Why is my sugar in my recipe becoming gritty and dry after baking in the oven. This is something new for me
I've been making these dessert snacks for years. The last 2 times I've baked them, the sugar has come out gritty and the butter seems all absorbed. Very dry. My recipe calls for brown sugar, butter, and (added pecans after the boiling).
After boiling on the stove for 2 minutes this is poured onto graham crackers in a greased pan. Then it's baked at 350 degrees for 10 min. When I take them out it seems all moisture has been sucked out and everything falls apart and sugar is gritty.
I'm using a Convection oven, but I have done all of this the same way for almost 40 years and don't know what's going on.
Best Answer
I'm guessing this is for some type of fudge or praline?
There are a lot of variables that can change the crystallization of sugar when making a sugar syrup. Things like temperature, how clean your pot is, whether a wooden spoon is wet, how fast and when you stir, etc.
Using an interfering agent like butter or cream helps prevent the solution from creating large crystals. But even with those agents undissolved sugar or impurities can grow into large crystals.
Without seeing what you're cooking and how you're cooking it I can't give you a direct answer. But the best course of action you can take is to pay particular attention to cleaning and drying your pot, the implement you use to stir, and the complete dissolving of the sugar during the initial creation of the syrup.
This article has a lot of good information on sugar syrup and may point out something you're doing that could be done better.
https://www.finecooking.com/article/learn-how-to-control-crystallization-for-successful-sweets
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Why is my sugar grainy?
If the solution is disturbed--say by stirring, or an undissolved sugar crystal or other foreign particle getting into the solution--the sugar can rapidly come out of solution and form big crystals. This could be why your confections are grainy.What happens to sugar in the oven?
Sugar adds crunchIn the heat of the oven, moisture evaporates from the surface of baked goods, allowing dissolved sugars to re-crystallize. This creates the crunchy, sweet crust that you've probably enjoyed on such items as brownies, pound cakes, and some kinds of muffins and cookies.Why does my sugar keep crystallizing?
Why is my sugar crystallizing? Unclean pots and pans, hard water, excessive stirring, and impure sugar can all cause sugar to crystallize. Sugar will latch onto particulates like minerals in the water or even foreign objects like your stirring spoon.How do you make brown sugar soft?
How To Soften Brown Sugar. If you're wondering how to make sugar soft after it's gotten too hard, you can always use your microwave. Place everything hardened in a microwave-safe bowl then place a damp paper towel on top. Microwave on medium for 30 seconds, or until it's soft.REDUCE YOUR SUGAR INTAKE: 10 tips that helped me cut sugar effectively
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