Posts Tagged ‘salt water taffy recipe’
Old Fashioned Taffy Pulling
This weekend the kids and I made Salt Water Taffy. It was a practice run for the 4th of July, when pulling taffy will be one of the activities for all of the kids. I figured I better work out the kinks before I make it for a crowd. It was so much fun we can’t wait to make it again… kind of like playing with play dough only sweeter.
The only change I will make for the 4th is to make a few more flavors… maybe lemon, orange and peppermint. If I thought the kids would go for it, I would make licorice… my favorite taffy flavor.
I used the recipe from the Lion House Recipes, First Edition Cookbook. It’s an old-time recipe.
Lion House Taffy
2 cups sugar
1 ½ cup water
1 tsp. salt
1 cup white corn syrup
½ tsp. glycerin
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. butter
Mix sugar, water, salt, corn syrup, and glycerin in a heavy sauce pan. Bring to a boil and cook to a temperature of 258 degrees. Remove from heat and let stand for two to three minutes. Then add vanilla and butter. Stir vigorously until butter is melted. Pour into a buttered cookie sheet. Cool until lukewarm taffy can be handled.
Before pulling have children wash and dry their hands thoroughly. Give them each a small piece to work with, and instruct them to stretch and fold, stretch and fold until the taffy turns white.
I cooked the taffy to 265 degrees instead of 258… so it was a little less sticky. And I added food coloring to some of the taffy as we pulled (a bit messy on the hands, but oh well.) I rolled the taffy into ropes and cut them with my kitchen scissors that I had rubbed with butter. Then the kids and I rolled them in wax paper. For the 4th I thought it would be fun to have each child pull the taffy and make it into the initial of their first name. I’ll give the kids a piece of wax paper to keep their initial in.
Pulling taffy is one of those old fashioned activities that deserves a comeback.
Oh, it’s a little sticky…
but she can handle it…
“What you thinking about, Emma?” “…mmm, candy”