Claire Saffitz really, really did not want to make gourmet Pop Rocks. But she did it anyway, and we salute her.
Instead of pumping carbon dioxide into her Pop Rocks or forming them under extreme pressure, Saffitz used a combination of citric acid and baking soda to attempt to recreate the candy's iconic, aggressive fizz. (Pop Rocks are famously the only candy that is also a jump scare.)
Honestly, things go pretty smoothly -- much more smoothly, it seems, than she expected. The end result doesn't pop, but there is, according to her coworker Amiel Stanek, "a kind of novel, textural, physical sort of thing happening."
And that is truly all we can ask for. Bon Appétit, listen to your YouTube commenters -- it's time to send Claire on vacation.
