Everything looks right if you dunk it in chocolate

My attempt at sea foam candy may have looked right, but I am clearly going to have to try to make it again today. The baking soda didn’t give it enough bubbles to lift the candy long enough for it to solidify. Either that, or I didn’t cook it long enough and it collapsed before it solidified, or the Karo syrup was old, which is a distinct probability since I think I moved it twice over the course of five years. Or perhaps the heavy day made a difference. Or the tablespoon of molasses I put in. I know better than to modify candy recipes, but the Karo syrup was really heavy and it needed to be cut with something. I’m also wondering if the instructions to add the vinegar and then cook it to 300 might be off. The chemist in me is thinking it should go in after taking it off the heat, right with the baking soda.

The chocolate covering it, too, wasn’t right, but I blame the vague instructions of “dipping chocolate.” I know what they mean, but I don’t have dipping chocolate. I have cocoa, and bittersweet, and paraffin. My “dipping chocolate” never got hard enough to handle. But I can fix that.

I’m a big believer in eating your mistakes, but it all went into the trash after I tried to eat a piece and it almost pulled out my tooth. I’m trying again this afternoon with fresh Karo syrup, a drier, cooler day, and my own recipe for “dipping chocolate” from another recipe I use all the time. Not to mention a bit of knowledge to “whip it, whip it good.”

Do I sound annoyed? Maybe a smidge. I hate throwing food and effort away, but even though sea foam candy is a treasured treat with lots of memories tied to Christmas, I’ve never made it before. It usually takes me a few tries at anything to start showing any signs of success.

So if I get my work done early enough today, I’ll give it another go. Tomorrow, pictures.

http://www.cooks.com/recipe/7p1qo3g7/sea-foam.html