I need help. I have the worst time trying to make candy...

C

clofthwld

Well-known member
4Here's the recipe I was following:

Making the caramel requires the use of a clip-on candy thermometer, which

should be tested for accuracy before starting. Attach it to the side of a

medium saucepan of water, and boil the water for three minutes. The

thermometer should register 212°F; if it doesn’t, take the difference into

account when reading the temperature.

1 1-pound box dark brown sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

2/3 cup dark corn syrup

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon robust-flavored (dark) molasses

1/4 teaspoon salt

12 chopsticks

12 medium Granny Smith apples

Assorted decorations (such as chopped nuts, dried apricots and dried

Whipping cream (if necessary)

Combine first 8 ingredients in heavy 2 1/2-quart saucepan (about 3 inches

deep). Stir with wooden spatula or spoon over medium-low heat until sugar

dissolves (no crystals are felt when caramel is rubbed between fingers),

occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush, about 15

minutes.

Attach clip-on candy thermometer to side of pan. Increase heat to

medium-high; cook caramel at rolling boil until thermometer registers 236°F,

stirring constantly but slowly with clean wooden spatula and occasionally

brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush, about 12 minutes. Pour

caramel into metal bowl (do not scrape pan). Submerge thermometer bulb in

caramel; cool, without stirring, to 200°F, about 20 minutes.

While caramel cools, line 2 baking sheets with foil; butter foil. Push 1

chopstick into stem end of each apple. Set up decorations and melted

chocolates. Holding chopstick, dip 1 apple into 200°F caramel, submerging all

but very top of apple. Lift apple out, allowing excess caramel to drip back

into bowl. Turn apple caramel side up and hold for several seconds to help

set caramel around apple. Place coated apple on prepared foil. Repeat with

remaining apples and caramel, spacing apples apart (cara-mel will pool on

foil). If caramel becomes too thick to dip into, add 1 to 2 tablespoons

whipping cream and briefly whisk caramel in bowl over low heat to thin.

Chill apples on sheets until caramel is partially set, about 15 minutes. Lift

1 apple from foil. Using hand, press pooled caramel around apple; return to

foil. Repeat with remaining apples.

Makes 12.

Bon Appétit

Cooking Class

October 1999

Ok, I checked my candy thermometer as directed. It was accurate. I had the right pan with the right depth. I cooked on med-low until sugar dissolved, then turned to med-high and inserted candy thermometer. After only 5 minutes or so it was boiling and registering 236, so I was flummoxed. I took it off the heat, but it into a metal bowl and inserted the candy thermometer again to check for when it got to 200, put it immediately went down to 200, so I put it back into the pan and reheated. (I also followed the directions regarding the pastry brush and not scraping the pan)

What am I doing wrong? I have tried to make fudge and candy for years now, and I'm a complete failure and disgrace. Yes, I am. I mean, I can whip up any recipe under the sun, but when it comes to candy, I'm lost. HELP!!!

 
clofthwld, it may be as simple as this.....

You may be touching the bottom of the pan with your thermometer. I hate directions that tell you to clip your device to the side of the pan because they rarely give you a really accurate temp measure. Instead of doing that, I generally tip the pan so I can insert it into a deep pool of the cooking goo and I do not touch the bottom of the pan, just go down half way. It is tricky because you need to have enough depth for the thermometer to read accurately and also be about half way down in the sirup.

An easier way for you might be to do it the way most of our grandmothers did (and how a lot of us really old-fashioned types still do)- by having some ice water in a cup and dropping a bit of the hot mixture in it- it cools quickly- you can tell immediately "where" you are by seeing and touching it. I will use temps/ stages from The Joy Of Cooking here:

Thread- 230-234 degrees
This is a coarse thread stage- as you drop sirup from a spoon into the water a thread appears on the end of the spoon.

Soft Ball- 234-240 degrees
Sirup forms a ball which does not disintegrate but flattens out of its own accord when picked up with the fingers.

Firm Ball- 242-248 degrees
Sirup will hold its shape and will not flatten unless pressed with fingers.

Hard Ball- 250-268
Sirup will hold its shape but is still pliable.

Soft Crack- 270-290
Sirup will separate into hard threads which, when removed from water, will bend but not crack.

Hard Crack- 300-310
Sirup will separate into threads that are hard and brittle.

Granted this method is not technically the most accurate because you probably don't get the requested temp exactly but for me it is easier to make candy using this method.

 
I don't know if anyone else has this problem, but when I make toffee...

...I use a stainless steel pan that has been dedicated to candy-making only.

I tried to use a pan and for some reason I couldn't keep the hot butter and sugar from becoming oily in the pan and grainey and coarse once it was poured out and cooled. Then I came across an essay written by a seasoned pro at candy making. She mentioned you should never use a pan that has been used for oily cooking, especially frying or deep frying. The candy will most-likely not come out right.

Once I switched to a dedicated pan with a thick, 3-ply bottom, I only had to watch my heat carefully to get good results every time. Don't heat the mixture too quickly. Take your time and use a lower heat setting if you need to.

Michael

 
Cathy, I know I'm touching the bottom of the pan because they suggest a

3" depth and if I hook the therm on the side it hits the bottom, so if I do it the old-fashioned way, how long should I boil? I'm so lost. And should I stir constantly, but slowly and how important is it to wet down the sides of the pan?

 
Michael, can you be more specifice re pan etc. Sorry, but I need to be guided

through this like a 2 year old.

 
I had on my shelf a 2 1/2 quart pressure cooker that I had never used...

...because it is too small.

I make toffee in it now. That's all I use it for. It has tall sides and is somewhat narrow across the top. I don't use the lid --I just use the pan. It is thick bottomed, and has an aluminum core inside of stainless steel.

I use an electronic instant read thermometer, and I am careful not to touch the bottom of the pan with it.

My recipe does not call for constant stirring, but you do have to be careful not to let sugar crystals get into the molten butter/sugar mix, or the end result will not be good.

For example, when I stir the mix I use a stainless steel spoon. I set it down in a different spot on a non-stick skillet so I don't get sugar crystals on the spoon. I try hard not to splash the boiling liquid too high on the sides of the pan so I don't have to use water to wash down the sugar.

I have about a 90% success rate. I still get batches where the end product turns out grainy --maybe one out of ten.

But those other nine batches are well received, so I keep making it.

Michael

 
I've never had any of these problems making toffee....

And I don't have a dedicated pan. I use a heavy duty Magnalite cast aluminum Dutch oven. I've baked many a pot roasts in that pan.

I never rinse the pan with water, but I do use a silicone spatula once the mixture gets boiling to wipe down the sides with the hot mixture, thus incorporating any stray sugar crystals into the hot liquid.

My family has always made candy. Neither my mom or my grandmother ever used any special utensils or anything other than a heavy bottomed pan and a glass candy thermometer. (I bought a digital last year after not being able to find a thermometer that would stay accurate) I DO use the cold water test, along with my thermometer, though.

I am always baffled at candy flops. I've had my share but it doesn't happen often and it was mostly because of an inaccurate thermometer. I bought 10 lbs of pecans yesterday to prepare for the upcoming candy season.

If you have any questions, PM me. Wish I could be of more help.

((((((((((clofthwld))))))))))) I know this is upsetting.

 
Cathy...do you have a good recipe for caramel that I can use in a bar cookie....

one that hardens enough so that when I cut the bars (it would be sandwiched between crust and toppings)it doesn't ooze, but soft enough that it is easy to chew? (maybe Clothwlds' recipe fits the bill?)

Thanks always!
Deb

 
Here's what I would do

Making candy is FUN, not a difficult and complex chemistry experiment so try to relax and enjoy it if you can. I first made fudge and caramels- toffee too- at the age of 8, when I didn't know the meaning of stress. You can do this!!!!

Use the times in your recipe as guidelines but use your brain as the real "boss." So, yes, you want to get the sugar crystals back into the mix so using a wet pastry brush is a good idea (or just push the crystals down with your wooden spoon.) The stirring is a matter of common sense and if you think about it you will realize that as the mixture cooks, it "browns" and should be stirred so it doesn't burn on the bottom. You need to keep it moving in the pan towards the end of cooking time so it cooks evenly.

Have a small container (I usually use a coffee cup but anything will do) with ice water (more water than ice) ready and as you get towards the end of the cooking time (you want to get to about 236 degrees), take a little caramel (tsp, tbsp- doesn't matter) and drizzle it into the ice water and quickly test it with your fingers to see if you are at the soft ball stage. If you are immediately take off the heat. If you are close, you know you have just a few minutes- it goes fast at the end. Tip the pan so you can test with the thermometer just as a back up. I often skip this part because the soft ball in the cup tells me it is done.

 
clofthwld, try this recipe for fudge later on, will you?

Here is a recipe I used for ten years in our ice cream shop. It is a two-layer fudge and is not only tasty as can be, it is EASY and no-fail. It uses a microwave and your elbow grease (stirring) so give it a try. You will succeed and maybe it will help you break through your "candy-making-phobia":

FUDGE
makes 8 x 8" pan

for peanut butter layer:
18 oz peanut butter chips
14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
dash salt
2 tsp vanilla

for chocolate layer:
18 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
dash salt
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped peanuts (or whatever kind of nuts you like)

Prepare square pan: put layer of Saran Wrap in pan- leave plenty of overlap.

Put peanut butter chips and 1 can condensed milk in bowl. Mix. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Stir hard until shiny. Add vanilla and salt and stir again. Pour into pan and tamp down on counter to fill corners. Put in refrigerator to set. Put chocolate chips and 1 can condensed milk into bowl. Mix and Microwave for 3 minutes. Stir until shiny and add vanilla and salt. Stir again. Pour over top of peanut butter layer and tamp down on counter. Press peanuts into the top. Refrigerate. Makes 36 squares.

 
I have no dedicated pan- haven't heard the expert's claim before but I do know this

If a pan has been used for deep-frying and if there is any residue left even though it has been washed carefully, the candy made in it will have an "old oil" taste to it. This has happened to me in the past but I personally have never had candy fail because I used a pan that was used for making other things.

 
Yes, Deb- here it is

This is a simple and very tasty caramel recipe. If you take the candy to a "firm ball" stage (around 248 degrees) you could actually cut the caramel into pieces to wrap individually- a la Kraft caramels. If you keep it at a "soft ball" stage, it works just great in bar cookies.

This recipe is so T&T it must be in the Guinness Book of World Records- I first used it in 1955:

Caramel

2 c sugar
1/2 c butter
3/4 c white corn syrup (I use Karo)
2 c whipping cream

Do NOT scrape the sides of the pan as you work.

In a heavy (about 3 qt) saucepan bring sugar, butter corn syrup and 1 c of the cream to a rolling boil. SLOWLY add the second c of cream, being careful that the boiling does not stop. Stir constantly. As the temperature of the mixture increases, reduce the heat. Test using the ice water in a cup method. When it is at the soft ball stage (234-240 degrees), immediately pour candy into a buttered 8" pan or on top of your bar cookie layer.

 
I think Cathy's right about the thermometer touching the bottom of the pan; it's likely that

the mixture never really heated to the desired point--that would have taken longer. Those clip-on thermometers are a pain to use if the syrup is shallow. Maybe a smaller pan would help. raise the level.

I've seen a wonderful type of thermometer that looks like a metal ruler with a glass thermometer attached. The "ruler" part sits on the bottom of the pan and the thermometer is always suspended.

I've never attempted a recipe like this but I've gotten pretty good at sugar-and-water syrup and caramel just with practice. You'll learn to judge by the size and pattern of the bubbles how close you're getting, and you'll spend less time staring at the thermometer.

 
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