Pop Rocks

[Anonymous Modernist 4342]

So I have been wanting to serve some savory pop rocks for a little while and was wondering if anyone here has had any experience with flavoring them. More specifically I am talking about these http://www.modernistpantry.com.....candy.html . It says on modernist pantry that they can be flavored with any fat based substance. The flavors I want to do would be Bacon, Chicken 'N' Waffles, Foie Gras, and White Truffle. My thought is to take some N-Zorbit and make a powder from these substances and simply toss the unflavored popping candy in my flavoring powder. Am I way off? Any different way to do this?

[Anonymous Modernist 10]

That's actually a really great idea. Pop rocks will burst when they react to moisture (usually that's saliva). Most fatty substances don't have a lot of moisture activity, which is why they say that they can be flavored with any fat-based substance. But N Zorbit is brilliant because it's an even drier substance, so it will keep the pop rocks in an even drier environment. Though of course powder is not as compact and the texture is different, so you will want to consider that.

[Anonymous Modernist 6683]

I am experimenting with pop rocks and baking cookies (i had in mind a a popping ginger snap) but running into (with hindsight obvious) difficulties with the pop rocks exploding prematurely due to cooking temperatures. Even pressing the pop rocks onto the top of cookies after they are removed from the oven leads to instant explosions leaving behind nothing more than a soft caramel. I am wondering whether there are any gels/gum mixtures I might use to insulate the pop rocks inside of the cookie to keep their temperature down - or perhaps a dried meringue (extrapolating a baked Alaska if you like but on a small scale). Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

[Anonymous Modernist 310]

I had the same kind of problems doing the buckeyes recipe on this site. If the chocolate is too hot when you incorporate the pop rocks they all fizzle in the mix and they're is no popping effect when you ate them. The second batch I let the melted chocolate cool down a lot before incorporating the pop rocks with much better success.

[Sam Fahey-Burke]

Any application that involves too much heat or exposure to moisture is going to cause the Pop Rocks to do their thing before you get a chance to eat the finished product. I would suggest incorporating them into a glaze or icing-type preparation that can then be applied to an already baked, cooled item.

Sam