Deck 25: Sugar Techniques

Question 1

Many pastry chefs consider sugar work to be the pinnacle of their decorative art because of the _______________________________________________________.

A) sheer beauty of skillfully made pulled- and blown-sugar creations
B) amount of practice and study required to master this difficult art
C) both of the above
D) neither of the above

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Decorative pieces can be made from sugar that has been produced ____________________________________________.

A) by boiling a syrup until almost all its water has evaporated
B) from a syrup that has been boiled to less than 300°F (149°C)
C) from a syrup and then cooled completely before it is shaped
D) none of the above

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Inversion _______________________________.

A) is a chemical change
B) refers to the process in which dextrose is transformed into sucrose and levulose
C) produces sugar that is resistant to crystallization
D) both a and c

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following is true about the process of inversion?

A) The amount of sugar that is inverted depends on the amount of acid that is present.
B) Levulose and dextrose are converted into sucrose during the inversion process.
C) More and more sugar crystals are formed as the inversion process continues.
D) All of the above.

Question 5

Sugar will be _____ if too much cream of tartar or glucose is added to boiling syrup.

A) too hard
B) easily broken
C) soft and sticky
D) both a and b

Question 6

Cooking a syrup to a higher temperature makes the resulting sugar _____.

A) softer
B) more brittle
C) easier to work with
D) both a and c

Question 7

If a sugar display piece is to be shown in a hot, humid environment, the chef can help it withstand the moisture in the air by______________________________________.

A) adding more cream of tartar to the syrup
B) cooking the syrup to a lower temperature
C) either a or b
D) neither a nor b

Question 8

Your sugar might be soft and sticky if ____________________.

A) you didn't put enough cream of tartar or glucose in your syrup when you cooked it
B) you put too much cream of tartar or glucose in your syrup when you cooked it
C) the temperature to which you cooked your syrup was too high
D) either a or c

Question 9

Which of the following statements about boiling syrups for sugar work is correct?

A) The syrup should be boiled slowly over low heat.
B) The acid should be added near the end of the boiling process.
C) The acid should be added to the syrup before it begins to boil.
D) Always use an aluminum pan when cooking a syrup that contains an acid.

Question 10

If you want to color poured or cast sugar, you should add the coloring to the syrup ____________________________.

A) before it begins to boil
B) partway through the cooking process
C) when it reaches its final cooking temperature

Question 11

To avoid a discolored sugar product, you should _______________________________.

A) boil your syrup rapidly over moderately high heat
B) add the tartaric acid to your syrup when it reaches 275°F (135°C)
C) both a and b
D) neither a nor b

Question 12

Which of the following is an incorrect guideline for producing syrups for sugar work?

A) As soon as the sugar is dissolved, lower the heat and stir rapidly.
B) Always use pure white granulated sugar when making these syrups.
C) Don't use liquid colors in a syrup that contains an acid.
D) Use a clean pastry brush dipped in hot water to wash any sugar crystals down the side of the pan as the syrup boils.

Question 13

To make _________, you will use an oiled rolling pin and a whisk with the ends cut off.

A) a caramel cage
B) spun sugar
C) a sugar spiral
D) sugar lace

Question 14

Which of the following is true about spun sugar?

A) It is a mass of threadlike or hairlike strands of sugar.
B) It can be shaped by hand.
C) It does not keep well because it absorbs moisture and becomes sticky.
D) All of the above.

Question 15

Which of the following sugar decorations is paired correctly with the piece of equipment used to shape it?

A) Spun sugar: ladle
B) Caramel cage: rolling pin
C) Sugar spiral: wooden rod
D) None of the above

Question 16

Poured sugar _________________________________________.

A) is also called cast sugar
B) is boiled sugar that has been allowed to harden into various shapes
C) can be colored, cast in flat sheets, or bent and shaped
D) all of the above

Question 17

A ___________________ can be used as a mold for casting poured sugar.

A) flan ring or charlotte ring
B) cookie cutter
C) strip of metal bent into a desired shape
D) plasticine rope shaped into a desired shape
E) all of the above

Question 18

Cast sugar and sugar lace are different in that sugar lace _____________________.

A) is made from poured sugar
B) contains different ingredients
C) does not require the use of a mold
D) all of the above

Question 19

_____ sugars are perhaps the most difficult of the pastry chef's art forms.

A) Cast and poured
B) Spun and caramelized
C) Pulled and blown
D) Rolled and layered

Question 20

During the preparation of pulled and blown sugars, a chef uses a sugar lamp to _____ the products and a hair dryer to _____ them.

A) illuminate; heat
B) warm; cool
C) smooth; texture
D) all of the above

Question 21

Which of the following statements about pulled and blown sugars is correct?

A) Don't forget to add tartaric acid to the syrup you use to make blown or pulled sugar.
B) You can wear rubber gloves during the production of blown or pulled sugar to protect your hands from the hot sugar.
C) Once pulled sugar is prepared, it can be used at once, or stored and reheated later.
D) All of the above.

Question 22

During the production of pulled sugar, the term pearling refers to _________________________.

A) the process of pulling and folding the sugar
B) rolling the sugar into little balls to determine if it is ready to pull
C) covering the surface of the finished product with an iridescent coating
D) placing the product into a shell-shaped mold designed to keep it warm before it is pulled

Question 23

How do you know when reheated pulled sugar is ready to be shaped?

A) It has a pearly appearance.
B) A piece of it breaks off cleanly from the edge of the ball into which it has been shaped.
C) It has reached an internal temperature of 255°F (125°C).
D) Any of the above.

Question 24

Which of the following statements about cooking isomalt for sugar work is incorrect?

A) Isomalt should be cooked with glucose or tartaric acid to prevent crystallization.
B) Isomalt should be cooked to a temperature of about 335°F (168°C).
C) Isomalt should be cooked with distilled water in order to be clear and colorless.
D) Isomalt can be colored after the cooking process is finished.

Question 25

To ensure that cooked isomalt is free of bubbles, you would ________________________.

A) reheat it to 335°F
B) rewarm it under a sugar lamp
C) place it in a 300°F oven for about 15 minutes
D) none of the above

Question 26

For a beginner, a blowpipe that is inflated with a squeeze bulb is easier to use than one inflated with the mouth, because the squeeze-bulb blowpipe ________________________.

A) is easier to control
B) is less likely to produce burns
C) can be used with only one hand
D) all of the above

Question 27

The shape of a blown sugar piece is determined by how it is ________________________.

A) manipulated and supported with the hands
B) cooled and warmed
C) both of the above
D) neither of the above

Question 28

If the sugar on one side of a blown sugar piece becomes too thin, you should ________________________________.

A) cool it slightly with a fan until it hardens
B) heat it slightly with an alcohol lamp until it softens
C) cover it with a thin layer of pulled sugar and reheat it
D) discard the piece and start with a new one

Question 29

The appearance of a piece of blown sugar fruit can be enhanced or changed by using ____________________________.

A) an artist's brush
B) a sprayer
C) cornstarch
D) all of the above

Question 30

Which of the following candies is the most similar to pulled sugar?

A) Toffee
B) Hard candies
C) Fudge
D) Soft caramels

Question 31

Which of the following candies is the most similar to fondant?

A) Toffee
B) Hard candies
C) Fudge
D) Soft caramels

Question 32

To boil sugar for making pulled sugar, combine water, glucose, and sugar in a pan; then boil slowly until the syrup reaches the proper temperature.

Question 33

Spun sugar does not keep well, so it should be made just before it is needed.

Question 34

To color sugar for pulling, add the coloring to the boiling syrup when the temperature reaches about 220°F.

Question 35

If the syrup for pulled sugar is not boiled to a high-enough temperature, the sugar will be too soft to hold its shape.

Question 36

To make a pulled sugar basket, you need a base board with an even number of holes, plus pegs to fit into the holes.