Molasses chips?

[Sprout]

I love See's Mollasses chips. I can't get them out here unless I order them online, and 9 months out of the year the shipping is absurdly high because it's considered "warm weather shipping," so it's not worth it most of the year. I was playing around & trying to see if I could make something similar. I made a molasses toffee and pulled it. It wasn't right. I was just experimenting, so my measurements aren't exact, but here's an estimate of what I used:

1 1/4 c sugar
1/2 c water
1 tsp molasses
salt to taste
pinch cream of tarter

I boiled everything and brought it to 300 degrees F. I then poured it onto an oiled surface, cooled until it was cool enough to handle, and pulled it until It was too firm to pull (I don't have heat lamps). The bit that I set aside unpulled was a clear golden color once set. The stuff I pulled was somehwhere between tan and cream-colored, opaque. It was delicious (I topped it with melted chocolate, and some with walnuts), but way too firm for what I was shooting for, even after the pulling. My dad suggested that maybe it needed more pulling & would require heat lamps. It's possible, but you can actually see tiny round air bubbles in the See's candy. I'm not sure pulling would acheive this. Also, mine became chewy after a few seconds of chewing it. The molasses chips don't really. Do I just need to get it hotter to get rid of the chewiness? Any suggestions would be appreciated!

P.S. In case you were wondering, pouring hot candy onto greased wax paper doesn't work. I lost 3/4 of my batch before I realized how badly it was sticking. I'll stick to my greases smooth surface next time! (cookie sheet, glass baking dish, silicone mat, etc.)

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Wouldn't you just heat up cocoa butter, food grade, and stir your molasses into the warm butter, then let it cool down and use an icing bag to make chips???

 

[Sprout]

If I was making that kind of chips, yes.

These are a different use of the word. They are chips as in, a broken off piece of something hard, or at least I believe that's where the name comes from. (See's are a bit too uniform for me to believe they're broken. I'm sure they're made in a bite-size mold). What See's calls "Molasses Chips" are sort of like a light, airy toffee. I realize that sounds a bit contradictory, but that's the closest description I can come up with.

 

[Timothy]

this photo from See's webpage may help. Here is their description:

"See's signature Molasses Chips combine a crisp crunchy honeycomb of real molasses on the inside, covered with See's creamy milk chocolate on the outside."

Dang Sprout, those look really good!

 

[Dawgluver]

I've had molasses foam covered in chocolate from various small local candy stores in several states. It was called Seafoam, or Angel something. Lovely crunch, and totally addictive! These were more chunks than chips, very light and airy, and could only be made when the humidity was low.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Ah! I was thinking they were like chocolate chips. Sorry.

 

[Aunt Bea]

Molasses sponge is an old favorite of mine.

I believe the bubbles are made by adding baking soda to the boiling hot syrup, similar to making peanut brittle. I am not sure what else the do to achieve the honeycomb effect. I think Taste of Home published a recipe a couple of years ago but, I do not have a subscription to that site.

 

[Dawgluver]

Found this:

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-sponge-candy.htm

 

[TATTRAT]

Cooking to sugar to the hard crack stage will lend you the brittle/chip like quality. Kneading it will indeed change the texture too, making it more taffy like.

 

[Sprout]

I found a recipe for molasses sponge candy. I'll have to try it out and see if it's closer to what I'm looking for. Thanks!