powdered sugar
Icing sugar or powdered sugar (the latter in Austria , in parts of South Tyrol, Bavaria, Saxony, Thuringia and also in southern Saxony-Anhalt) is obtained by grinding refined white sugar . The name is explained by the fact that the sugar is ground so finely until it gets a dusty or powdery consistency. However, since this powder is hygroscopic and would therefore absorb moisture from the air , about 3% corn starch is added. Therefore, powdered sugar does not dissolve in cold water, but forms lumps. Instead, bakers use so-called baker's sugar , very fine or ultra-fine sugar without this added starch.
The share of sugar production in Germany was 3.6% in 2003/2004. Farinzucker or Farinade is also an old name . It is derived from the flour-like appearance of powdered sugar.
Icing sugar is used for refining and as a basis for a wide variety of desserts and is the raw product of the icing .
Especially fine powdered sugar is mixed with small amounts of fat and rice starch to make decorating sugar . As a result, it is hardly soluble in water and fat at room temperature and does not melt. Decorating sugar is mainly used to decorate warm and moist baked goods .
In Austria, confectioners use powdered sugar as a name for finely ground and sifted granulated sugar, while powdered sugar is used as a name for finely ground powdered sugar.
Use as a reducing agent
If powdered sugar is mixed with oxidizing agents , the result is an explosive mixture. Despite the many bound oxygen atoms , sugar can bind more and therefore acts as a reducing agent . The danger that this poses - the mixture can explode while it is being mixed - is often underestimated.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Stephan Elspaß, Robert Möller: Atlas on German Everyday Language (AdA) - Fourth round: Results , powdered sugar / powdered sugar , December 21, 2007.
- ↑ Robert L. Wolke: What Einstein told his cook . Piper, Munich, Zurich 2002, ISBN 3-492-04496-4 , page 28.