The Great Candybar debate

This was the conversation that sparked a pre-movie science experiment-

Husband: "Were you there awhile back when someone said that Snickers and Baby Ruth are basically the same thing?"
Me: "Uh yeah, that was *me* that said that. Because THEY ARE"

This conversation sparked a great debate which resulted in disecting both brands of tasty treats and doing extensive observation and taste tests.



Hypothesis:
That Snickers and Baby Ruth are made up of the same basic components; Nougat, caramel, peanuts and chocolate



Scientific Process:
First, we observe the exoskeleton of both specimens, of course both are immediately identified by their external markings. The Snickers has a very obvious chocolate swirl with a glossy finish while the Baby Ruth has a lumpier exterior and a matte chocolate coating.

Exhibit A: Snickers


Exhibit B: Baby Ruth


Next we dissect both specimens and take note of their components.


Notice the Snickers has a thin layer of a peanutty nougat followed by a thick layer of peanuts encased in caramel. The caramel and peanuts make up the majority of this bar.



Meanwhile, the Baby Ruth has a thick layer of a similar peanut/caramel nougat, which epicurious says is more like a fudge as opposed to the light, fluffy Snickers nougat. The fudge-like nougat is wrapped in a light layer of caramel which is then rolled in peanuts and encased in chocolate.

Need to see them again, side by side?
Here:


After our initial observations, we attempted to get a better idea of the differences in nougat by further dissecting the candy bar to isolate the nougat to sample. This is easier said than done because Snickers tends to melt fast and the layer of nougat is thin and fluffy and difficult to isolate. So we just ate them both:



So after much deliberation, we determined that, yes, both candy bars are made up of the same essential ingredients, however the difference in taste comes from the fluffy nougat of the Snickers, versus the more fudge like consistency of the Baby Ruth and the amount of caramel to nougat ratio.

Now that's science in action people!