Candy experements

[thegayhare]

hi Hi all

recently I came into possesion a recipie for a candy similer to a heath bar candy bar.

It was from my boss when I worked in a butchershop (who'da thunk it that a butcher could make such good candy)

I'm spending the day working on several batches to perfect it (and to get my mom's x-mas chores done) but I'm thinking of trying my soda experiments on this new candy meduim.

It's interesting.  this isn't my first daliance into candy.  my first time was an atempt to make Pecan brittle.  a total failer.  it was chewy rather then crunchy.  candy is a very temperamental beast.  you have to get the temperatures just right, and at just the right moment or it simply wont work.  so it should make my own experements interesting to say the least

[Mao]

I'm still trying to get the candied bacon right for the bacon ice cream recipe I picked up.  I keep burning the darn brown sugar.  Hopefully your experiments are going better than mine. >.<

[thegayhare]

candied bacon?

never heard of it.

well incidently my own experements in just the plain candy haven't panned out right

the hard candy interior is nice and firm but when you bite into it it crunches at first but then becomes chewy.

I can see a few possible explinations for this
1 I didn't cook it to a high enough temp (I waited till the thermomiter read high crack but perhaps a few degrees more would have been better
2 I didn't cool it down low enough, when my mom made her own batches she covered them in fiol and placed them out on the porch in the snow,  I'm going to place my cut batches in the frige for some extra cooling.
3 I ground the nuts too finely (I highly doiubt this one
4 the candy layer is just to thin

now I think 1 and 4 are the most logical explinations.  but anyway it still tastes good and if it's a little chewy then thats fine too.  I'm sure mom's employees won't mind

*chuckles*

we'll probably try one or two more batches this week

I'm going to start micro batches of the new flavors next week

[Mao]

Let me know how it works out.  My judgment day is tomorrow,   As that is when I promised to have the bacon ice cream ready by.

The candied bacon is just bacon with brown surgar cooked on to it, but it seems no matter what I do, I burn it.  Until today.  I think I got this batch right, but I'm going to let the person who the ice cream is for try it first before I use it in the ice cream.

[superluser]

Obligatory:

[Faerie Alex]

I actually recently had chocolate made with bacon (and some other stuff, too). It wasn't bad...mostly chocolate, but a little salty and a hint meaty. I've never had pure candied bacon, although it does sound interesting.

[Mao]

Well.. the custard tasted awesome.. the candied bacon tasted awesome.. now I just need to hope that nothing funky happens while it's in my freezer waiting for it's vict...er taster.

[thegayhare]

well I found out while I was cutting the candy into pieces I'd realy messed up the first batch from before.

the other two batches I cut up first and like I said they were fine.  but this one I had realy got the temp wrong.  rather then the hard candy crunch or even the chewy sweet candy this was more of a butter fudge.  It's rather tastey but no where near... and I mean lightyears away from what I needed.

It's truely amazing how much one or two degrees can make in the chemistry of candy

first I needed the heat when I mixed the butter and sugar, and ground nuts to make it a super saturated solution.  which happens when you use heat to make a liquied absorb more of something then it normally could.  when it cools from that state it becomes a solid such as fudge.  for my candy I needed to go a step further, once the sugar was absorbed I need more heat to fundamentally change the sugars nature basically caramelizing it.  Because I hadn't hit the hard crack mark in the temp it stayed a simple supper saturated liquid.

I'm going to start a micro batch tomarrow
I'm thinking cola first

[lucas marcone]

chemistry 

[Mao]

Sorry to hear that batch didn't work out Hare, but it does still sound delicious.  How were you thinking about getting the cola flavor to work out?

[thegayhare]

chemistry 

LOL
chemistry is important in candy making and baking hon... but thats about as far as my knowlage goes...


Mao

well I have my ways.  no worries the biggest problem is getting the right amount.
just like when I make root beer fudge

[Vidar]

I have succesfully made mardhmallows in the past. It's really not very difficult, and you can experiment with various flavours, and add things like nuts, and cover them in chocolate, and such. If I ever find mint flavour anywhere, I'm so going to make chocolate-covered mint-marshmallows.

[Janus Whitefurr]

This thread makes me hongry.

[lucas marcone]

I have succesfully made mardhmallows in the past. It's really not very difficult, and you can experiment with various flavours, and add things like nuts, and cover them in chocolate, and such. If I ever find mint flavour anywhere, I'm so going to make chocolate-covered mint-marshmallows.

foodlion or giant near the spices section



i actually liked chemistry when i took it high school, but i failed because i didn't like home work. it interfered with my city of heros time. i had to take it in summer school. they f***ed up when they gave me college level packets. when we finnally found it out and brought it up with them it was two weeks till dead line. luckily they gave me an easy packet and i passed.

[Alondro]

I tried making candy once...

The international charges for crimes against humanity are still pending.   

[Vidar]

I tried making candy once...

The international charges for crimes against humanity are still pending.   

Clearly you did something wrong. Candy should be addictive, but not criminally so.

[thegayhare]

I'm alittle embarrased to say this but I remember an ep of jimmy neutron where he made candy so good the whole twon was willing to kill for more

[Janus Whitefurr]

I'm alittle embarrased to say this but I remember an ep of jimmy neutron where he made candy so good the whole twon was willing to kill for more

Well, I'm fairly sure Kenji would go on a killing spree for anything banana-flavoured you make...

[lucas marcone]

I tried making candy once...

The international charges for crimes against humanity are still pending.   

well seeing as you arnt convicted yet, i have to say i'm doing a good job being your attorney

[Mao]

Verdict on the bacon ice cream trial is in:  The defendant was found delicious. The sentence was death by spooning.. er.. shōnen-ai.. er... you get it.

[thegayhare]

spooning ice cream... wouldn't that leave you with frostbite?

[Vidar]

Now that we're talking about candy experiments anyway, does anyone have a really good recipe for fudge? Most of the recipes I have found thus far use condensed milk, peanutbutter and a microwave, and I don't want a peanutbutter flavoured fudge-like substitute.
I could buy fudge at a supermarket, but that stuff lacks texture, and comes in only 2 flavours: chocolate and caramel.
Hugs for the one with the best recipe(s).

[thegayhare]

Now that we're talking about candy experiments anyway, does anyone have a really good recipe for fudge? Most of the recipes I have found thus far use condensed milk, peanutbutter and a microwave, and I don't want a peanutbutter flavoured fudge-like substitute.
I could buy fudge at a supermarket, but that stuff lacks texture, and comes in only 2 flavours: chocolate and caramel.
Hugs for the one with the best recipe(s).

WELL vIDAR i'M NOT SURE OFF THE TOP (oops caps lock) of my head but I'll start looking

Hmm I've just compleated my 9nth batch of the heath bar candy and all but the first one have come out perfectly

I've learned a few things 1 old fashioned candy thermometers are a pain in the butt to use.  I've got to get a battery for my digital.

and 2 when my first recipie turned into a buttery nut fudge I learned a new candy recipie.

I've made one micro batch of cola candy and just as I feared the butter overwhels the cola some what... you can still taste it but it's an after thought


I've got a new Idea for the soda candy that would eliminate the butter all together but I'm not sure it's goign to work... how ever if it does it would lead to a new way to make my soda fudges and an expanded variaty to that furge...

Which just goes to show some times it's good to fail