Tricolor Taffy Recipes

TAFFY

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, place all the ingredients except extracts, and gently stir them to combine. Place a candy thermometer on the side of the pan and bring to a boil, stirring only to prevent burning. Cook to hardball stage (265 to 270 degrees), remove from the heat, stir in the extracts, and pour onto a silpat-lined sheet pan or buttered sheet pan. Let it cool enough to handle then start rolling it into a log and stretching or pulling the taffy to work air in and make it white and opaque. Keep pulling and twisting until it hardens. Form long ropes of taffy, then cut them into pieces.
• Some tips when making taffy: Oil the top 1-inch of the saucepan's wall to keep the sugar from boiling over. Always use a pan bigger than you think you need to prevent boiling over. Always use a burner as big or bigger than your pan's bottom. Never scrape the bottom of the pan at the end, just pour out the syrup. Wash down the sides of the pan with a clean wet pastry brush to avoid crystallization.

TRICOLOR TAFFY

Steps:

• In a 4-quart saucepan, combine sugar, water, corn syrup, and salt. Swirl the pot over the burner to dissolve the sugar completely, do not stir. Increase the heat and boil to soft-ball stage (250 degrees). Use a candy thermometer for accuracy. Wash down the inside wall of the pot with a wet pastry brush if necessary. Remove from heat, stir in the butter and vanilla.
• Coat 3 sheet pans with nonstick spray. Pour the mixture onto the sheet pans, dividing in 3 equal portions. Mix the peppermint extract and a couple of drops of green food coloring in 1 batch. Mix the orange extract and a couple of drops of yellow food coloring in another batch. Leave the plain vanilla batch as is. As the candy cools, lift the edges toward the center with a metal spatula or bench scraper so they don't harden. When just cool enough to handle, butter your hands and pull the taffy into long ropes. Twist and pull until the taffy is stiff and the color is even. Cut the ropes into 1-inch pieces with clean, buttered kitchen scissors. Wrap each piece in waxed paper and store in an airtight container.

GRANDMA'S TAFFY

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, stir together the sugar and cornstarch. Add the butter, salt, corn syrup and water; mix well. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to mix in butter. Heat to 275 degrees F (134 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped from a spoon forms hard but pliable threads.
• Remove from heat, and stir in the vanilla, flavored extract and food coloring. Pour into a greased 8x8 inch baking dish. When cooled enough to handle, remove candy from the pan, and pull until it loses its shine and becomes stiff. Pull into ropes, and use scissors to cut into 1 inch pieces. Wrap each piece in waxed paper.

OLD-TIME TAFFY PULL

Steps:

• Butter one 8 inch square pan; set aside.
• In a 2 quart saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, corn syrup, water, butter, cornstarch and salt. Mix together well and bring to a boil. Heat without stirring until a candy thermometer reads 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
• Remove from heat; stir in vanilla, almond extract, almonds and food color. Pour into pan. Let stand until cool enough to handle. (Taffy should be lukewarm in center as well as at the edges.)
• At this point, fold, double and pull the taffy until it is light in color and stiff. Butter hands lightly if taffy begins to stick. Cut taffy into pieces with scissors and wrap the pieces with plastic wrap to maintain shape.

ANY FLAVOR TAFFY

Steps:

• Butter 2 large baking sheets, and set them aside.
• In a medium saucepan, stir together the sugar and cornstarch. Add corn syrup, water, butter and salt, and stir to blend. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook until the mixture reads 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat, and immediately stir in the drink mix powder. Quickly pour out onto the prepared baking sheets, and let stand until cool enough to handle.
• Grab a few helpers, and butter everyone's hands. Stretch (pull) the taffy until it lightens in color, and becomes firm. Roll into bite size pieces, and wrap in small squares of waxed paper.

SALTWATER TAFFY RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Add the sugar to a large pot fitted with a candy thermometer. Sift in the cornstarch and whisk into the sugar until well-combined. Add the butter, corn syrup, salt, water, vanilla, and flavor extract of choice to the pot. Whisk to combine, then turn the heat to medium and cook until the mixture reaches 250°F (120°C).
• Add the food coloring and stir to combine.
• Pour the candy into a greased heatproof dish and cool until you are able to handle it, 5-10 minutes.
• Stretch the mixture out 12 inches (30 cm) (or further) and fold it over itself again and again for 10-15 minutes. The taffy will turn from translucent to opaque.
• When the taffy becomes harder to pull, roll it to about a 30-inch (76-cm) long and 1-inch (2-cm) thick log on a greased surface. Cut the log in half. Then slice the taffy into bite-size chunks.
• Wrap each piece of taffy in a square of parchment paper and twist the ends to seal.
• Enjoy!

CHOCOLATE TAFFY

Steps:

• Line a heavy baking sheet, not a cookie sheet it should have sides, with a heat proof silicone mat or grease generously with butter. Lay the sheet on a heatproof surface.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and water until the mixture thickens, then pour through a mesh strainer into a heavy 6 quart non stick pot. Add the sugar, corn syrup, butter, vinegar, baking soda, and salt and whisk to combine. The mixture should not fill more than half the pot as it will boil and rise during cooking. Boil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally during the first 5 to 10 minutes (when mixture is foamy), then do not stir (mixture will bubble vigorously, but settle in the pot). Continue cooking until an instant read thermometer registers 250 degrees (about 15 to 20 minutes), stir in 2 tablespoons of butter until combined, and carefully pour into prepared pan without scraping the pot.
• Using a lightly buttered metal pastry scraper or wooden spoon, begin to fold the cooler edges of taffy onto the center (The taffy will become firmer on the edges after a few minutes, but the heat will be concentrated in the center). Taffy will be very soft initially and seem like a thick liquid. Avoid scraping the bottom of the pan.
• When taffy is still hot but cool enough to handle, butter your gloved palms generously and gather taffy mass in your hands (you may need to use the scraper to help you). Begin to "pull" taffy in an even thickness by stretching the mass about 1 foot apart in both hands. (taffy may seem very soft and sticky). Bring both ends of taffy back to each other to form a loop and pull, stretching your arms slightly. Twist the end if you like and bring it back to the top. Taffy may feel very soft at first, but it will begin to get harder to pull. Continue pulling until the taffy is lighter in color and has a satin-matte sheen (it will look somewhat like rope) but remains soft and pliable, about 10 minutes (temperatures and humidity may vary and take longer).
• When it cools to room temperature, transfer to a clean cutting board and divide into quarters using a heavy knife. Dust lightly with confectioners sugar, roll or stretch the taffy into a log about 3/4 inch wide, and cut into 3/4 inch long pieces. If knife becomes sticky grease knife with butter. Wrap each piece of taffy in waxed paper and store in air tight container. Taffy will stay fresh for 1 week in a container.

TAFFY

Steps:

• Grease square pan, 8x8x2 inches, with butter. Mix sugar and cornstarch in 2-quart saucepan. Stir in corn syrup, water, butter and salt. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook, without stirring, to 265°F on candy thermometer or until small amount of mixture dropped into cup of very cold water forms a hard ball that holds its shape but is pliable; remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Pour into pan.
• When taffy is just cool enough to handle, pull it with lightly buttered hands until satiny, light in color and stiff. Pull into long strips 1/2 inch wide. Cut strips into 1 1/2-inch pieces, using scissors. (For easier cutting, wipe scissors with vegetable oil.) Wrap pieces individually in plastic wrap or waxed paper (candy must be wrapped to hold its shape).