My grandma, my dad's mom, was a great cook. She loved cooking for people. So when Christmas came around she started early. Once all of her kids were grown and had children of their own, she would still decorate, make Christmas candies, popcorn balls, rice krispie treats, and even baked and decorated her own gingerbread house from scratch using a hand cut paper pattern. I have one of her gingerbread house designs. It was so much fun to the look at her Gingerbread house and pine for all the candies that were all over it.
She would prepare all year for candy making time, so that when December arrived she could focus for weeks on getting all her candy made. Grandma made a huge variety of candy and she would portion them onto little trays and once cooled would wrap them in plastic wrap and then start on the next candy. In the end she had a well-stocked candy store with trays of each type of candy for us to take home after the Christmas celebration.
Her boys, (my dad and uncles) were all very vocal about their favorites. Come to think of it, I really don't know what my Aunt's favorite was, but the boys always made their candy choices apparent.
In celebration of my Grandma, and her incredible talent for candy making, I'm going to post some of her candy recipes with pictures of my poor attempt to replicate them.
Today's candy recipe is DIVINITY. This is a difficult candy to master and it is one best made with a Kitchenaid Mixer and candy thermometer at the ready! Divinity is super fussy and the weather can affect the out come as well as not cooking the syrup properly. I put a candy cooking guide at the end of this post for those who do it the old fashioned way.
I wish everyone good luck who tries this. It will come out, but takes some practice and glorious weather.
Grandma's Divinity
2 2/3 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup Light Karo Syrup
2/3 cup water
2 egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts (or any nut)
In a heavy pan, mix sugar, Karo and water. Cook on med-high heat and boil until it reaches a semi-hard thread in cold water.Remove from heat. In mixer, on high, whip two egg whites to stiff peaks. With mixer on, slowly pour the hot syrup mixture over the stiffly beaten egg whites. I did this in the same bowl on the mixer. Beat until thick. Add vanilla and walnuts.
Grandma's Note: Rainy or Foggy days the syrup should test with a brittle thread. Sunny days the thread should be easily pliable. Beat until thick enough to spread into a pan.
Boil stirring contantly
Check threads. I'd rather cook too long than not long enough.
Set aside to beat egg whites.
Stiff peaks are when peaks form and stay.
Slowly pour in syrup while mixer continues. Completely incorporate the syrup into the egg whites.
Keep beating and cooling until it thickens enough to spread in out.
I spread it on parchment paper on a cooking pan to cool and set.
It should come out really light and fluffy. I can't describe it because it is kind of like a homemade marshmallow but isn't anywhere near as sticky. It isn't dense like a fudge. It's just super light, super fluffy, super sweet and has almost no taste. LOL! But it sure is a nostalgic candy.
I hope you give it a try.
Candy Temperature Chart
| Thread |
begins at 230 F |
The syrup will make a 2" thread when dropped from a spoon. |
| Soft Ball |
begins at 234 F |
A small amount of syrup dropped into chilled water forms a ball but flattens when picked up with fingers |
| Firm Ball |
begins at 244 F |
The ball will hold its shape and flatten only when pressed. |
| Hard Ball |
begins at 250 F |
The ball is more rigid but still pliable. |
| Soft Crack |
begins at 270 F |
A small amount of syrup is dropped into chilled water, it will separate into threads that will bend when picked up. |
| Hard Crack |
begins at 300 F |
The syrup separates into threads that are hard and brittle. |
| Caramelized Sugar |
310 F to 338 F |
Between these temperatures the sugar will turn dark golden but will turn black at 350 F. |
