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!

Thai chicken salad

We've been back from vacation for a whole week now and I guess we're back into the swing of things.  I could always use an extra day of vacation after returning from vacation, but sadly I had to get back to work.

Thankfully, I had a slow week to return to.  My calendar was unusually sparce as the directors were heading out of town for a big meeting.  This left me with little to do but work in the lab and made me a happy chemist.

Years ago, during my first organic chemistry lab, my lab partner and I would count down the weeks of labs remaining.  From check-in the first week, we would trudge to lab like we were heading to break rocks for six hours.  As the weeks went on, we would break glassware, spill precious product and try to understand why we were doing what we were doing.  At the end of the semester we happily checked out of lab and were so happy the semester was behind us.

As a sophomore in college, I had no idea what I would be doing in ten years.  If you told me that I would gladly spend my hours working away in a lab, I would have told you that you were off your noggin. 

The difference now?  I actually know what I am doing.  When you start organic chemistry labs, you don't understand what is going on in your flask.  As a PhD chemist in the lab these days, I have a much better view of the atoms and molecules at work.  And I love it.

Lesson?  You never know what you'll be doing in ten years.  I wonder what I'll be up to in 2022?

Why Bother? 2012 - Hot Dog & Hamburger Buns

As the majority of the northern hemisphere begins to shake of the last winter chill, we start to think of one thing – being outside. Summer evokes thoughts of times spent in my parents backyard. The backyard would serve many a purpose… Dog-training arena, where I would try to get our golden retriever to play fetch. Operative word being try, she was more of a watcher… Campground, where in the hot nights of the summer my brother and I would camp out in tents, with the dog watching guard… Slip’n’slide/water-soaked wasteland, where we would set up the slip’n’slide at the top of the hill and hurl ourselves to the bottom. We would inevitably wind up sliding off the end and becoming covered in grass…

Most importantly, our backyard was Grill Town. While the grill was never packed away for the winter, it saw its prime use during the days of warmth and sunshine. Grilled chicken, shish kabobs, hot dogs and hamburgers. The grill would see lobster tails and freshly caught fish, Polish sausage and corn on the cob.

Let it be known here and now, I was never in charge of the grill. In fact, to this day I have not cooked anything on a real outdoor grill. The reason? I scared myself half to death while trying to light the grill in the summer of 1993. The simple lesson I learned, do not let the grill fill up with propane before clicking the ignition switch. KA-BOOM! I’d like to eradicate this fear, but currently I don’t have a backyard. I think it’s safer for all of us.

While I might not have a grill, or a place to grill, or the courage to buy/ignite a grill, I do have a grill pan. I have also had it long enough that it has a nice seasoned coat on it. I know it’s not the same, but it’s all this apartment-dwelling, grill-exploding woman has! Luckily this Why Bother? Challenge isn’t about grilling. The month of May is dedicated to all things hot dog!

We start the month with hot dog and hamburger buns! In two weeks we’ll perfect our ketchup and mustard-making skills. We’ll finish out the month by making pickles and you’ll be ready for all of your summer BBQs!

Why are we bothering to make our own hot dog buns? It’s because the store-bought variety consist of 99.3% air. Seriously. Go to your local grocery store and grab a bag of buns. Now squeeze them and squish them down as hard as you can. You’re left with a ball of bread that is about the size of a golf ball. Now carefully put the buns back on the shelf and walk away, quickly.

Air-filled buns are generally flavor-free. These buns should only see the plate when there are fifteen of them piled high and you’re in a competition to eat the most hot dogs in two minutes. Personally, if I’m going to eat it, I want it to have a little flavor! These buns that I made last weekend totally delivered.

These aren’t your average weakling hot dog/hamburger bun. They are sturdy, have great texture and have flavor for days. They were best the day they were baked, but sprung back to life with a few minutes on the grill. These guys are simple white bread bun and I have major plans to make a whole-wheat version before the summer is up.

The lesson from this challenge – Make your own buns, save the store-bought ones for hosting an eating contest.