Who makes candy?

Trying to make sponge candy:

http://www.intimateweddings.com/blog/sponge-candy-recipe-with-or-without-chocolate-this-sponge-candy-is-da-bomb/

I have made it before, but I had a weird problem last night. It was boiling over the pan before getting to 300F. It always boils, obviously, but never has it acted like this; basically refusing to cross 250-260F before expanding and trying to leave the pan. I tested the thermometer with boiling water, and also went ahead and finished with the low temp and it acted like candy at 250-260, so the temp is probably right. Even weirder, this is my second attempt this week. The first I ruined by not sufficiently mixing the baking soda in, but that first batch had no trouble getting to 300F.

I am trying again tonight (Valentine's Day eve) but I cannot figure this out and I fear another issue.

Any ideas?

I don’t have any insight beyond have you tried blowing at the bubbles to calm them down?  I’m curious of the outcome and now want to make some.  I’ve Never had a candy come close to boiling over so I want to know what’s going on as much as you do

Necco Wafers are in a package.   No need to make.   

Ferrara Pan Candy has an outlet in Chicago.  It’s deadly to stop by.  

Patrick said:

I don’t have any insight beyond have you tried blowing at the bubbles to calm them down?  I’m curious of the outcome and now want to make some.  I’ve Never had a candy come close to boiling over so I want to know what’s going on as much as you do

Yes.

It's so dang cohesive that the whole bubbly mess just left the top of the pan all at once.

I have a thought. We have a water issue at our house. The water company says our water is safe to drink but they had added something to prevent runoff from contaminating the supply. That doesn't really make sense to me, but the water looks and tastes different. The recipe only calls for 6 Tbs, but it's possible that it ruined the batch.

Yeah, take a bottle to work and fill it from the water cooler there to try at home.  

What, you think I'd suggest you go and buy water?    This is GRM!

This is not necco wafers, this is a Cadbury crunchie bar.  I have tried to make it before, but the baking soda I had was apparently no good at all, no bubbles.

Could it be weather related? Too dry or too humid? 

In reply to RealMiniParker :

Perhaps. Our house has humidifiers, and the humidity was between 50-53 all day. Maybe a smidge high, but nothing drastic.

 I finally succeeded last night, a bigger pan, fresh bottled water, and a little more diligence paid off! A word of note for any of you who wish to try making sponge candy, and when you are done, the outer 1/8 inch of the resulting mass will be far more chewy then the center, next time I will pour into a shape which minimizes Surface area, but this time I simply chipped away the outer edges. Melted some chocolate in a faux double broiler and it’s ready for Valentine’s Day.

Well done. I've never tried anything like this that's pretty cool