I live in Slovenia and there is no corn syrup available in my country… can I use maple syrup or agave nectar instead? I would like to use it for different rose’s christmas cookies.

thank you for your answers.

lenno

Maple and Agave would not work well. The next best substitute in the EU is a British product called Lyle’s golden syrup. Much depends on your recipe choice. Corn syrup is sometimes used to assure smoothness by reducing sugar crystallization. Other times it just provides extra sweetness.

Thank you, but also Lyle’s golden syrup is impossible to get in Slovenia. I will try to invert sugar and mybe it will work with inverted sugar syrup. Let’s see…

I read some references that suggested you could invert sugar by cooking it with some acid like cream of tartar or lemon juice but I haven’t tried it. Please let us know how it works.
Here is a citation. It is vague about quantities but does give some guidance on the best heating method.

As shown in the formula, sucrose may be hydrolyzed into invert sugar by either weak acids, such as in cream of tartar (the acid salt of weak tartaric acid), or by enzymes, such as invertase. Each is described below.
acid+heat C12H22O11+ H2O −−−−→ C6H12O6+ C6H12O6
enzyme
Sucrose   Water   Glucose   Fructose
In acid hydrolysis, it is both
(1) the amount of acid, and
(2) the rate and length of heating that determines the quantity of invert sugar that forms. This is addressed below:
•  Amount of acid: Too much acid, such as cream of tartar, may cause too much hydrolysis, which forms a soft or runny sugar product.
•  Rate and length of heating: A slow rate and slow attainment (long length of heating) of the boiling point increases inversion opportunity, whereas a rapid rate provides less inversion opportunity.
In enzyme hydrolysis, sucrose is treated with the enzyme invertase (also known as sucrase) to form glucose and fructose.
CULINARY ALERT! Enzyme hydrolysis may take several days, as is the case with invert sugar that is responsible for forming the liquid in chocolate-covered cherries.
The glucose that forms from inversion is less sweet than sucrose and the fructose is more sweet, with the overall reaction producing a sweeter, more soluble sugar than sucrose. Invert sugar is combined in a ratio of 1:1 with untreated sucrose in many formulations to control crystal formation and achieve small crystals.

I found a French supplier of commercial products.
http://www.unifine.fr/getdoc/1455802e-e447-417d-a987-603bcd3242c2/Derives-du-sucre.aspx

I made some recipes with inverted sugar and it worked very good. For inverted sugar:

500g sugar
240 ml water
1/8 tea spoon of lemon acid

You have to boil it while mixing on high heat, then let it simmer for 20 minutes on medium heat. The temperature goes up to 114°C. You have to cool it down to room temperature and then store it in the refregerator.

I made pistachio marzipan for Chocolate-Pistachio Marzipan Spirals, Food Processor Poured Fondant and Quintessential Marzipan with inverted sugar instead of corn syrup and it worked.

Here are some pictures…

And that’s how it looks like…

Chemistry works!
Thanks for sharing lenno. Your marzipan looks delightful.