# Grainy chocolate glaze?



## mmecyn (Jan 31, 2011)

Made a chocolate glaze for a cake-- basically the Sacher glaze -- and it's a bit grainy. Here's what I did: 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, 4 ounces good dark chocolate (70% Lindt). Bring to a boil in a small pan, lower the heat, and, stirring, bring to 234F. Stir to cool & thicken for one minute, then use  immediately.  I did all of this,and though it looks the biz -- lovely and shiny, and thickened right onto the cake -- it's a bit grainy.

What did I do wrong?  I have an old style candy thermometer and I thought I got it to 234 (a bit hard to read, though), and I was careful not to scrape the pan as I was glazing. Too hot?  Not hot enough?  Took too long to heat? ( the recipe said it would take about 5 minutes to hit 234 -- it took more like 8)

Any advice?


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## prettycake (Dec 23, 2011)

Is it powdered sugar you used?


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

The sugar crystalized--too high of a concentration and not enough liquid.  You can sub 10% corn syrup for sugar next batch, that should do the trick.


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## mmecyn (Jan 31, 2011)

Thank you both .

Prettycake-- No, I used granulated sugar -- perhaps next time I'll use superfine. Powdered sugar wasn't even mentioned -- and wouldn't that change the finished product, because of the cornstarch?

Foodpump:  I followed the recipe measurements and used a small pan. Would a narrower pan (deeper but without as much top surface, like a sugar pan) help? Could it be that maybe too much water boiled off in the process, since it took so long to hit 234? In which case, should I raise the heat underneath?


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

That could be.

Corn syrup, honey, and even brown sugar are called "doctoring agents", helps keep the sugar in solution even when highly saturated.

Try higher heat and sub some of sugar with corn syrup for "insurance"


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## mmecyn (Jan 31, 2011)

Thanks,  I assume the substitution would be by weight, syrup for sugar.  (Since it makes me feel better to say it, the glaze was so thin that no one seemed to noticed the graininess but me -- even I didn't notice it on the cake itself -- just in the drippings in the dish. Still, better to know how to do it right!) 

Thank you!


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