Isomalt crystals are designed to make life with sugar simple. Isomalt is a sugar replacement that provides a taste and texture comparable to real sugar, although it is less sweet than real sugar. Isomalt belongs to the chemical group of disaccharide alcohols and is derived from sucrose. It is used to make hard candy and pulled-sugar items because it hardens with a crystal clear finish and tends to be less sticky than real sugar. It is perfect for making sugar diamond and gems. 1 lb bag.

Recipe for Isomalt Cake Jewels or Hard Candy YIELD: Fills approximately 4 tray molds of .75" sized cavities. 1 cup Isomalt 1/3 cup distilled water (we recommend distilled water because hard water will cause the coloration to change with some food colors) Gel food coloring as desired Candy Thermometer Prepare your molds by spraying them with Pam or lightly oiling them. Combine Isomalt and water in a 1 quart heavy saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat while stirring with a wooden spoon until crystals are dissolved. Dip a pastry brush in water and wash down the sides to prevent crystallizing. Insert a candy thermometer to monitor temperature. You may have to wash down the sides with water one or two more times. When the mixture reaches 250 degrees, add your food coloring. You may have to experiment to get the exact color you want. As a guideline, we use 3 drops of Super Red food coloring to get a deep ruby coloring and a scant half drop of pink for our pale pink jewels. Allow the temperature to reach 315 degrees and remove the pan from the heat. Please note, the syrup is VERY HOT so you should take precautions to prevent burns. For easier pouring into your candy molds, we recommend pouring the hot syrup mixture into a one or two cup Pyrex measuring cup. Pour hot syrup into molds and allow to harden 10 minutes. Unmold onto waxed paper. If the weather is humid, wrap in candy bags to prevent the candy from becoming cloudy.