Rocking this Candy

I have always wanted to make candy, specifically rock candy. I have tried off and on through the years and have never been successful at this venture. Thanks to my new found favorite website, Pinterest, I discovered directions that seemed a little too good to be true to make rock candy in a week. I must say the week part was a little too good to be true, but the rest worked like a charm.

Before you start take bamboo skewers and get them wet. Role them in sugar and let the sugar dry on the stick (this will be the starter for your rock candy). As those dry its time to move to the stove top and a heavy duty saucepan. Essentially the plan is to start with equal parts of water and sugar, I think I did three cups of each. You heat the water on the stove top and start stirring. When the sugar dissolves you continue to add more to have a ratio of at least 2 to 1, or 3 to 1, sugar to water. I had 8 cups of sugar to three cups of water by the time I got done.

I let it cool for a few minutes and poured the mixture into glasses. I used icing gels to color each glass (you can also add flavorings at this time). I took a bamboo skewer and placed one in each glass without letting it touch the sides or bottom. I used a clothes pin across the top of the glass to balance the skewer. If the stick touches the bottom or sides this will not work correctly. I placed the glasses in a window sill and waited.

I have to say anytime you are making hard candy the weather and location (temperature and humidity) can make a difference in what you are doing. This took me about three weeks rather than one, although I did see growth after one week, I wanted more and was willing to be patient. There was build up on the bottom and side of the glass when I got done. A little hot water and it dissolved very easily. This would be a great thing to make with kids, and helps teaches patience. It would also make a great science project to show crystallization. Just a thought for educational reasons on making this sweet treat.

All About Chocolate

Opps I did it again. No I have not lost my mind or been listening to Brittany Spears. What I did was overindulge with a chocolate basket. Can you even imagine? I started with the idea of creating a hot chocolate basket for the North Carolina State 4-H Volunteer Leaders Conference and what I ended up with was nine pounds of incredible chocolate bliss.

Seriously the plan was to get two mugs, a half dozen different types of hot chocolate and maybe some hot chocolate reciepes and leave it at that. Ok, so you know me better than that by now and I must admit when I got creative with it I just couldn't stop. In my last post I told you about my new favorite web site, Pinterest. One of the things I saw on there was jet puffed marshmellows dipped in carmel and chocolate that are used as hot chocolate stirrers. I was not sure how well carmerl would travel in basket so I adapted. The marshellows were dipped in melted choclate and rolled in choclate chips. I also made chocolate spoons. Two were plain chocolate, two were in white choclate with pepermint and then two were in chcolated with chocolate chips. Of course I did not stop there.

I went a little crazy buying at least six different types of chocolate to fill the basket with. There was carmel chocolate, dark choclate, chocolate covered almond kisses and the list goes on and on. Getting it to the auction was another story. My wonderful puppy offered up photos of some of the goodies on his facebook page. Bless his heart it got more responses than most of his posts, and by the time the basket got to Raliegh, 4-H Agents were plotting to appropriate different parts of the basket. However, once I convinced them that they know the person who got chocolate happy and would be more than happy to get choclate happy or spasdic for them. So with the basket safe for the auction all we could do was wait. Around 9:30 pm it was time for the chocolate basket to be auctioned. The crowd was on the light side at the auction. So when the bidding started off at $5 I wasn't shocked. Dollar by dollar the bidding started up and at $20 someone was going home with a basket, literally on a chocolate high.

Ring In the New Year with Chocolate

Everyone has little traditions that they repeat during the holidays. I have started a couple of them for New Year's Eve myself. One involves my inflatable bed in the living room so I can spend the last night of the year ( and the last night my Christmas trees will be up) enjoying the ornaments and twinkling lights for one last night. My other tradition of course involves champagne which can be very dry, and chocolate. Not mixed together mind you, but at the same time.

Actually several years ago I received a Hershey's kiss fondue pot as a gift. So each year I melt down some semi sweet chocolate chips, sugar, light cream and vanilla to make a chocolate fondue. With it I had some jet puffed marshmallows, pound cake, bananas, and strawberries. Of course the sweet of the chocolate and dipped items offset the champagne just right and made it the perfect treat to ring in the new year.

Happy New Year to all of you! I hope 2012 brings you prosperity and health, and if you feel like celebrating feel free to shoot me an e-mail so I can create a cake to add to your celebration.

Chemistry Experiment or Cooking?

I am very excited to introduce my very first batch of root beer ever! I admit I did not come up with this concoction all by myself. I have a kit that came with all the ingredients (except sugar) and bottles. Actually I wanted to try this out to see if we could do this as part of the 4-H Summer Fun Program (Bio-tech Day Camp) next year. You see making root beer is more than following a recipe (which I am told is the only way I can cook) you have to watch temperatures and timing and then be patient.

After mixing all the ingredients and filling the bottles it was time for carbonation. This is different then the process that soda usually takes in factories. There is wine yeast in this recipe and the yeast eats the sugar in the soda to carbonate. This process takes place in a warm dark place. When the bottles are firm they go into the fridge for 24 hours and they are ready to be opened. Turning the lid the pressure lets off like any soda. When you pour it it does not foam up like mass production root beer. You can see some bubbles but it is not quite as fizzy. When you drink it you can feel the natural carbonation. Overall the root beer has a smooth and creamy taste. Whether you think this is chemistry or cooking the end result is the same, mmm mmmm good.