August is the unofficial marshmallow month—with National S’mores Day on August 10 and National Toasted Marshmallow Day on August 30.

Marshmallows originated in Ancient Egypt. They were made from the sweet, gooey sap extracted from the mallow plant and mixed with honey to make candy. The sticky treat was so good, it was reserved exclusively for royalty.

We thought it fitting to elevate the marshmallow by debunking the idea that they’re just for campfires with five ways to celebrate with marshmallows.

Gourmet Marshmallows
There’s nothing quite like homemade marshmallow. Put the jet-puffed variety to shame and experiment with this recipe for gourmet marshmallows from Delish.com. Plus, we’ve got troubleshooting tips from RCI’s past blog post—click here to read more.

S’mores Fudge Bars
Made with a buttery graham cracker crust, generous layer of rich chocolate and topped with gooey toasted marshmallow, these s’mores fudge bars would be difficult for anyone to pass up.

Fun fact: According to the National Confectioners Association (NCA), more than 50 percent of all marshmallows sold are eventually toasted over a fire each summer (candyusa.com).

Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Dipped Marshmallows
Salted caramel amps up the flavor of chocolate-dipped marshmallows. With flavors this sophisticated, forget the campfire—crank up the kitchen torch and pass the graham crackers.

Fluffer Nutter Bites
Love marshmallows? Love peanut butter? Who doesn't?! Don’t miss this recipe for gooey and crunchy Fluffer Nutter Bites. Get the recipe here.

Roasted Marshmallow Toppings Kit
If they can build it, they will come. Bundled take-home kits have been a popular option for people spending more time at home. Let consumers build their own roasted marshmallow bar with a bundled kit that’s perfect for small gatherings or an easy after-dinner treat. This twist on s’mores replaces chocolate bars with chocolate sauce and caramel sauce to coat toasted marshmallows before rolling them in any variety of crunchy topping like roasted nuts, pretzel pieces and crushed candy bits. Don’t forget to include wooden skewers as part of your kit.

Highlight your gourmet treats this summer with fun ways to celebrate marshmallows.

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The label typically reads “sponge candy,” but you may also know this candy as cinder block, sea foam, fairy food, angel food or a multitude of other names. Each of these names are referring to the same type of candy with origins that are rather vague, but appear to have started in the Buffalo, New York area. Additionally, it can be found scattered from coast to coast in the northern third of the U.S. and some areas of Canada.

For decades, Vande Walle’s Candies has been making sponge candy that keeps customers coming back for more. Keep reading as Tom Vande Walle shares the basics of this confection, plus tips and tricks for making sponge candy that customers crave.

WHAT IS IT?

What exactly is sponge candy? Basically, it is a hard candy to which baking soda is added, causing it to foam up, similar to that of a light, airy peanut brittle. Later gelatin is added to hold the foamy structure while the batch cools. When cool, the candy has a crisp, crunchy quality at first, but then will melt in your mouth.

Sponge-type candy can be made with slight variations, such as substituting molasses or honey for some of the sugar, using different D.E. (dextrose equivalent) corn syrup or adding flavors such as orange or mint. Some recipes even call for vinegar. Though confectioners can make it differently, what keeps them similar is that they all have the same airy texture that soaks up moisture very easily. Perhaps these variations help explain why there are so many names for the same basic candy.

HOW IS IT MADE?

Making sponge candy is really not any more difficult than making peanut brittle. Here is a quick general rundown of the procedure for making sponge candy:

Cook sugar, corn syrup and water to about 310°F/ 154°C. Let that mixture cool down to about 30°F/-1°C, then mix in gelatin and then add baking soda. Next, pour mixture into a square insulated box with a heavy floating cover and let cool overnight. The next morning, cut one to two inches of the candy off all the way around the outside of the block of candy with a handsaw and discard. Cut the remaining center into bite-sized pieces and enrobe in chocolate.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

When making sponge candy it is important to keep the following points in mind:

• The gelatin must be completely mixed in before adding the baking soda or the result will be burnt streaks in the block after it is cool.
• Another cause of the center of the block to be burnt could be from not letting the batch cool enough before adding the baking soda. The baking soda must be mixed in and the batch poured out quickly if a fine texture is desired.
• Also, humidity that is too high, over 50%, after the candy is cooked will cause it to become gummy, especially after it is cut and before it is enrobed in chocolate.
• About half the weight of each batch will be trimmed from the outside of the block and will need to be disposed.
• The dust from cutting the block into pieces will settle on you and everything around you.
• The pounds per hour of production will be lower than many other candies due to its light weight.
• It can be sold with or without being enrobed in chocolate. If it is cut and packaged in low humidity conditions, it can have a shelf life of more than six months.

By any name, sponge candy is a highly sought-after confection in the northern region of the United States and Canada. Although it is a polarizing confection, those who love it, really love it and will buy it for themselves and for their loved ones during the holidays, for special celebrations and just because.

Share in the comments below if you love sponge candy, what you call it and what area you are from.

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.

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

Whether you like it or not, tie-dye is one of the biggest fashion trends of 2020—no doubt thanks to quarantined DIYers looking to pass time and upcycle their wardrobes.

Oftentimes popular fashion trends find their way into other industries. With all the fun, bright colors and happy vibes it creates, we think the tie-dye trend is a perfect fit for the candy industry. If you’re looking to jump on this psychedelic bandwagon, keep reading for five must-try tie-dye ideas.

Tie-Dye S’mores

Tie-dye + s’mores! Does it get any better than this? Whip up a batch of these colorful and gooey marshmallows and dare your customers NOT to plaster photos of them all over social media! They won’t be able to resist! Click here for a tutorial from Studio DIY.

Tie-Dye Chocolate Bars

Create yummy swirls of color on a chocolate bar, then take it a step further by embellishing it with a fun, little moulded chocolate piece—like this ice cream cone—and lots of sprinkles.

Tie-Dye Moulded Chocolates

You don’t even have to like tie-dye to love this colorful bunny! What other moulded chocolates would look great in tie dye? All of them!

Tie-Dye Packaging

What goes best with tie-dye? More tie-dye, of course! Complete your collection of tie-dye confections with equally psychedelic packaging. Contact MOD-PAC for more information about these tie-dye boxes.

Tie-Dye Merchandise

For the truest tie-dye enthusiasts, consider adding branded tie-die merch to your offerings, like these t-shirts from Asher's Chocolates.  

In the world of tie-dye, the possibilities are seemingly endless! These are just a few of our favorite ways for your business to ride the tie-dye trend. Similar techniques could also be applied to chocolate-covered sandwich cookies, pretzels, fudge and more. What confections would you transform with tie dye? Share in the comments below.

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.

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Impress your customers all year around with 3D moulded chocolates. RCI member, Chef Brian Donaghy with Tomric Systems shares step-by-step instructions for working with both solid and hollow moulds, plus important considerations when it comes to tempering and cooling.

Start with Good Temper

It seems fairly basic, but before we dive into moulding chocolate, I feel compelled to note that proper moulding techniques all start with chocolate in good temper. Good temper leads to appropriate viscosity (90˚F/32˚c or below for 3D moulding), which ultimately leads to better finished pieces, whether that be your three-foot hollow bunny, your solid chocolate Santa pop or the shell to that beautifully decorated artisan-style praline. We are always looking for bubble-free chocolate, of even thickness throughout the moulded piece with the beautiful shine and snap that will delight our customer. How can we get there?

Solid Moulds

Many 3D moulds are designed as an open or closed format. The open format allows the mould to be made hollow or solid, while the closed format only allows for hollow manufacturing. Solid forming is fairly straight forward; clip the two (or more pieces) together, fill with chocolate, (bubble-free is easier to achieve, if you vibrate the mould while filling) and set filled mould in a cool space with air flow—I prefer 50˚F/10˚C for my refrigeration temperature. Leave the mould there until you can see the chocolate pulling away from the inside of the plastic. If the chocolate piece experiences breakage during this time, I will often remove some of the clips and turn the mould onto its base to finish the crystallization process. Once the piece is ready to be unmoulded, I remove it from the cool space and allow it to return to room temperature before I unmould.  Waiting this little bit, helps to prevent sugar bloom or condensation on the piece. If the mould has flash (chocolate on the seam that slipped between the plastic sides), cut it off with a utility knife or sharp paring knife and then use compressed air or a badger-style brush to remove the excess chocolate.

Hollow Moulds

The process for creating hollow moulded chocolates is similar to the solid, but after filling it while vibrating the mould, set the mould aside at room temperature for a couple minutes. Next, pour the chocolate from the mould back into the temperer. Repeat this process until the piece is the appropriate weight or thickness. Create the bottom of the piece, by pouring tempered chocolate onto a lined sheet pan, slightly bigger than the base of the mould. Stand the mould into that pool of chocolate and place the mould and sheet pan in a cool space. Like the solid piece, remove clips early if there is breakage, and bring the piece back to room temperature before unmoulding. The extra chocolate around the base of the mould can be easily removed prior to opening the mould by placing a knife between the mould and the chocolate, it should just break away if the chocolate is finished crystallizing.

Cooling Time 

What amount of time is best to store chocolates in a cool space before removing the mould? This will depend on a few factors; the size of the mould, how much chocolate the mould uses and the actual temperature of the space. Regardless of these variables, remember that no matter the size, amount of chocolate or room temperature, you will get more consistent results if that space has moving air, because moulding chocolate that has been properly tempered requires heat exchange created by airflow.

Follow this expert advice to achieve bubble-free moulded chocolates with a beautiful shine and snap.

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.

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Looking to improve the efficiency of your candy kitchen? Rethinking the layout of your kitchen is a great place to start. RCI member Greg Power with Las Olas Confections and Snacks shares tips, plus which areas to focus on for the most impact in this week’s post.

 Visualize

When reviewing your production layout, first, take measurements of your equipment and space. Draw a diagram of your space on paper; create scale cut outs of equipment and other movable items so you can move the items around easily. This will allow you to visualize the best placement of your equipment and help with layout options to maximize production and product flow.

Your production space should be enclosed and it should not open directly to outside areas; this will help with security and reduce exposure to outside elements. Smooth, walls, tile cove base and sealed concrete floors or tile flooring are all preferred for ease of cleaning and washing down. Storage racks should be off the ground and away from the walls (check for local health codes for how far off the ground and how far away from the walls is required). Any non-food contact equipment that can be stored or installed out of the production area is preferred and may open up additional kitchen space if stored elsewhere. Air compressors, boilers, cleaning equipment, etc. should all be stored away from production.

Production

The kitchen production area is the beginning of your entire process; which is why outflow from the kitchen should be smooth and effortless as the product moves to your production lines. If space permits, your kitchen should be separated, but adjacent to your slabbing or table room. This setup is the most efficient process for getting product off of the tables and on your production lines. If your tables are water-jacket cooled and you have a temperature-controlled cooling room available (at least 60˚F/15˚C), this will offer the most efficiency for cooling your products as quickly as possible from batch to production. You want to remove the heat from the product as fast as possible without sweating it.

Flow

From slabbing, product should go straight into enrobing or coating. This area should be as close to the slabbing or cutting area as possible. If you are hand dipping, multiple stations can be set up adjacent to the slabbing area. From enrobing or coating, products should flow straight into cooling tunnels then into the packing area. After packing, product may be stored in a cool, dry place for several days at 65˚ F/18˚C before transport.

Equipment

If space permits, avoid turns and curves within the process. Fewer transitions and handling of product will reduce labor. All equipment should be on legs, stands or wheels off the floor and away from walls; it should be easily accessible from all sides for easy cleaning and maintenance.

Production space should be limited to items needed for a specific run, excess equipment, cooling racks and raw materials. Work-in-process can reduce your ability to run efficiently and cause increased labor inefficiencies. Fine tuning some of these areas could have a surprising impact on the efficiency of your team.

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.

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