Nonpareils
Encyclopedia
Nonpareils are a decorative confection of tiny balls made with sugar
and starch
, traditionally an opaque white but now available in many colors. Their origin is uncertain, but they may have evolved out of the pharmaceutical use of sugar, as they were a miniature version of comfit
s. The French
name has been interpreted to mean they were "without equal" for intricate decoration of cake
s, dessert
s, and other sweets
, and the elaborate pièces montées constructed as table ornaments.
An 18th century American
recipe for a frosted
wedding cake
calls for nonpareils as decoration. By the early 19th century, colored nonpareils seem to have been available in the U.S. The popular cookbook
author Eliza Leslie
suggests the use of red and green nonpareils for decorating a Queen cake, but strongly suggests white nonpareils are most suitable for pink icing on a pound cake
in her 1828 Seventy-five Receipts for Pastries, Cakes and Sweetmeats.
In 1844, Eleanor Parkinson, of a well-known Philadelphia family of professional confectioners
, first published her book The Complete Confectioner, in which she described how to make nonpareils following her comfit-making procedure. It was not for the faint-hearted, as it involved multiple hot pots, hot syrup, a steady hand, and a good deal of patience.
In the United States, traditional nonpareils gave way for most purposes by the mid 20th century to "sprinkles
" (known to many as "jimmies"), confections nearly as small but usually oblong rather than round and soft rather than brittle. Like nonpareils, their function is more decorative than gustatory as their actual taste is indistinct, and the products they are applied to are usually themselves very high in sugar. Candy-covered anise seeds called muisjes
, sometimes mistaken for traditional nonpareils, are frequently offered at breakfast in the Netherlands to be served on bread and butter.
In Australia and New Zealand
, hundreds-and-thousands are almost always eaten on top of patty cake
s or on buttered bread as fairy bread
, as festive items at children's birthday parties
.
Nonpareils also denote a popular confection: a round flat chocolate drop with the upper surface coated with nonpareils. Nestlé
makes a variety marketed as Sno-Caps
. In Australia
, these confections are commonly known as chocolate freckles, or simply freckles. Nonpareils are also sold in the United Kingdom
as Jazzles.
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
and starch
Starch
Starch or amylum is a carbohydrate consisting of a large number of glucose units joined together by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by all green plants as an energy store...
, traditionally an opaque white but now available in many colors. Their origin is uncertain, but they may have evolved out of the pharmaceutical use of sugar, as they were a miniature version of comfit
Comfit
Comfits are confectionery consisting of dried fruits, nuts, seeds or spices coated with sugar candy. Almond comfits in a muslin bag or other decorative container, are a traditional gift at baptism and wedding celebrations in many countries of Europe and the Middle East, a custom which has spread...
s. The French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
name has been interpreted to mean they were "without equal" for intricate decoration of cake
Cake
Cake is a form of bread or bread-like food. In its modern forms, it is typically a sweet and enriched baked dessert. In its oldest forms, cakes were normally fried breads or cheesecakes, and normally had a disk shape...
s, dessert
Dessert
In cultures around the world, dessert is a course that typically comes at the end of a meal, usually consisting of sweet food. The word comes from the French language as dessert and this from Old French desservir, "to clear the table" and "to serve." Common Western desserts include cakes, biscuits,...
s, and other sweets
SweetS
was a Japanese idol group. Put together through auditions, the group debuted in 2003 on the avex trax label. Although the group met minor success, they disbanded after three years with the release of a final single in June 2006....
, and the elaborate pièces montées constructed as table ornaments.
An 18th century American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
recipe for a frosted
Icing (food)
Icing, also called frosting in the United States, is a sweet often creamy glaze made of sugar with a liquid such as water or milk, that is often enriched with ingredients such as butter, egg whites, cream cheese, or flavorings and is used to cover or decorate baked goods, such as cakes or cookies...
wedding cake
Wedding cake
A wedding cake is the traditional cake served to the guests at a wedding reception after a wedding. In modern Western culture, it is usually a large cake, multi-layered or tiered, and heavily decorated with icing, usually over a layer of marzipan or fondant...
calls for nonpareils as decoration. By the early 19th century, colored nonpareils seem to have been available in the U.S. The popular cookbook
Cookbook
A cookbook is a kitchen reference that typically contains a collection of recipes. Modern versions may also include colorful illustrations and advice on purchasing quality ingredients or making substitutions...
author Eliza Leslie
Eliza Leslie
Eliza Leslie [frequently referred to as Miss Leslie] was an American author of popular cookbooks during the nineteenth century. She gained popularity for her books on etiquette as well.-Biography:...
suggests the use of red and green nonpareils for decorating a Queen cake, but strongly suggests white nonpareils are most suitable for pink icing on a pound cake
Pound cake
Pound cake refers to a type of cake traditionally made with a pound of each of four ingredients: flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. The traditional recipe makes a cake much larger than most families can consume, and so the quantity is often changed to suit the size of the cake that is desired...
in her 1828 Seventy-five Receipts for Pastries, Cakes and Sweetmeats.
Confectionery
Confectionery is the set of food items that are rich in sugar, any one or type of which is called a confection. Modern usage may include substances rich in artificial sweeteners as well...
, first published her book The Complete Confectioner, in which she described how to make nonpareils following her comfit-making procedure. It was not for the faint-hearted, as it involved multiple hot pots, hot syrup, a steady hand, and a good deal of patience.
In the United States, traditional nonpareils gave way for most purposes by the mid 20th century to "sprinkles
Sprinkles
Sprinkles are very small pieces of confectionery used as a decoration or to add texture to desserts—typically cupcakes, cookies, doughnuts, ice cream, frozen yogurt, and some puddings...
" (known to many as "jimmies"), confections nearly as small but usually oblong rather than round and soft rather than brittle. Like nonpareils, their function is more decorative than gustatory as their actual taste is indistinct, and the products they are applied to are usually themselves very high in sugar. Candy-covered anise seeds called muisjes
Muisjes
Muisjes are a traditional Dutch open-faced sandwich topping, very similar to nonpareils. While customary on bread, their most typical use is on beschuit, or rusk. Muisjes are made of aniseed sprinkles with a sugared and colored outer layer...
, sometimes mistaken for traditional nonpareils, are frequently offered at breakfast in the Netherlands to be served on bread and butter.
In Australia and New Zealand
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
, hundreds-and-thousands are almost always eaten on top of patty cake
Cupcake
A cupcake is a small cake designed to serve one person, frequently baked in a small, thin paper or aluminum cup...
s or on buttered bread as fairy bread
Fairy bread
Fairy bread is sliced white bread cut into triangles, spread with margarine or butter, and covered with hundreds-and-thousands and nonpareils which stick to the spread.Fairy bread is commonly served at children's parties in Australia and New Zealand....
, as festive items at children's birthday parties
Birthday
A birthday is a day or anniversary where a person celebrates his or her date of birth. Birthdays are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with a gift, party or rite of passage. Although the major religions celebrate the birth of their founders , Christmas – which is celebrated widely by...
.
Nonpareils also denote a popular confection: a round flat chocolate drop with the upper surface coated with nonpareils. Nestlé
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
makes a variety marketed as Sno-Caps
Sno-Caps
Sno-Caps is a brand of candy consisting of small pieces of semi-sweet chocolate candy covered with white nonpareils. The candy was introduced in the late 1920s by the Blumenthal Chocolate Company; Nestlé acquired the brand in 1984. They are normally sold in boxes as movie theatre candy....
. In Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, these confections are commonly known as chocolate freckles, or simply freckles. Nonpareils are also sold in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
as Jazzles.