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Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Sconza Jordanettes
There are literally hundreds of makers of candied almonds, also known as confetti or dragees, around the world. But the candy is pretty much the same everywhere, a single almond coated with a hard sugar shell. Some are colored and tumbled to a bright sheen, still others have a soft and smooth matte surface. The process is rather simple though time consuming. Nuts are tumbled in a large rotating drum as sugar syrup is slowly added and allowed to dry, then added again until a thick shell is built up. Sconza started in 1939 in the Bay Area and has been making distinctive panned candies since 1948. The company is expanding rapidly now, poised to take over the former Hershey’s Chocolate facility in Oakdale California later this year.
The colors and matte shell was just so festive - it says harvest but it wasn’t all dark colors. Instead they’re pretty muted pastels in peach, yellow, green and terra cotta. They looked pretty big too, but as is often the case with candy coated almonds, I didn’t know if it was that the almonds were big or that the candy shell was thick.
As is often the case with Jordan Almonds, I never know how thick the shell will be and sometimes I secretly suspect that there won’t even be a nut at the center - that it might be a rock. Happily every single one I’ve eaten so far has had a fresh almond in the middle. The bag smelled like vanilla pudding. Soft and sweet with just a hint of vanilla (fake vanilla actually). The dragees are soft and smooth and after in the mouth for a moment they’re pleasantly slippery and fun to chase around with my tongue. There’s not much flavor, just sugar-sweetness. After a while I usually crunch. I find the best way to crush the shell is to put the candy between my rear molars and gently bite down on one of flatter sides. If it doesn’t yield, I try do dissolve a bit more and try again. Jordan Almonds aren’t like M&Ms, unless you have some sort of super-strong teeth and fearless disposition, there’s no popping them in your mouth and chewing. Of course I never see them served that way and I honestly never see people simply eating them. (I know they’re a popular wedding favor, but I never recall getting any at a wedding either.) The almond on the inside is soft and not as sweet as the sugar-shell, but still pretty sweet (not a crisp toasted almond either, they appear to be raw or merely blanched). These had only a hint of almond flavor. Mostly the whole thing was fresh-tasting. I can’t say that I’d just buy Jordanettes again for munching, but I do foresee finishing the bag ... and when I say finishing, I mean I’ve already eaten a half a pound. These are certainly a good deal, high quality and beautiful to look at. Related Candies
POSTED BY Cybele AT 1:26 pm
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Meticulously photographed and documented reviews of candy from around the world. And the occasional other sweet adventures. Open your mouth, expand your mind.
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Comment by
Jeanna on 9/04/08 at 6:10 am #
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KateC on 9/04/08 at 9:02 am #
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mandy_Reeves on 9/06/08 at 7:09 am #
Commenting is not available in this channel entry.We always called it “confetti.” No Italian wedding is complete without them. I call it “emergency candy.”
Jordon almonds were my go-to candy in movie theaters. Since they stopped carrying them, I’ve stopped buying/eating candy at the movies.
I used to crunch some on the first bite and dissolve some for variety. I can’t crunch them any more, though! Ouch.
Jordon almonds are one of the best candies in existence
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I haven’t had Jordan Almonds before….I am realizing I need to rectify that.
I just have to say! Your description of Jordan Almonds made me crave them SO bad that I had to go out RIGHT AFTER I READ IT and buy a bag! Oh man so yummy!
Ohhhh!!! These are the wedding favor things! My mom used to bring em home from weddings alot. She never let me eat em because of being afraid my teeth would break or something.
People were trying to get me to use em in my wedding, and I was like heck no! I want people to have fun, so we used M&Ms;
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