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Showing posts with label Buffalo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Buffalo. Show all posts

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Sponge Candy FAQ

Over the past year I have gotten many, many questions about my Buffalo sponge candy recipe.  I thought it was about time to do an FAQ, to hopefully alleviate any concerns that you might have about making this tasty treat!

First, while the recipe seems a little tricky, I have had tons of people e-mail me about their successful batches of sponge candy.  This is totally something a home cook can take on, with a few simple tools...

1. A properly calibrated candy thermometer - Is your candy thermometer calibrated?  Easy way to check.  Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Stick your candy thermometer in the boiling water.  At sea level it should read 212 F.  If you are above sea level it will read lower (Denver about 202 F).  If your thermometer reads a little off, you'll be okay.  If it is really far off, it might be time to get a new one.

2. Sifter/sieve - You must sift your baking powder before adding it to the sugar syrup.  I didn't do this the first time and was left with big pieces of baking soda in my candy, non-delicious.

3. Parchment paper - For lining your pan.  Parchment paper is great because it's non-stick and won't melt.  It makes for easy removal of your candy from the final pan.


Sponge Candy FAQ's

Q: Do I have to use light corn syrup?  Can I substitute honey, invert syrup, glucose syrup, golden syrup?

A: Candy-making is like science.  You have to put in the correct starting materials to get your desired product.  Our correct starting materials are sucrose and glucose.  The correct mixture of these two sugars gives the desired final texture of the candy.  Change the starting materials and you will wind up with a completely different product.

After testing this recipe over and over, with several different liquid sugar sources, I have come down to the some conclusions about each choice. 

Honey - never replace corn syrup with honey in these kinds of candies.  Honey will burn when you take it up to the necessary 300 degrees.  Trust me, I tried.  I had to leave the windows open for days.

Invert Syrup - A mixture of fructose and glucose, derived from splitting a sugar molecule into its two components.  The final candy product using invert syrup never hardened up and was a gooey sticky mass.

Glucose Syrup - Yes!  This is the one product that I have found to have the same properties as corn syrup.  Found in pastry shops, art supply stores and specialty grocery stores, glucose syrup is your go to product if you want to steer clear of corn syrup.

Golden Syrup - Common in Britain and Australia, I have had limited success with this product.  A form of inverted sugar, this product is a mixture of fructose and glucose.  You won't get the exact same flavor as traditional sponge candy, but if it's all you have access to, it's a good choice.

Q: Why don't you use vinegar in your candy recipe?

A: Everyone has seen the volcano trick.  Baking soda plus vinegar equals bubbles.  Did you know that baking soda will break down and produce bubbles if you just heat it up enough?  It's called thermal decomposition.  Above 160 degrees F, baking soda will gradually break down and produce CO2 without any acid present.  We add the baking soda when our sugar syrup is about 280 degrees F.  This high temperature leads to a rapid decomposition of the baking soda and gives us our airy candy.

2 NaHCO3 + heat → Na2CO3 + H2O + CO2

Q: Why do you use gelatin in the recipe?

A: The gelatin acts to thicken the sugar syrup and form a matrix within the candy.  Once we add the baking soda to the gelatinized sugar syrup, the baking soda begins to break down and form carbon dioxide.  As the baking soda decomposes, it absorbs heat and cools the sugar syrup.  As the syrup cools, the gelatin begins to set, trapping the CO2 bubbles in the candy.

Q: Why isn't my candy as airy as traditional sponge candy?

A: First I would like you to enjoy a video of the head candy-maker at Watson's make a batch of sponge candy.  Did you notice how large a batch that man was making?  Personally, I don't have a bowl that large.  I also think boyfriend would have a problem with me turning the apartment into a science lab.  The trick to Watson's airy candy is that they only use the inside of the huge candy disk.

Using power tools, they remove the outer layer of candy.  This outer layer is denser than the inner layer because it has settled and some of the air has been pressed out.  Take a look at your next batch and you'll see that the inside of the candy has more air bubbles than the outer layer.

Q: How should I store my sponge candy?

A: To answer this question, you need to ask yourself one thing - Is it humid today?

If it is at all humid in your area, I would suggest coating the sponge candy in chocolate as fast as possible.  It will pick up moisture fast and turn into a sticky mess.  If the humidity is low, you can probably get away with keeping it uncoated, but in a zip-top bag.  Never, ever, ever put your sponge candy in the fridge.  Fridges are full of humidity!

Q: Does this really taste like Violet Crumble or Crunchie bars?

A: Yes.  I have personally had a Crunchie bar and can say that my recipe tastes a little smoother and is a bit easier to eat.  I fed this candy to a New Zealand friend of mine and they made the comparison with Violet Crumble without me saying anything.  So, if you've moved to a country without these candy bars, now you can make your own.

Did I miss any of your questions?  I'd be happy to answer them and keep adding to this post!  Just send me an e-mail at Wildeinthekitchen (@) hotmail (dot) com and I'll get to answering you right away!


Now, on to our second Candy Month Giveaway!!! 

Are you one of the unfortunate souls that have never had the opportunity to try Buffalo sponge candy?  Sure, the stuff we make at home is pretty good, but it's not Watson's.

The lucky winner of this giveaway will recieve a 2-pound box mixed boxed (dark and milk chocolate) of Watson's original sponge candy!  Yum.


Image via Watson's Chocolates

The Watson's giveaway is open from May 10th- through 11:59pm May 16th. THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!  THANKS FOR ENTERING!  This time it's going to be a very simple one to enter, two ways to win!

1. Leave a comment here and tell me what candy is a local favorite in your hometown (or your house)!

2. Tweet about the giveaway and leave a comment here saying you did so.  (Feel free to add more exclamation points to use the full tweet character limit)

ex. I just entered to win two pounds of Watson's sponge candy from @WildeKitchen !!!  http://wildeinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2012/05/sponge-candy-faq-buffalo-giveaway.html

Good Luck!  And if you aren't the lucky winner, I hope that the tips I've shared with you today will help you make your own batch at home.

Sadly, Watson's can only ship to the contiguous 48 states. Their sponge candy is very delicate and prone to melting in hot climates! So this giveaway is open to those living in the lower 48. This giveaway is sponsored by me!

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Why Bother? 2012 - Buffalo Sauce

Why Bother?  Because I'm from Buffalo, that's why we bother!  Sure, I haven't lived there in almost ten years, but it's in my blood (we undergo a transfusion of wing sauce as children, it's how we stay so warm in the winter).  Not only am I going to share with you my favorite Buffalo wing sauce recipe, I am going to lay down the rules when it comes to chicken wings.  This is very serious business.  Get a pad of paper and a pen, you'll want to take notes.


Rule #1 - Do not EVER bread your chicken wings!  Buffalo chicken wings are naked, never breaded.  Ever.  While in Madison, WI I ordered some Buffalo wings from my favorite pizza place (Hello Glass Nickel!).  They arrived with a thick, crunchy, bread coating.  I was appauled.  Stick with making your delicious pizza, you're doing it wrong with your wings.

If you bread your chicken wings, I do not know what you are doing.  Perhaps you're making yourself a little fried chicken drumstick?  Maybe you're thinking the sauce needs something to stick to?  Don't be crazy and put down the breadcrumbs.


Rule #2 - If it isn't spicy, it isn't Buffalo sauce.  I have had a series of butter-rich, lack-luster "Buffalo wings" in the past.  There is a place right around the corner from our current apartment that sells Buffalo wings, touted as "Nuclear!"  Either I have fried all my taste buds, or someone forgot to add the hot sauce.  You need the heat!  I'm not telling you that habanero peppers need to be involved, but you've got to sweat a little!  They should be just spicy enough that you think twice about rubbing your eye after eating a wing.


Rule #3 - Serve 'em with a side of blue cheese.  I do not want to hear of anyone eating their buffalo sauce with ranch dressing.  It is so very, very wrong.  This is a mistake that I have seen many a midwesterner make.  It most often happens when someone offers you a Buffalo chicken sub sandwich.  To get it clear, a Buffalo-style chicken sub should be as follows (and no different) - crispy chicken tenders slathered in wing sauce, lettuce, blue cheese dressing and provolone cheese.  Make this sandwich now, it will change your life.

That's it.  Those are my simple rules about chicken wings.  If you don't want to follow the wing rules, you must call your food "chicken wings" sans the Buffalo. 

If you want to take your wings to the next level, you make your own sauce.  This is the wing sauce that my family has been making all my life.  It's spicy, sweet and tangy.  If you are lacking one or two of these ingredients, I'm okay with the tried and true "melt a stick of butter, add a bottle of hot sauce" method.  You might even be able to find the original Buffalo sauce on the shelf at your supermarket.  If you come across "Anchor Bar" Buffalo sauce, that's the one, the original.  Buy the hottest variety that they sell and whip up a batch!  Just don't bread your chicken.

Are you originally from the Buffalo area too?  What are some of your Buffalo wing rules?

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Sponge Candy Cupcakes

Boyfriend and I got to have a little fun in the city this Tuesday.

First, I got to buy this new cookbook...


Then, I got to see this lady give a nice powerpoint presentation...


And I got to have a little talk with her!  Ree said boyfriend was a good sport for coming along.

On a side note... can you see my new braces???
Finally, boyfriend and I went and got noodles and pork buns for dinner.  It was an excellent day.

It was only made even better because these little beauties were waiting for me at home.


These cupcakes were actually an idea that came from my mom!  There is a small bakery back home (Hello Cupcake Orchard!) that makes a sponge candy cupcake on a limited basis.  The only thing that would have made mine just as delicious as theirs?  Original Watson's sponge candy crumbled on top.


Thursday, June 16, 2011

Buffalo Cheesey Bread

Things have been so crazy here in Connecticut!  I'm so sad that I won't be able to head home to Buffalo at all this summer.  Major changes are happening (stay tuned) and I'm going to be busy here on the coast for the next few months.  This is good and sad at the same time.


The best time of the year to go to Buffalo is the summertime!  Fall always comes to town with rain and cloudy skies.  Winter barges in with layer upon layer of snow that doesn't completely disappear until March.  Spring slowly melts away and you find yourself in June.  The sun finally welcomes you in the morning and the nights are warm and starry.

Summertime also brings with it some of my favorite Western New York events.  You must head out to the Taste of Buffalo, but be aware, don't go with a large group.  There are so many people at the TOB that it's hard to make your way from one end of Main street to the other.  The food makes the trip totally worth it! 


I'm also a huge fan of Canalfest.  Held in the Tonawandas, it celebrates the Erie canal!  Or, what's left of it, I guess.  Whatever it celebrates, I try to plan my trips home around this event.  It all starts with a huge craft fair weekend, where you can buy everything from coasters to sheds.  There's a Miss Canalfest competition (which I totally wanted to be in when I was little, too bad I wasn't a resident...) and there is food galore!  Ribbon fries with vinegar, funnel cakes with powdered sugar and sausage with peppers and onions.  I always weigh a good five pounds more by the end of the day.

I also am missing my family this summer.  Boat rides on the Niagara river with my parents.  Long walks by the creek with Zoe, my happy, fluffy, red, golden retriever puppy.  Discussing fruit trees and computers with my brother (granted, that computer talk is usually one sided, not my side).  Soon I'll have the time to come home, just not in the next few months.


To cheer myself up and remind myself of home, I made some bread.  It's packed to the top with Buffalo flavor, the only thing that would have made it even more amazing was if I had some blue cheese in the house.  Next time!

Monday, May 2, 2011

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Sunday night is Amazing Race night. In the ten years that it has been on the air, I have watched just about every season. In the early years I was obsessed. I watched religiously and planned my Wednesday nights around primetime. Boyfriend and I were still in college and he didn’t even have the title ‘boyfriend’ yet. We would watch the show while chatting on AIM and argue about who was the better team. After watching 17 seasons we’ve gotten pretty good about picking the winners. (I’ve actually picked the winning team for the past five seasons.)


Boyfriend and I have this grand idea that we would kick butt at the Amazing Race, as long as boyfriend doesn’t give directions. As I’ve discussed before, when presented with two options, boyfriend will inevitably choose the wrong direct 100% of the time. He does however have real world experience, or as he says “he knows the harsh realities of the world.” I apparently “have lived in a safety bubble.” (This is true) There are some things that would prevent us from doing well on the race. To give you a complete picture, let me walk you through our adventure of trying out for the Amazing Race.

Way back in 2006, boyfriend came to Madison for a visit. It just so happened that he came to town the same weekend there was an Amazing Race tryout. Tryouts were happening in Indiana at some beachside casino, three hours away from Madison, from 10-4. We figured if we left by nine am that we could be there by noon, perfect. Driving on the I-90, somewhere around Chicago, we hit massive traffic. Who knew that Chicago would be so busy on a beautiful Saturday afternoon?


Phew, made it through traffic, just thirty minutes behind schedule. But wait, is Indiana in the central time zone or the eastern time zone? Ummm, does it make a difference if it’s during daylight savings time? Oh boy, we might have one less hour! Speed boyfriend, speed!

When we finally made it to the casino we were confronted with a massive line of people. There were easily five hundred people waiting to have their turn in front of the camera. We got our number and stood in line, filling out our application as we waited. Hmmm, they need a photocopy of our passports? Uh oh, mine is in Wisconsin and boyfriends is in New York. Talk about being unprepared.


After thirty minutes of waiting in line and slowly inching forward, the head of the tryouts called numbers 450-500. Oh, we were number 498! The four hundred people in front of us had numbers in the thousands. Boyfriend and I considered our options. A. Wait in line for several more hours, abiding by proper line protocol. Or B. Do it Amazing Race style and cut everyone. We went with option B, what? We had the right number, they called us!

Needless to say we didn’t end up getting on the Amazing Race, I don’t know why, we’re pretty awesome. Boyfriend yells at people and I cry. We’d be good television.


Monday, March 21, 2011

Buffalo Sponge Candy

Sometimes, being a chemist comes in very handy in the kitchen. In my previous candy experiments you might have noticed the massive amount of molten sugar I’ve been working with. From the marshmallows to the taffy and the butterfinger bars, I’ve been going through pounds and pounds of sugar and my kitchen is getting pretty sticky. (I found some rogue purple sugar this morning while toasting a bagel!) This danger of the sugar is not what makes my PhD an asset, it is my familiarity with failure.


Failure Number 1
As a synthetic organic chemist, one gets pretty used to failure. You begin with a plan on paper and you set upon this path. A new project is exciting, you order your reagents and get everything in order.  At first things go well and your chemistry works!  Then you hit a wall. Perhaps a reaction that you expected to work one way does nothing at all, or worse, something unexpected. The reaction could even destroy all of the forward progress that you have already made, sending you months back.

Failure Number 2
Your original plan gets torn apart after a series of failures and you re-write your scheme. No matter how many failures you have there is still that end goal in sight, the completed molecule. You’ve got to finish the project! So, no matter how many failures you have and how many walls you hit you eventually find a way. Success comes to the persistent and persistence pays off (with candy).

At Last!  Sweet Success
This candy was a little tricky to make, only because I didn’t have the right recipe. Many people have sponge candy recipes, but they weren’t coming out like my sponge candy. So many recipes called for vinegar and baking soda, which turns out to be totally unnecessary for the desired reaction. This recipe was the first failure. The second failure involved a recipe that called for heating honey to 300, this causes honey to burn.


After a little research into how Buffalo sponge candy is made, I had worked out a recipe and right the method of how to put it together.  This final batch came out exactly like I remember it from Watsons and I’m sharing my recipe with you. Don’t worry, I’ve worked out all the kinks for you. These failures lead to candy gold.

Eat me

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Buffalo Mac’n’Cheese

I’m downright excited! You know why? This week is my mom’s birthday week (Happy Birthday Mom!!!) and for her birthday we are headed to New York City. A girls weekend to be filled with shopping, Mary Poppins and cupcakes! I’ve been to New York a many number of times, but this will only be Mom’s second trip to the big city. Second trip in the winter, maybe the third time we should shoot for the summer?


Say hello to delicious

There are many things that I love doing while in New York. In general I’ll be there with boyfriend and we love to wander the streets, popping into cute shops we find along the way. Every time we go, we find ourselves in someplace we’ve never been before. The first few times we visited the city (back in the summer of 2003) we were without our handy iPhones. We relied on guidebooks and maps to help us find our way through the streets. When it was time for a meal we would wander aimlessly, somehow missing all of the restaurants along the way. How? I have no idea.


These days we have GPS, Open Table and a better sense of direction. The last few trips to the city we went with more of a plan, places we wanted to visit and reservations. We’ve dined at Asian fusion joints, American bistros and English pubs, but my favorite place is just a hole in the wall. Located on 12th St near 1st Ave is S’mac. What do they serve? Macaroni and cheese. And it’s delicious.


Sadly S’mac is in New York and I am not. So, I decided that it was necessary to replicate my favorite dish, the Buffalo Mac’n’Cheese. And maybe to drag my mom to S’mac next weekend…
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