How to make
Very often, and especially in European pastries, it is noticed that sugar pearls are used for sprinkling on a given pastry, for example Easter bread. Making them is easy.
I have two recipes for you, one is Lucy Evtimova's and the other one is mine, and I guarantee that when Italian women don't have any available at the moment, can quickly make it at home.
Lucy Evtimova's is with the addition of flour, more precisely: 1 tablespoon of flour is added to 3 tablespoons of sugar. Mix until a paste is obtained, so that it can rest in your hand and is sticky. Transfer it onto baking paper on a little flour and after it dries it is crumbled into small pieces.
And the one I have for you is: Add only 1 tsp. of water to 50 g of fine sugar. Stir, it becomes like sand and it is placed in a large slotted spoon. It is pressed with the fingers and small oblong pieces of sugar pearls come out from below on baking paper. They are left to dry.
The difference between the two recipes is that in the first one they dry for a longer time and stick together more, which is probably due to the addition of flour, while in the second recipe they dry quickly and what I like most is that the color of the sugar is completely preserved, it remains white, while in the first recipe it becomes yellowish in color.
I will show in the photo gallery both types of homemade sugar pearls, including the original pearls, the difference is obvious, they are almost the same size and look like small pure white pearls. Anyone can make their own to judge which recipe they like better of the two types of homemade sugar.
Sugar pearls can be flavored however you like. They can be lemon, orange, vanilla, a matter of choice, taste and desire.
Sugar pearls are stored in a dry jar with a lid and have a very long shelf life.
No matter which recipe I choose, the good thing is that they make a beautiful topping on any Easter pastry.