Soph
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soph-pl.bsky.social
Soph
@soph-pl.bsky.social
890 followers 540 following 1.8K posts
Endlessly curious globetrotter. Lover of smart stories. Spicy romance enthusiast. Combined, shook, rearranged, and caressed them into shape. And now #AmQuerying. Bonus threads on #NixedBookResearch
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soph-pl.bsky.social
As you know, I'm not on IG, so can confirm the link works for all!

Great pitch too 😍
November 29, 2025 at 6:00 PM
soph-pl.bsky.social
Day 3, time to check the orange peels and thicken the syrup!
1. I lifted the peels out of the saucepan 2. Then I checked the syrup density. Since hydrometers work on buoyancy, that means pouring a bit into a tall glass 3. And surprise: it read 16° Baumé (29° Brix)! It happens. Maybe the peels kept too much water from blanching, or I didn't boil my initial syrup long enough, or... This is exactly why a hydrometer isn't just a gadget—it lets me know where I'm at 4. I simply added 56g of sugar (to go from 16° to 20° Baumé—see updated table), brought the syrup to a boil (100°C/212°F)… 5. … let it cool to 60°C/140°F, then tipped the peels back in, and covered the saucepan This sets the candying back by 48 hours, but that's no problem: some recipes even start at 15°C Baumé/27° Brix. I don't find it necessary, but since that's what I got… ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ *Tips: - The syrup used for testing density went right back into the saucepan, of course - If the peels had been tough, I could have put them back into the hot syrup, or even let them cook a bit while it was boiling. This is fine as long as the syrup is still thin (up to 24° Baumé/43° Brix)
November 29, 2025 at 4:27 PM
soph-pl.bsky.social
I wonder if it’s because of the overall atmosphere… it’s a somewhat bleak story, and you can tell early on that things aren’t going to end well for everyone.

But I started rereading it yesterday, and honestly: the opening is an absolute masterclass in storytelling.
November 29, 2025 at 1:46 PM
soph-pl.bsky.social
🤞🤞🤞
November 29, 2025 at 10:10 AM
soph-pl.bsky.social
a man wearing red glasses and a grey sweater has a star on his chest
ALT: a man wearing red glasses and a grey sweater has a star on his chest
media.tenor.com
November 28, 2025 at 10:23 PM
soph-pl.bsky.social
Thanks!
After Eights & York Peppermint Patties have (mint-flavored) fondant centers...
November 28, 2025 at 9:10 PM
soph-pl.bsky.social
Or spread it on some buttered toast and grill it... knock-off French toast, no food safety issues
November 28, 2025 at 8:59 PM
soph-pl.bsky.social
I was thinking of eating it, myself... 😅
a man is sitting at a table with a plate of food in front of him .
ALT: a man is sitting at a table with a plate of food in front of him .
media.tenor.com
November 28, 2025 at 8:50 PM
soph-pl.bsky.social
Oooh yes, love those 🤦
Mind you, there are worse things to overprep than too much icing 😂
November 28, 2025 at 8:47 PM
soph-pl.bsky.social
Ah yes! I just reread Moving Pictures, and somehow I remembered Soul Music as being along the same lines, but now that you mention it...
Death + Susan puts it next on my list!
November 28, 2025 at 7:57 PM
soph-pl.bsky.social
You’re very welcome!
I picked up most of this by poring over semi-pro and very old (19th-century) cookbooks.
There’s definitely more than one way to do it, but these are the things that work for me.
November 28, 2025 at 7:52 PM
soph-pl.bsky.social
First couples of posts are up! The hashtag is XmasDIYChocolates
November 28, 2025 at 7:48 PM
soph-pl.bsky.social
That's... Hogfather? Definitely with Susan
November 28, 2025 at 7:46 PM
soph-pl.bsky.social
Funny you should say that.
I actually once made a little milk chocolate from cocoa powder, milk, and sugar. Not this year, though!
November 28, 2025 at 7:04 PM
soph-pl.bsky.social
Some additional tips
* Tips: • Hygiene is super important here: hands, bowls, and pans must be squeaky clean, to prevent any spore/bacteria from entering the mix. • Glucose keeps the fondant moist and prevents crystallizing. Back in the day, results depended solely on technique (boiling the syrup, fraisage). As an amateur, I'll take any help I can get! • Corn syrup is sticky! For small quantities, I heat it in its container, for 40 secs in the microwave, then dribble what I need onto the sugar with the tip of a clean knife. This way, the excess can be scraped back into the container • For clear syrups, I prefer using a probe thermometer; I'm never sure what a laser one actually measures (bottom of the pan? vapor?) • Since the syrup is hot going into the mixer, I wouldn't use a bowl that isn't metal or glass. A hand mixer with dough hooks works too, but it’s harder going! • The technical term for step 6 is "fraisage": it's basically kneading, but gentler! If the paste is too sticky at first, I use a knife & spatula to fold it onto itself. If it becomes too hard/dry, I microwave it in 5-sec increments
November 28, 2025 at 6:43 PM
soph-pl.bsky.social
Absolutely love DEATH (and, uh, to anyone reading this, context is everything 😅)

I never quite took to Rincewind, but I’ve recently reread my Pratchett favourites, which is to say… more than half his books.

D*mn, the man could write, plot, and make me laugh *and* cry!
November 28, 2025 at 2:10 PM
soph-pl.bsky.social
Congrats!
November 28, 2025 at 2:04 PM
soph-pl.bsky.social
I used to buy them!
But they kept getting tougher and drier every year, so I started making my own.
They don’t always turn out perfect (🤞 for this year), but never worse than the store-bought stuff... and it’s not that difficult.

Candying ginger is trickier, and I’ve given up on the chestnuts!
November 28, 2025 at 1:16 PM
soph-pl.bsky.social
Never, but that’s because with grapefruit and tangerines I prefer eating them fresh. I find cooking them brings out different flavors. Lots of people love them though!

I’ve candied lemon peels; great in cakes, but a bit too acidic for my taste when dipped in chocolate...
November 28, 2025 at 10:55 AM
soph-pl.bsky.social
As my grandma used to say: “If it’s got good ingredients, it can’t taste bad!”

I’ve been burned by that kind of surprise too. Now I *always* read to the end before I even buy anything 😆

Also love the online recipes that list, like, six ingredients and then only use four in the instructions 😂
November 28, 2025 at 8:45 AM