← Nouns Cooking · Dessert Parlour

Ingredients

• 1 tsp sunflower oil, for the tin
• 50 g Icing sugar
• 2 tbsp Cornflour (cornstarch)
• 14 g powdered gelatine (2 sachets)
• 100 ml cold water, for the gelatine
• 350 g granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp Liquid glucose (glucose syrup)
• 150 ml water, for the syrup
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 tsp vanilla extract or seeds of 1 pod

Method

1. Oil a 20 cm square tin. Sift the icing sugar and cornflour together and dust the tin generously with some of it, keeping the rest.
2. Sprinkle the gelatine over the 100 ml cold water and leave it to swell for 5 min.
3. Heat the sugar, glucose and 150 ml water in a heavy pan, stirring until dissolved, then boil without stirring until it reaches 125°C (257°F) on a sugar thermometer, about 12 min.
4. Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites in a stand mixer to stiff peaks.
5. Take the syrup off the heat and stir in the soaked gelatine; it will foam. With the mixer running, pour the hot syrup onto the whites in a thin, steady stream.
6. Add the vanilla and keep whisking on high for 8–10 min, until the mixture is very thick, holds its shape and is only just warm.
7. Spread it into the tin with an oiled spatula, dust the top and leave to set for at least 3 hours.
8. Turn out, cut into squares with an oiled knife and toss them in the remaining sugar mix so no sticky sides are left.

Tips

• Gelatine is made from animal collagen, so these aren't vegetarian; vegetarian gelling agents don't give the same bounce.
• Store in an airtight box with extra dusting powder for up to 2 weeks. Contains egg.
• The 125°C syrup can cause bad burns: pour it slowly, away from your hands, and keep children back.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

BBC Good Food GialloZafferano