printable recipe here
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I don't know if you remember making homemade taffy while we were growing up. I thought it was one of the coolest things! Buttering our hands up and pulling it together to make a wonderful treat.*
This activity might be a stretch (pun definitely intended)... in supporting the Young Women Value: FAITH... but, there are so many good analogies that could be taught during this activity!
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Tonight I am using the Taffy Pull to help the girls understand that "...faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." James 2:17
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Salt Water Taffy
Visit here or for a great tutorial
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INGREDIENTS
2 cups white sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons butter (plus lots extra to butter hands)
1 teaspoon salt
You choose:
1 Tablespoon extract of choice (vanilla, mint, cherry, etc.)
food coloring
-or-
1 teaspoon salt
You choose:
1 Tablespoon extract of choice (vanilla, mint, cherry, etc.)
food coloring
-or-
1 - .21oz (6g) package unsweetened, fruit-flavored drink mix
DIRECTIONS
1. Butter a cookie sheet, including sides, really well. Prepare more than one if you are planning on making more than one flavor. Also prepare a buttered spatula for each flavor. Have flavors and coloring ready.
2. In a medium saucepan, stir together sugar and cornstarch. Next add corn syrup, water, butter and salt. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil over medium heat and stop stirring. Cover pan boil for 2 or 3 minutes. Uncover, place thermometer in pan and cook to 256 - 266 degrees F. The lower temperature will result in a chewier taffy, the higher a more brittle texture. Be patient and watch it closely.
3. Remove from heat and carefully stir in your desired flavorings, food coloring or drink mix. Pour into prepared dish/pan. Allow to cool enough to handle, just about 15 minutes.
4. Once the taffy has cooled enough to handle, butter hands and begin "the pull!" It will start out a bit translucent. Pull the warm candy with fingertips, pulling out to about 12 inches at first. Quickly turn candy back from fingertips of one hand to the other hand, then catch center and pull again. This will incorporate air into the candy. Continue pulling until taffy is light in color and has a satiny gloss. It could take about 10-15 minutes.
5. Pull into long ropes, and cut with buttered scissors. Wrap pieces of taffy squares of waxed paper and give it a good twist on each end.
2. In a medium saucepan, stir together sugar and cornstarch. Next add corn syrup, water, butter and salt. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil over medium heat and stop stirring. Cover pan boil for 2 or 3 minutes. Uncover, place thermometer in pan and cook to 256 - 266 degrees F. The lower temperature will result in a chewier taffy, the higher a more brittle texture. Be patient and watch it closely.
3. Remove from heat and carefully stir in your desired flavorings, food coloring or drink mix. Pour into prepared dish/pan. Allow to cool enough to handle, just about 15 minutes.
4. Once the taffy has cooled enough to handle, butter hands and begin "the pull!" It will start out a bit translucent. Pull the warm candy with fingertips, pulling out to about 12 inches at first. Quickly turn candy back from fingertips of one hand to the other hand, then catch center and pull again. This will incorporate air into the candy. Continue pulling until taffy is light in color and has a satiny gloss. It could take about 10-15 minutes.
5. Pull into long ropes, and cut with buttered scissors. Wrap pieces of taffy squares of waxed paper and give it a good twist on each end.
