This week's historical recipe for our Union County Bicentennial Passport project is for Mrs. Hattie Scott's Chocolate Drops.
You can't live in Union County and not know the Scott family name. We drive by it every time we head down US 33. Here's just a little background:
In 1868, after serving in the Civil War, Orlando M. Scott opened a hardware store in Marysville. He began selling local farmers weed-free seed and soon expanded his sales to homeowners, which was innovative for the period. Throughout the 20th century, Scotts expanded to include research facilities, the first ever automated seed processing plant, and the corporate headquarters on Scottslawn Road in Marysville (1982.) Over the years, the seed company has gradually added well-known products to its repertoire - fertilizers, weed killers and preventers, pesticides and potting soils. Most recently, they have added organic alternatives to their Miracle-Gro product line-up.
Our historical recipe this week is not actually a baked good, but rather a candy. We got a tickle out of reading these instructions for candy making from the Centennial Buckeye Cook Book (1876.) No candy thermometers, no stove top temperature control, no specialty equipment - oh how things have changed! Candy making truly is tricky business. Here are just a few tips to make your candy making experience a success in your modern kitchen: Do NOT use a glass top stove. Invest in a plug-in coil burner. Glass top stoves cycle the heat on and off, so getting a consistent temperature during cooking is nearly impossible. Candy making is all about temperature - a few degrees really do make a difference! Cook your sugar and water to about 250 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer to achieve a soft-ish, roll-able but stable consistency. We used semi-sweet Baker's chocolate for dipping and bittersweet for a darker drizzle, but your favorite variety of chocolate should work just fine, even white. Refrigerate the dipped sugar balls on wax paper to prevent sticking.
Four-packs of these Chocolate Drops will be for sale for $3 at our farm market stand in Raymond. All proceeds benefit the Union County Historical Society.
NOTES:
Click here for more info on the history of Scotts Miracle-Gro.
The Centennial Buckeye Cook Book can be purchased here.