method
Put the sugar into a well-tinned saucepan, with the water, and, when the former is dissolved, set it over a moderate fire, adding the well-beaten egg before the mixture gets warm, and stir it well together. When it boils, remove the scum as it rises, and keep it boiling until no more appears, and the syrup looks perfectly clear; then strain it through a fine sieve or muslin bag, and put it back into the saucepan. Boil it again like caramel, until it is brittle, when a little is dropped in a basin of cold water: it is then sufficiently boiled. Add a little lemon-juice and a few drops of essence of lemon, and let it stand for a minute or two. Have ready a marble slab or large dish, rubbed over with salad-oil; pour on it the sugar, and cut it into strips with a pair of scissors: these strips should then be twisted, and the barley-sugar stored away in a very dry place. It may be formed into lozenges or drops, by dropping the sugar in a very small quantity at a time on to the oiled slab or dish.
📜 From Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management (1861). Public domain.
⭐ Reader Reviews
Honest opinions from readers who have explored this book.
I tried making Barley-Sugar this week, expecting a tedious afternoon in the kitchen. Instead, I found myself whipping up a batch in under 30 minutes, thanks to a clever trick in this vintage recipe: using egg white as a stabilizer. I'd always thought that was a modern hack, but Mrs. Beeton beat us to it by over a century! The key is to add the beaten egg white before the sugar mixture heats up, which helps create a smooth, clear syrup. I was delighted to see how easily the sugar twisted into those classic shapes once poured onto the oiled marble slab. This recipe is perfect for the weeknight warrior who wants to impress with a bit of old-school charm. It's a fun project for kids, too — mine loved helping me cut and twist the sugar into shapes. I stored mine in an airtight container, and it kept beautifully for days. Next time, I'll experiment with different flavor essences. But for now, I'm just glad to have a quick, satisfying treat up my sleeve for those late-night sugar cravings.
