Pastilles

So, once again I've been asked to teach a class, this time for the kiddies.  And, as many of the people who have read this blog might have realized, I'm going to shamelessly steal from Townsends yet again (check the video link above, and seriously, check out their channel in general).  Townsends may be focused on colonial-era recipes, but a lot of their stuff goes back towards things that are entirely appropriate for the SCA.

Sugar was used primarily as a medicine in the Greek and Roman eras and no, it does not come solely from the US.  In fact, Marco Polo (not the game) reported that the Chinese were producing vast amounts of unrefined sugar.  Egypt and Venice were creating a more pure substance, but let's be honest, it probably wasn't the pure white stuff we know today.  And, of course, Native Americans in both North and South America were producing sugar from cane for centuries by this time.

Sugar naturally helps stop coughing by dissolving in your mouth, which is part of why cough drops are made the way they're made.

If you're looking at an English persona, sugar was first acknowledged in England in 1100.  By 1400, the nobility had enough of it that it was considered a moderately common, albeit expensive, spice.  In the 1000s, Islamic countries were using sugar as a medicine for a variety of ailments.

Now, it is important that we all realize that this is not actually a medicine.  Sugar isn't good for you, kiddos.  In fact, it's pretty darned bad for you.  So why did people take sugar pills when they felt bad?

Well, there's the easy explanation--they weren't used to sugar.  Sugar tastes good and it made them feel happy, which helped them feel better.  There's also the fact that they often included various oils, herbs, extracts, and other things that might actually have a little bit of medicinal properties.

And that's what we'll be making for this class.  What was viewed as medicine is, to us, going to be candy.

What You're Going to Need

It's important to note here that just about everything here is going to be "a little bit of this."  Basically, make sure you have some extras.

Sugar - Probably a cup, maybe a little more if you want more

Flavorings - This can be pretty much anything you want.  I'm going to use some peppermint extract and maybe some vanilla extract.  If you want lemony candies, use some lemon oil.  Hot fireballs?  Cinnamon oil.

Water - You know where to get this.  You won't need a bunch, but enough to make a paste.

Waxed Paper - This stuff likes to stick to anything, so having something non-sticky to put it on is a good idea.

Eye Dropper - Remember, extracts are STRONG.  You don't want to add more than a few drops to the mixture.

A Note to Parents

Guys, if you're running out to get essential oils (Lemon, Citrus, Cinnamon, etc.), make sure they are food-grade.  A lot of the stuff you can get at, say, Whole Foods or whatever isn't graded for human consumption.  While these aren't actually medicines, we don't want your kids getting sick from them either.

What You Might Want

A little bit of Xanthan Gum - I got it at Foodarama by me, honestly.

If you can't find xanthan gum, you can use cornstarch or really, any other sort of goopy, food-safe stuff.  This isn't necessary, but as the video above shows, it does help.

Oh, and if you have any stamping tools, you can use them to decorate your pastilles.

Directions

1.  Pour the sugar in a bowl.  Hard, I know!

2.  Add a few drops of whatever flavor you want the pastilles (which means little pills) to have.

3.  Start adding a little bit of water at a time until you have a still paste.  What you're looking for is a bit like making a sort of wet sandcastle mixture.  If you're using xanthan gum or another binder, mix it with the water as you're adding it here.

4.  Start making the pills.  How big or how small is really up to you, but too small is a lot of work and too big won't fit in your mouth (and takes longer to dry).

5.  Put the pastilles on the waxed paper somewhere safe from bugs and humidity.

6.  Wait.  Sorry, this takes a while to dry.  In a couple days, they should be good to go.

7.  Eat.  But not all at once!