Texture issues in condensed milk candy

[BritoJ]

So, the other day I made a condensed milk candy, basically condensed milk with butter and cocoa powder for chocolate flavor.

Once i got the consistency that I was looking for (mid-hard), i let it cool and make it little squares (let it sit in room temperature) and dipped in milk chocolate, everything worked out fine at the start, the chocoate had a nice snap and the middle was great as well, the issue that came up was about 3 days later, it looked and tasted the same but at first I noticed a some texture of grindy sugar, once I took a look at the piece it looked normal but a thin layer in between the couverture and the middle (very thin, couldn’t really see it, but could fee with my finger) had gone grindy. I stored some of them in the fridge and some of them in room temperature and they both ended up the same.

Can you think of anything that would make the thin layer turn into this grindy texture

[RichardJones]

Might addition of an inverted sugar slow down this crystallization?

[lebowits]

I agree with Richard. Sounds like crystallization. The addition of glucose (or corn syrup) will inhibit this for a time. Invert sugar should work better and you can make it yourself.

[BritoJ]

any ideas on percentage of invert sugar or corn syrup?

at the part in which chocolate is in contact with the candy it the crystallization is affected?

Thanks for the help!!

[Kerry Beal]

Before you enrobed in chocolate had you put the caramel in the fridge for a while? It sort of sounds - if you are describing a layer of crystals between the center and the chocolate - as if you might have had condensation on the caramel. Sugar dissolves in that layer of water on the top of the caramel, then when the water evaporates the sugar crystallizes out.

As to the amount of glucose - most of the recipes I have call for about 40% of the weight of sugar in glucose.

[lebowits]

Before you enrobed in chocolate had you put the caramel in the fridge for a while? It sort of sounds - if you are describing a layer of crystals between the center and the chocolate - as if you might have had condensation on the caramel. Sugar dissolves in that layer of water on the top of the caramel, then when the water evaporates the sugar crystallizes out.

As to the amount of glucose - most of the recipes I have call for about 40% of the weight of sugar in glucose.

In the caramel formula I use from Greweling, he calles for 500g sugar and 400g grams glucose to which 390g of sweetened condensed milk is added. Once you can account for the sugar in the milk product you have a ratio. I'm guessing that the total sugar in all that that (sugar + SCM) is on the order of 600 - 700g which would give 400/700 or 57%. You might try a couple of experiments with different ratios and see what works best.

[schneich]

if you dont cook your caramel beyond 130c you shouldnt have recrystallization issues. i HATE to put a lot of glucose in caramels, makes them sticky, i only use about 5% ors so...