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11-04-2009, 02:25 PM
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#1 (permalink) |
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... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.
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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? |
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11-04-2009, 03:14 PM
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#3 (permalink) |
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Darth Papa
Location: Yonder
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I'll have Stella post here. She's been experimenting with candymaking in the last couple years. She makes home-made marshmallows that are spectacular; vastly superior to the storebought gum-wads. Float a couple in her homemade hot chocolate mix (with cayenne pepper!) and you've got yourself a mug of wonderfulness.
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11-04-2009, 03:22 PM
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#4 (permalink) |
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warrior bodhisattva
Super Moderator
Location: East-central Canada
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My SO makes a mean Twix bar by using shortbread cookies, caramel, and chocolate.
__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing? —Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön Humankind cannot bear very much reality. —From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot |
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11-04-2009, 03:45 PM
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#5 (permalink) |
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Getting it.
Super Moderator
Location: Lion City
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Will, you should also know that American chocolate bars are crap. If you want to taste commercial chocolate bars that are much better, try some Canadian versions. They are quite different (and, in my opinion, superior).
That said, making your own, while time consuming is vastly superior. I am hoping to make some chocolates for this year's Thanksmas... if I have time.
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"My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke |
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11-04-2009, 03:59 PM
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#6 (permalink) |
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... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.
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I dunno, I've always had a special place in my heart for Ghirardelli. Not all American treats come from massive, multinational conglomerates. Still, the ones that do are absolutely inedible. Hershey's, M&Ms, Kit-kats, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Butterfingers, etc. really are all the lowest possible form of caloric intake.
Any Canadian candies in particular that stick out in your mind? |
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11-04-2009, 04:05 PM
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#7 (permalink) |
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Young Crumudgeon
Location: Canada
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I don't eat a lot of candy, but when I do I loves me a Coffee Crisp.
I've known some Americans who like Smarties too. Apparently the ones you get are different and crap.
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I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said - Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame |
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11-09-2009, 06:32 PM
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#12 (permalink) |
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... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.
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I made it up (though I did base some of it on other recipes I'm familiar with, like how to make caramel and how to make nougat). I was trying to get the taste of a Snicker's bar out of my mouth and I was struck with the idea so I threw together the recipe in my head and put it down here. TFP Food is by leaps and bounds my favorite foodie forum. I wanted to share.
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| Tags |
| candy, make |
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