Sponge Candy....What?

This is my friend Jeri and her hubby Billie. She and I grew up together back in southeastern Iowa and we even share the same birthday. In the fall of 1976 she and I left Iowa and headed for the big time......Vegas! We loaded up her little blue pinto with all of our most important treasures and keepsakes....our bell bottom pants, platform shoes and our record albums. (giggles)...............

She makes the most wonderful sponge candy and I have asked her if I could share her recipe.

I haven't had sponge candy since I was just a wee one. My grandma Opal always had it around her house at the holidays and I remember her buying it, by the pound at the little local store called Helen's Variety. You could buy anything there and you could wander around both floors for hours.

The other memory I have of sponge candy is that at Christmas at the Methodist Church when Santa would give us our little brown paper bag...........it had one orange, ribbon candy, peanuts, a few gum drops and of course just a couple of pieces of sponge candy. What a warm and fuzzy memory for me.




What is Sponge Candy?
Sponge Candy is a succulent piece of candy with an inside that tastes somewhat like molasses and caramelized sugar. It’s texture is very unusual in that it is crisp at first and then melts away in your mouth. And of course, don’t forget the creamy blanket of milk chocolate or dark chocolate that covers that tasty inside.

Here is Jeri's recipe:

1 cup dark Karo Syrup.
1 cup sugar.
Mix and bring to hard crack stage (350). Pour 4 teaspoons baking soda all at once into mixture. Stir quickly then pour onto cookie sheet. DO NOT TOUCH AFTER YOU POUR ONTO THE COOKIE SHEET.
Let cool then break into pieces and dip into melted almond bark. Make sure you start in a big enough pan, once you put the baking soda in it expands.