Confectionery

Confectionery is often divided into sugar confectionery, such as hard candy, toffee, fudge, marshmallows and gums, and chocolate confectionery, such as bonbons, truffles and bars. In older usage, the word also covered rich baked goods made by pastry chefs.

Much of confectionery depends on controlling sugar. Cooking syrup to precise temperatures and managing how sugar crystallizes decide whether a candy turns out hard, chewy, creamy or smooth. A candy thermometer is the confectioner's most important tool.