Willpowder - ISOMALT

Isomalt (aka isomaltitol) is a white granule forming powder. Designed for use in hard candy making, its characteristics make it excellent for shelf stability and “low stickiness.” Popularized by sugar décor specialists due to its hygroscopic awesomeness, it has been used in recent years (decades) as an integral part of restaurant dessert making as the foundation of nougatines.

The evolution of Michel Bras’ sablee nougatine, where he folded sweet pastry powder into liquid caramel and pulled it, through Albert Adria’s isomalt based “croquants” featuring lyophilized fruit, offers the pastry chef many instances for inspiration in their work.

Practically speaking, Isomalt is a wonder, especially for those, like me, who work in high humidity climates. Isomalt is not excessively sweet, doesn’t color below 180 Celsius, and is not affected (unlike Ken Kesey) by acid. Isomalt is also (my favorite term to date) non-cariogenic. Which means no tooth decay. And it’s great for diabetics as it does not raise the glycemic index.