Butter + Sugar + My Glass Top Range = No Candy

So I blogged a bit about making candy but I never did go into detail on some events that happened while making almond rocha.

Never have I had so much trouble making rocha as I did this year. Usually it takes me a batch or two to get it perfect, but this year was a rocha maker's nightmare.

My grandmother-in-law had complained in the past of her glass top stove ruining her chances of making candy. So I was skeptical of our candy making venture last year at Lori Tenney's house (she owns a glass top as well) but it was successful. The candy turned out great.

This year at my own house with my glass top I set fourth to make the first batch of molten sugar. (on rocha I don't use a thermometer I use my eyes, and notice changes in color and texture) I knew almost instantly that the batch was a complete failure, the butter and sugar separated almost instantly It was not a pretty batch. In fact I believe the words, "this is the worst attempt at candy I have ever had" (I'm pretty good at making almond rocha, so it was pretty bad) Speculation about the rainy weather came from my fellow candy making companions. I didn't buy it, I've made candy in all types of weather. I turned up the heat and started making another batch. If you've made candy before you know that there is a great deal of patience and stirring involved. About midway through I knew that yet another batch was not going to happen. I got it to the right color at least and poured it out with a frown :( Maybe I lost my touch. My favorite candy to make was not going to happen for me this year.

After a break, we dumped out the sad excuses for candy and I started again on my third batch. I was figuring the heat definately had something to do with my candy failures so I cranked the heat up to high. The candy didn't do so terrible that time, it was a little gritty (so heat was still the culprit) but it was at least candy form. I knew that my stove was the devil and that the auto thermostat that keeps the temperature regulated was ruining the delicate environment that my sugar and butter had to be in to make perfect candy goo! When the stove thermostat senses that the element is getting too warm it shuts off and lets the stove top cool, the glass top cools quickly instead of gradually like a traditional element. This ruins the candy, it separates the two ingredients into a yucky gloppy mess. Blech!

Luckily I have a small plug in traditional cooking burner. We had it out already but we were using it for coating candy pieces in chocolate. I stole it and went on to make 4 perfect batches of almond rocha. We used it the rest of the weekend for all the hard candy batches. It was quite the experience.