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organic goji berryThe History and Making of Liquorice

The confection called Liquorice is very popular and is enjoyed by many people around the western world. Unknown to most consumers though, liquorice has been around in one form or another for a very, very long time. Liquorice has endured a rich and long history. There is evidence to prove that liquorice was consumed by the people of ancient civilizations, especially the Egyptians, although not in the form that we know of today. In ancient Egypt, liquorice was not eaten as strips or ropes of candy we know today but as a sweet liquid. The extract of the plant called the Glycyrrhiza, which means 'sweet root' in Greek, was indulged upon by many prophets and pharaohs. Also documented was the use of this extract that came in handy in the battlefields and the dessert where soldiers and travelers drank to relieve their thirst on long marches.

It would not be until the Middle Ages when the liquorice plant and its extracts were brought to England by the Crusaders who came home from the East. A certain monastery in Pontefract, England began using the extract and turned it into liquorice candy and it became well-known throughout the country. In time, liquorice recipes were brought to America by the early settlers. The US has been producing and importing liquorice products ever since.

The process of manufacturing liquorice candy has two methods. The use of which method depends on the scale the company is to produce. This means that candy companies that operate on a small production scale use the Corn Starch Molding Process, which is the same process used to make candy corns. The company with a larger production scale manufactures using the Liquorice Rope Extrusion Process and is quite different.

For smaller-scale production companies that use the Corn Starch Molding Process, the process starts with trays that contain long rows of molds for the product which are filled with corn starch. The corn starch is vital because it prevents the liquorice from sticking to the mold and makes it easier to remove. Ingredients like sugar, corn syrup and liquorice extract are cooked together until they become hot syrup. It is important that the cooking of the syrup is given a lot of attention because this step determines the texture of the product. The candy could by soft, chewy, or tough because of this step. The syrup is then poured onto the trays and the molds are filled. The trays are then set aside to cool. When the liquorice is cool, they are dumped into a surface. Because of the corn starch, the liquorice just falls off the tray easily. On the surface, the liquorice is given a glaze that creates its glossy appearance. They are then packed, labeled and prepared to be shipped.

The other way to make liquorice candy is used in large-scale productions and is called the Liquorice Rope Extrusion Process. Production starts in the boiling room where a mixture of licorice root extract is boiled to an exact temperature. When it gets hot enough, the desired colors and flavors are added to the mix and cooked slowly until it achieves a dough-like consistency. The dough mix is then passed through an extruder where the dough is forced out of tiny holes. These holes form the dough into ropes of liquorice. When the liquorice ropes are formed, they are either allowed to cool and set directly or twisted to form a more 'rope' texture and are then cut into pieces. When set, these are glazed to give the sheen they are known for and then packaged and shipped to candy stores around the country.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Candy.

Easter - A Time for Family, Love and The Traditional "Easter Lamb Cake"

Easter holds such beautiful memories from my childhood. Every year we would drive "over the river and through the woods" to my grandmother's house. There was a feeling of excitement in the anticipation of the traditional Easter Egg Hunt. With eleven grandchildren that was a lot of Easter eggs! As much as grandmom was an expert in the kitchen, Grandpop von Hohen was a expert Easter egg hider! He got such a kick out of it! There was always "one more egg" which no one could find. It would usually turn up in a basket grandpop had tied to the ropes of the flagpole and hoisted to the top of the pole! We'd all laugh when the older cousins would finally discover its location and try to get it down.

This special holiday comes at a most wonderful time of year - spring time! Adding to the fun and festive atmosphere of the day was the beauty of my grandmother's gardens. There were bulbs galore! All different varieties and colors of daffodils, tulips and narcissus. There was also a lovely backdrop of the forsythia hedge. Oh, and who could forget those fuzzy pussy willows! We'd be running around the yard in our Easter bonnets and it felt more like we were in the middle of a fairytale. The beauty around us seemed almost magical.

The beauty of the outside graced the inside of grandmom and grandpop's cozy home with colorful floral arrangements scattered throughout the dining and living rooms. But what always graced the center of the Easter Sunday Dinner table? It was the traditional Easter Lamb Cake. This was a pound cake baked in a lamb shaped mold and covered with white frosting and coconut with jelly beans for the eyes, nose and mouth. The silver tray it rested on was beautifully decorated with paper doilies, green Easter grass and sprinkled with colorful hard boiled eggs and all types of Easter candy - jelly beans, chocolate butter creams and coconut nests are the ones I remember most.

I hope you are making beautiful memories for your children and grandchildren. If not, why not start now? They will be so impressed with YOUR Easter Lamb Cake as a centerpiece to your holiday table. Below is the recipe for the Easter Lamb Cake. Enjoy!

Best Pound Cake

Take 2/3 cup sweet butter and 1� cups sugar and mix together until creamy. Add � teaspoon lemon rind, 1 teaspoon vanilla, pinch of mace or nutmeg and 1 jigger (equals 1 shot) of rum. Sift 2 cups flour, � teaspoon salt and � teaspoon baking powder. Blend with butter and sugar mixture with 2/3 cup milk. When blended add 3 eggs, one at a time, beating each one in well. If preferred add � cup nuts or currants. Pour into a buttered and floured lamb shaped mold and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Fluffy White Frosting

• 1 cup sugar
• � teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine sugar, cream of tartar, 1/3 cup water and a dash salt in a saucepan. Cook and stir until bubbly and sugar dissolves. In a large bowl combine egg whites and vanilla. Add sugar syrup very slowly to unbeaten egg whites while beating constantly at high speed about 7 minutes or until stiff peaks form. When cool, frost the cake and sprinkle with coconut. Make eyes, nose and mouth with appropriate colored jelly beans.

Carrie J. Gamble is co-author, editor and publisher of Grandmother's Cookbook, a collection of recipes, treasured memories, wildflower watercolors and feelings from the heart. Details about the cookbook and more delicious recipes of Carrie's grandmother, Elizabeth Rose von Hohen, can be found on their website. You'll experience "living life the old fashioned way" with Grandmother's Cookbook. Visit the website and download FREE recipes and "A Family Love Letter" chapter at http://www.grandmotherscookbook.com Enjoy!

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