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Candies and Candy Making: Taffy

TAFFY AND MOLASSES CANDY FOR CANDY PULLS Taffy is a simple candy, which may be made of either granulated, lightor dark-brown sugar or molasses. Or both sugar and molasses, with the addition of butter and vinegar, lemon juice or other flavoring substance, as desired. The ingredients may be boiled together, or the butter may be added when the sirup is nearly done. Lemon juice or other flavoring matter should not be added until the boiling is nearly finished, as otherwise the flavor will be partly lost. Taffy is a good candy for children to make, as it is simple and easily handled. It may also be worked into various designs, twisted, braided, formed into horseshoes, baskets, and the like.

Two or more strands of different colors may be braided together. Baskets in different shapes may be formed by winding strands around the bottom or outside of cups or other dishes, which should be buttered on the outside, adding a suitable handle and setting the whole away to cool. When cold it may be easily removed.

Candy canes may be rolled and twisted on a sheet of waxed paper; or strips of party-colored taffy may be twisted or braided and cut into sticks with scissors. The work must be done quickly as soon as the candy is cool enough to bear the hands, as after it sets it cannot be worked to advantage. When taffy is poured from the kettle use only the quantity that will run freely. Keep the scrapings by themselves, as if they are added to the candy they may cause it to harden and grain.

Molasses Taffy.-Boil in a buttered kettle for 3 hours over a slow fire, or until the sirup ceases to boil, 1 quart of Porto Rico molasses and pound of light-brown sugar. Stir frequently to prevent burning or boiling over. When nearly done stir in the juice of a large lemon. When it hardens in water pour into buttered pans.

Or boil over a slow fire to the ball 1 quart of Porto Rico molasses and 1 gill of cold water. Now stir in 1 tablespoonful of butter, 1 teaspoonful of brown sugar. Boil until it hardens in water and pour in a buttered pan to cool. Or boil together 1 cupful of molasses, 1 cupful of sugar, butter the size of an egg, until it will harden in cold water. Cool in a buttered pan.

Everton Taffy. - To make this celebrated taffy extract the juice of a large lemon and grate the rind. Mix 1½ pounds of coffee sugar, 34 ounces of butter, 14 cupfuls of water, and the grated lemon rind. Boil together over a quick fire, stirring constantly until it becomes hard and brittle in cold water. Remove from the fire, stir in the lemon juice and pour in buttered tins to cool. - Buttercups.

Make any desired quantity of taffy and pour out about 4 inch deep to cool on a smooth buttered surface. Warm a similar quantity of stiff fondant, and work it near the fire until it is creamy and soft. Pull the taffy as soon as it will bear the hands until it is white, stretch it out in broad, flat strips, lay a roll of fondant in the center of each strip, roll the fondant in the taffy and cut the strips crosswise with a sharp scissors to any desired length.