Valentine’s Day Inspiration: Sweet Heat

If you are a fan of Red Hots^® and Atomic FireBalls, then you’ll love this week’s Valentine’s Day inspiration from RCI member Wilbur’s of Maine Chocolate Confections.

What started as a nod to these classic hot candies has become a popular Valentine’s Day treat among Wilbur’s of Maine’s customers and the limited availability of a once-a-year batch adds to its appeal. A batch of cooked creams serves as the base, which is enhanced with hot cinnamon flavor from LorAnn Oils. The sweet and spicy concoction is piped into rubber heart-shaped moulds and dipped in chocolate. The result is a sweet center followed by a red-hot burn that candy lovers and heat seekers will adore. 

In the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day, it is known as a Cinnamon Heart Cream at Wilbur's of Maine, but any remaining stock is rebranded as an “Atomic Fireball Cream” after the holiday. So, if you are looking to add a new and exciting treat to your product line for Valentine’s Day, add a little sweet heat to your classic cooked creams. If cooked creams aren’t your bag, add hot cinnamon flavor (and a little red dye) to your kettle corn recipe or even caramels for a red-hot punch!

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How to Make Softer Creams that Won't Dry Out

With the holidays upon us, we’re sharing a quick and easy tip for achieving softer creams.

Did you know the type of corn syrup you use can affect the texture of your creams? Get softer, creamier creams by using corn syrup with a higher dextrose equivalent (DE).

Problems with creams that dry out? Corn syrup with a higher dextrose equivalent will create greater humectancy (or moisture retention) within your creams.

Crave more? If you like what you read here, look for the "Subscribe now" box on the right to enter your email address and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox. RCI's Tip of the Week blog is just one of the many resources we offer to help candy makers refine their craft and build upon their business and marketing practices. Follow us on Facebook for even more sweet inspiration.

Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Tip #286: Make Softer Creams that Won't Dry Out

With the holidays upon us, we’re sharing a quick and easy tip for achieving softer creams.

Did you know the type of corn syrup you use can affect the texture of your creams? Get softer, creamier creams by using corn syrup with a higher dextrose equivalent (DE).

Problems with creams that dry out? Corn syrup with a higher dextrose equivalent will create greater humectancy (or moisture retention) within your creams.

RCI's Tip of the Week blog is just one of the many resources we offer to help candy makers refine their craft and build upon their business and marketing practices. Review past blog posts for quick and actionable tips to apply to your business. Look for the "Subscribe now" box on the right to enter your email address and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox.

Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Tip # 229: From the Archives: Don’t Overcook Your Creams

During an RCI candy making course in 1971, the instructor discovered two students, although using identical formulas for rolled creams, were achieving vastly different results due to a variation in their cooking time. Keep reading to ensure your cooking time isn’t compromising the quality of your creams and other products.

            Cooking Time for Rolled Creams, By Fred Janssen, SuCrest Corp.
           

While teaching at the RCI Short Course on Retail Candy Making, it was interesting to learn the following from two of the students who were trying to make the same type of candy. In this case, rolled creams. After questioning the students, an interesting fact was revealed. In one case, the cooking time of the batch was 8 minutes and in the other, 45 minutes. Both were using the identical formulas as suggested by many in the trade and it was quite evident that the student who took the longer cooking time was not getting good results. There was a great deal of variation in the type of product that he was trying to make.

Rolled creams are dependent upon the crystalline structure or the sugar remaining in the cream and with the longer cooking time, excessive inversion took place which reduced the percentage or amount of sugar remaining in the cream, thereby causing a great deal of difficulty for the candy maker.

A good rule to follow in any cooking operation is that all batches should be cooked to its final temperature within 20 minutes. If this is not possible on the equipment, the size of the batch should be reduced so that this cooking time can be accomplished. If larger batches are necessary, consideration should be given to making changes by obtaining better cooking equipment.

It's important to be mindful of cooking times, and not just ingredient formulations, when adjusting batch sizes. The 20-minute rule can help candy makers keep their cooking times in check and prevent excessive inversion.

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