Musketeer Bites

Happy Birthday baby girl!  R is 9 now and loving one of her birthday treats.  I've been wanting to try out a chocolate divinity for a while now.  The idea appealed to me.  What it turns out to be is a nougat.  Not quite as ethereal as real divinity.  Now R went crazy over the regular caramel pecan divinity, so I asked her which she liked better.  These won.  Small wonder though, they are sweeter and more of a kid styled candy.  90% of her class liked them enough to want seconds if I had made enough, even though some were scared off from the zucchini spice cakes.  Kids are so funny.  ☺  I was pretty proud of the ones that were willing to take a tentative taste and decided they were indeed yummy.  LOL!  So since these chocolate bites were a hit, I am posting them.  I'd make them coffee flavored for my next rendition.  Yum.  This batter could easily be scraped into a lined pan to cure and then cut into bars or square bites before enrobing with chocolate to be more like the commercial version.  I chose the spoon drop method.  I like the little drizzle look.

Homemade Three Musketeers Bites

makes about 3 dozen candies

Meringue:

2 large egg whites (room temp)

2 oz (¼ c) granulated sugar

½ tsp cream of tartar

Syrup:

1 lb (2 c) granulated sugar

6 oz (½ c) Lyle's Golden syrup (or tapioca syrup)

4 oz (½ c) water

Additions and Inclusions:

1½ tsp vanilla

½ scant tsp fine sea salt, maybe just a ¼ tsp for kids' palates

1 tbsp confectioner's sugar (without corn starch)

4 oz semisweet or dark chocolate, melted

Additional 3-4oz melted chocolate for drizzling on top or chocolate sprinkles

Line two baking sheets with parchment.  Combine the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar for the meringue in a 5-quart mixer bowl with a whip attachment.  Don't whip yet.  (If you are using reconstituted dried egg whites, which I tend to do for this, bring it together enough to be foamy.)  Melt the chocolate in a small pan or dish and set aside.

Combine the sugar, golden syrup and water for the syrup in a 2 qt saucepan.  Heat over medium to boiling.  Cover and boil for 2 minutes.  Uncover, attach candy thermometer and cook without stirring to 230ºF.

When syrup reaches 230ºF, start whipping the egg whites on high speed.

Continue cooking the syrup to a final temp of 255-260ºF.

Pour the hot syrup into the whipping whites in a small, constant stream.  Aim for the outside so it won't splash off the whisk.  Continue whipping on high for 7 minutes.  Add vanilla, salt, confectioner's sugar and melted chocolate to the whipping egg whites to combine.  Scrape well to make sure it all gets incorporated.  Beat for another minute if the mixture seems too loose to hold its shape when dropped.  The more it cools, the stiffer it will get.

Drop candy by tablespoonfuls onto the lined baking sheets, using a clean finger to push and swirl off the spoon.  This batter is slightly stickier than standard divinity.  Allow to set for up to 2 hours before topping with melted chocolate or sprinkles and storing in an airtight container.  I suggest setting the chocolate drizzle quickly in the fridge to save time.  These candies will keep about a week at room temperature in an airtight container.

Check out Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love for more corn free or allergy friendly recipes.