Slivered amber

December 13, 2009 | Posted By: Annie | 3 Comments
Filed Under Life, Like + Love 

There are three foods that Buffalonians (I originally am from Buffalo, NY ) eat in large quantities, hot wings, thick pizza, and sponge candy. I personally am addicted to it. Isn’t it crazy looking? Fits so well into the current crystal and asymmetrical prism-gem trend. Besides it being delicious. I attempted to search the web and see if anyone else outside Canada and Buffalo eats it (when we ask, most people look at us like we asked them if they eat “Dishsoap Cake” or something just as absurd) and discovered this wikipedia article. And also I just have to paste in the list of other names it has around the world. . . my personal favorites are cinder toffee and yellow man. Though I suppose I should just keep calling it sponge candy for loyalty’s sake. Anyone else out there familiar with any of these? Southerners usually don’t have clue what I’m talking about, it doesn’t lend itself well to humidity.

• honeycomb toffee in Britain
• honeycomb in South Africa, Australia and Britain
• cinder toffee in Britain
• yellow man in Northern Ireland
• puff candy in Scotland^[1]
• hokey pokey in Cornwall and New Zealand (especially in the Kiwi classic Hokey Pokey ice cream).
• sponge candy in southern Ontario and Quebec, Canada - Erie, Pennsylvania and Buffalo, New York, USA
• sea foam in Maine, Washington, Oregon, California and Michigan, USA
• fairy food candy or angel food candy in Wisconsin, USA
  

My sister and I made it one afternoon last week for her famed Christmas party, three batches! I had never attempted to make in SC, but she has several times, this year being the best I think. We used to help my mom and grandma make it in the winter every year. It had been years since I had done it. Below is an interpretation of my mother’s cryptic recipe, I’ll add tips for candy lovers in humid environments, it tends to turn into a giant rock instead of a light airy crisp if certain precautions aren’t taken. Yes, it looks like that foam insulation in the can, it does not at all taste like it, trust me.

In a semi-deep saucepan add:

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup dark corn syrup

1 Tbls. white vinegar

Cook over medium heat, stirring just until sugar is dissolved. Monitor temp closely with a candy thermometer attached to the side. Cook with out stirring until temp reaches *300. Meanwhile, set out a 9×9 pan or a 8×8, silicon is best, but you can use a greased glass pan or a metal pan lined with parchment (it still sticks even if buttered, found out the hard way). Also have the 1 tablespoon of baking soda measured and ready to dump in as soon as the candy is hot enough. Here a note to tropic dwellers or anyone lower than the tip of the Great Lakes, before you start this recipe make sure your heat is cranked up so the air is as dry as possible, also use a heaping scoop of baking soda as apposed to a level one. OK ready? make sure little children and curious dogs and cats are put somewhere safe,  the candy is so hot and you have to move fast. When it hits *300 remove from the stove, stir in the tablespoon of baking soda, it will rise and foam and lighten in color, stir quickly until all the baking soda is incorporated and then pour into the pan, it will sink down a bit eventually. Let set until coolish, it doesn’t have to be cold, about one to two hours. Next cut/break into pieces, slowly until you get the hang of it, if you hack too hard you end up with a pile of delicious crumbs. Dip in very good chocolate or eat straight like it is. Though the chocolate does help it to last longer without getting stale. If you are making it for a party, I would advise no earlier than one day ahead, so it is as crispy as possible. Oh yes, and the crumbs and chipped bits make very good clusters when mixed in with the last of the chocolate.