Sugar Savvy

Scotchmallow Hearts

(Author’s Note: For background on this column and See’s Candy, please click here.)

Valentine’s Day is on the horizon and every thought turns to love . . . of chocolate. The folks at See’s Candy are no different. They have a profuse variety of heart-shaped boxes filled with your sweetheart’s favorite nuts, chews, butter creams and more in addition to the company’s usual assortments. See’s doesn’t really produce any special Valentine’s-only candy, but some of their favorites take new, heart shapes.

The Scotchmallow is one of the sweets transmogrified from a humble dark brown button of candy into a luscious 2-inch or so heart. The candy’s chocolate coating strains against the puffy filling and each heart comes bedecked in a gaily decorated cellophane wrapper. More sophisticated than a regular marshmallow heart because of its caramel core, its holiday shape makes it appropriate for children and the young at heart (and strong of teeth). Its simple shape and uncomplicated packaging might also make a good present for someone whose exact feelings are not known or perhaps not reciprocated. It is definitely not as committed as a dozen red roses and a five pound heart-shaped box of designer chocolates. But then, if your sweetie is sweet on marshmallows and caramel, it could be just the thing.

Description: The regular Scotchmallow, a See’s registered name, is piece number 26 in the See’s Catalog and website. It is a flattened round of a candy, with no distinguishing swirls or fancy shapes. The cross section view is the most fascinating with a thin, dark chocolate shell, a layer of buttery caramel and fluffy white honey marshmallow. The Valentine’s Day hearts are more decorative, but have the same interiors, just in greater quantity. The regular pieces are available from See’s mail order, but the hearts are only available in the stores.

Why Scotchmallows: The name, the concept (the marriage of caramel and marshmallow), its availability in heart shapes for the holiday and a vague memory of having had it once before and liking it attracted me to this candy.

Taste: When you first bite into the candy, the chocolate shell has the distinctive See’s shatter. The resistance of the caramel and the soft, slight stickiness of the marshmallow make for an interesting chew. The first notes are of the dark chocolate (a good choice for this naturally sweet candy) and the vanilla of the marshmallow. Then the buttery, brown sugar taste of the caramel at first mixes with the other tastes and, as they fade, becomes predominant. The combination of tastes gives this piece a little more complexity than you would expect and the caramel’s texture guarantees this treat won’t just melt away in your mouth like many other marshmallow confections. If you are a fan of this combination, the Scotchmallow is a winner.

Some differences exist between the regular piece and the larger heart. I felt that because of the design of the regular Scotchmallow, it had more of a chocolate taste with a larger ratio of dark chocolate to filling. I also thought the regular piece had a larger marshmallow layer.

Ingredients: I almost debated if I should include this section. Perhaps the magic that is Scotchmallow should not be revealed. Read no further if you prefer not to know how such marshmallowy butterscotch perfection is achieved. Scotchmallow contains dark chocolate coating, (see ingredient list), sugar, cream, corn syrup, honey, egg whites, brown sugar, butter, gelatin, vanilla, salt, hydrogenated oils (soybean, coconut), cornstarch.

See’s Trivia: Seventy-six percent of all the candy See’s produces is covered in chocolate.

Well-Fed Ratings: As compared to other See’s candies, I would rate the regular-sized Scotchmallow a 6.5 out of 10, although another taster in my family would rank it higher. One of my sons literally cried out in joy when he tasted the candy. Scotchmallow would definitely have a place in my Chocolate Box and I know a certain boy who will be getting a few of the hearts for Valentine’s Day.