Replicating See's Candies

[jauhe]

The holidays are reminding me that I used to eat See's Candies growing up, and now that I've been experimenting with chocolate bonbons, I was thinking of trying to imitate See's chocolates.

 

When I make chocolates with tempered chocolate, the shell is hard with a good snap and then the filling is smooth. But I remember See's chocolates having a soft shell (kind of like a Snickers bar) without that snap. I assumed this was done with compound chocolate, but looking at their ingredient list on the website, I don't see any other oils or anything mentioned. Am I mis-remembering that texture? Is there a way to make chocolate shells softer?

 

The other question is about See's cream flavors (like dark raspberry cream). The ingredient list makes it sound like a regular ganache with fruit puree and some butter. Is that all they are? Any ideas on getting a similar texture and flavor?

 

Ingredient list: https://www.sees.com/custom-mix/dark-chocolate/dark-raspberry-cream/500239.html

[heidih]

Not to rain on the parade, but as a native Angeleno who worked next to a Sees store - imitation may be ill advised, Do your own thing.  My two cents. I was young and thin and sampled every day. 

[jauhe]

Fair point. It's more to understand the possibilities and then be able to branch out from there. The softer shells and those fruit "creams" are both things that seem interesting to me to experiment with.

[minas6907]

On the website, for the dark raspberry creams, it does list butter as an ingredient in the dark chocolate, not just the center, so that likely contributes to a softer coating. 

[Chocolot]

The old See's chocolates were fondant based, rather than ganaches. 

[Kerry Beal]

5 hours ago, Chocolot said:

The old See's chocolates were fondant based, rather than ganaches. 

From that ingredient list - it’s still a fondant cream - and the coating chocolate has butter in it to soften. 

[jauhe]

Thanks, it looks like I wasn't paying attention to the ingredient groupings in that list. Very interesting on the butter in the chocolate, I thought adding butter would seize chocolate because of the water content?

 

For those fondant fillings, can someone point me to a recipe as a starting point? The Greweling book does mention fruit-based fondant fillings, but I don't see any of them that include cream (which these evidently do?).

[Kerry Beal]

It's usually butter oil that is added to the chocolate - so just the fat not the the liquid part. 

 

Get a copy of @Chocolot's book - Candymaking - good book when you want to learn to make creams. Then pick her brain here!

Edited November 11, 2023 by Kerry Beal (log)

[jauhe]

I see, that makes sense. Any suggestions for where to find butter oil in non-commercial quantities? I'm not seeing it on the baking supply sites where I've found other ingredients. Same goes for the soft version of fondant actually (which sounds like it's a pain to make by hand).

 

I'll check out the book, thanks for the recommendation! Is this the right one? Candymaking Paperback – January 1, 1987 (eG-friendly Amazon.com link)

 

[pastrygirl]

40 minutes ago, jauhe said:

Any suggestions for where to find butter oil in non-commercial quantities?

 

You could use ghee or clarified/browned butter.

[Jim D.]

1 hour ago, jauhe said:

Same goes for the soft version of fondant actually (which sounds like it's a pain to make by hand).

 

 

Pouring fondant can be found in small (and very inexpensive) quantities at L'Epicérie--a  wonderful source for many things in the pastry realm.  In fact, the business was created to provide small quantities to small producers.

[Kerry Beal]

2 hours ago, jauhe said:

I see, that makes sense. Any suggestions for where to find butter oil in non-commercial quantities? I'm not seeing it on the baking supply sites where I've found other ingredients. Same goes for the soft version of fondant actually (which sounds like it's a pain to make by hand).

 

I'll check out the book, thanks for the recommendation! Is this the right one? Candymaking Paperback – January 1, 1987 (eG-friendly Amazon.com link)

 

Yup - that's the one. 

[jauhe]

42 minutes ago, Jim D. said:

 

Pouring fondant can be found in small (and very inexpensive) quantities at L'Epicérie--a  wonderful source for many things in the pastry realm.  In fact, the business was created to provide small quantities to small producers.

 

That's exactly what I was looking for, incredible selection there, thanks.

[Chocolot]

Any pre-made fondant is going to be water based.  You are going t owant to make your own cream based.

[jauhe]

I see thanks, the regular way to make fondant, but just with the same quantity of cream instead of water?

 

And following up on the butter oil or ghee topic, any idea how much to add to chocolate to soften it but still allow it to release from molds?

[Kerry Beal]

7 minutes ago, jauhe said:

I see thanks, the regular way to make fondant, but just with the same quantity of cream instead of water?

 

And following up on the butter oil or ghee topic, any idea how much to add to chocolate to soften it but still allow it to release from molds?

Start with about 1% butter oil - max is 4% but that will make it quite soft. 

 

See the book for the cream fondant recipe. I actually make my fondant following Ruth's recipe as a 'bob syrup' - cook to temperature, cool down to 60º C then add a glob of commercial soft white fondant to act as seed and avoid the need to beat. 

[jauhe]

Perfect, the book is in the mail, I look forward to it!

[Chocolot]

Be sure you check temp for your altitude.

[jauhe]

Got the book, it's full of great recipes, thanks for the recommendation! All of them call for light corn syrup instead of the glucose syrup that the "professional" books call for. Can those be substituted 1-1, or is there a difference using regular corn syrup?

[Kerry Beal]

I sub 1 for 1.