Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post

Willravel · 11-04-2009, 02:25 PM

... because frankly most store-bought stuff is crap. Take a Snickers bar, for example. It's a great idea on paper: peanut butter nougat topped with peanuts in caramel, all covered with milk chocolate. It's not subtle, but I remember them being quite tasty in my youth. On Halloween, I had a miniature Snickers (there were a few left) and it tasted like crap. The chocolate was way too sweet, it barely tasted like chocolate. The peanut butter nougat was okay, but a bit dry, and the caramel tasted bland. Even the peanuts weren't particularly interesting.

Well bullshit, M&M/Mars. I'm going to have a decent Snickers and there's nothing you can do to stop me.

Nougat:
1 egg white
2c powdered sugar
1tsp liquid glucose
2tbs local honey
2tbs water
2tbs organic, chunky peanut butter

Whip the egg white until stiffening. Combine sugar, glucose, honey, and water in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until the mixture reaches hardball stage (about 275-280f). Remove from heat. While whisking, pour syrup slowly into the egg white and continue whisking until the mixture begins to harden.

Line the sides and bottoms of a cupcake pan with rice paper, pressing down well. Pour even amounts, about a half inch, into as many cupcake indentations as you can, then cover with another layer of rice paper and a bit of weight.

Caramel & nuts:
.5c unsalted butter
1.5c brown sugar
.75c light corn syrup
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1tsp vanilla
.25tsp ground cinnamon (and by ground, I mean you grind it)
decent roasted peanuts

In a 2-quart saucepan, melt the butter on very low heat. When the butter is melted, add brown sugar, corn syrup and milk, stirring. Increase heat slightly. Stir until the mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat and carefully (slowly) add the vanilla and cinnamon as you stir. Remove rice paper from the top of what should now be solid nougat foundations, and pour a bit of the caramel on top of each. Sprinkle as many peanuts as you wish on top of this, and refrigerate until they're solid.

Chocolate:
3c Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips

If you've got one of those cool double saucepan things, do that. Otherwise, fill a medium saucepan with a few inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat. On top of the saucepan, put a heatproof medium bowl with the chocolate in it. Stir until smooth.

Take the discs of nougat covered with caramel and peanuts out of their rice paper and submerge each of them in the chocolate completely, placing them on wax, parchment or rice paper to cool.

Bam, homemade Snickers.

If you're so inclined, drizzle the snickers with white chocolate or substitute the peanut butter and peanuts with almond butter and roasted almonds. They're your candy and you can do with them as you wish.

Okay, so let's say you want to make your own Butterfinger, Almondjoy or Baby Ruth... how would you go about doing that?

11-04-2009, 02:25 PM	#1 (permalink)
Willravel ... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.	Make Your Own Candy ... because frankly most store-bought stuff is crap. Take a Snickers bar, for example. It's a great idea on paper: peanut butter nougat topped with peanuts in caramel, all covered with milk chocolate. It's not subtle, but I remember them being quite tasty in my youth. On Halloween, I had a miniature Snickers (there were a few left) and it tasted like crap. The chocolate was way too sweet, it barely tasted like chocolate. The peanut butter nougat was okay, but a bit dry, and the caramel tasted bland. Even the peanuts weren't particularly interesting. Well bullshit, M&M/Mars. I'm going to have a decent Snickers and there's nothing you can do to stop me. Nougat: 1 egg white 2c powdered sugar 1tsp liquid glucose 2tbs local honey 2tbs water 2tbs organic, chunky peanut butter Whip the egg white until stiffening. Combine sugar, glucose, honey, and water in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until the mixture reaches hardball stage (about 275-280f). Remove from heat. While whisking, pour syrup slowly into the egg white and continue whisking until the mixture begins to harden. Line the sides and bottoms of a cupcake pan with rice paper, pressing down well. Pour even amounts, about a half inch, into as many cupcake indentations as you can, then cover with another layer of rice paper and a bit of weight. Caramel & nuts: .5c unsalted butter 1.5c brown sugar .75c light corn syrup 1 can sweetened condensed milk 1tsp vanilla .25tsp ground cinnamon (and by ground, I mean you grind it) decent roasted peanuts In a 2-quart saucepan, melt the butter on very low heat. When the butter is melted, add brown sugar, corn syrup and milk, stirring. Increase heat slightly. Stir until the mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat and carefully (slowly) add the vanilla and cinnamon as you stir. Remove rice paper from the top of what should now be solid nougat foundations, and pour a bit of the caramel on top of each. Sprinkle as many peanuts as you wish on top of this, and refrigerate until they're solid. Chocolate: 3c Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips If you've got one of those cool double saucepan things, do that. Otherwise, fill a medium saucepan with a few inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat. On top of the saucepan, put a heatproof medium bowl with the chocolate in it. Stir until smooth. Take the discs of nougat covered with caramel and peanuts out of their rice paper and submerge each of them in the chocolate completely, placing them on wax, parchment or rice paper to cool. Bam, homemade Snickers. If you're so inclined, drizzle the snickers with white chocolate or substitute the peanut butter and peanuts with almond butter and roasted almonds. They're your candy and you can do with them as you wish. Okay, so let's say you want to make your own Butterfinger, Almondjoy or Baby Ruth... how would you go about doing that?