Monday, August 2, 2010

Vinegar Taffy

The boys and I spent the past few weeks savoring every mouth watering page of the book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. After reading a chapter or two, we would close the book and talk about the different candies that had been described to us in the book. We like candy at our house. A lot.

Today, in celebration of finishing a book (yeah us!) and in celebration of all things candy, we decided to make taffy. And not just any taffy. Vinegar taffy.

Vinegar taffy is something that you either really like or you don't. My Aunt Kathy first introduced it to me when I was a young girl. I couldn't get enough of it. I like vinegar, so putting it with candy, which is something I really love, well it's just lovely.

As we pulled the warm taffy with our buttery hands, Isaac just couldn't get over the fact that this was something that the pioneers made. And it is true. This recipe is as old as the pioneers.

"How did they make it? They didn't even have a stove?" he asked along with a million other questions. After tasting a piece, he told me that I need to make it 'famous'. "You need to sell this recipe and make it famous." he said. Again, I reminded him that the pioneers made this candy and that this recipe was not something that I made up. I mean really. I'm not THAT old.

And just in case you haven't ever tried Vinegar Taffy, I will share with you the recipe so you can make your own. It's quite simple. Just make sure you have lots of hands to help you pull. Once you pour the candy out on to a tray, it cools quickly and needs to be pulled immediatly or you will end up with a solid cookie sheet full of hard candy.

Vinegar Taffy

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
3 Tbsp butter
1/8 tsp cream of tartar

Mix together and bring to boil. When it reaches soft crack (around 270 degrees) add a few drops of whatever food coloring you wish and mix. Then pour it out onto a buttered cookie sheet. Let it cool for a minute or so. Then grab a handful and pull, pull, pull. Once it is a nice pearl-ish, white-ish color, pull it one last time into a rope about the width of your pointer finger. Take a butter knife and make little dents in the rope of candy that are about 2 inches a part. When it cools, you will pick up the rope and tap it gently on your counter and the pieces will break where they have been scored. Wrap in pieces of wax paper. Enjoy!!!

4 comments:

  1. I've had bad experiences trying to make taffy- but this looks so yummy I might have to try again.

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  2. It was so yummy! I loved the taste. I think it's so fun how you are reading with your kids & trying new recipes.

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  3. I never would have thought to make vinegar taffy, but this post has totally changed my mind. Vinegar taffy here I come!

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  4. I remember making this a long time ago. I can't wait to make it with my boys this week before going back to school! Lana

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