The Taffy Pull (a history and a recipe)

One year when I was little, our Wisconsin dairy farm, the Brownie leaders had announced that it will meet to make cakes to our next special.

So - when school let out one winter afternoon - I lost time in the gym, where we are at our meetings.

For once nobody was late, and when we entered the gym, the Brownie leaders already prepared everything.

"What in the vessels?" asked one girl.

On the table were several square cake pans filled with light caramel-colored stuff.

"This is our Taffy," said one of the leaders.

The questions are fast and furious ever since.

"What should we do?"

"What's taffy, anyway?"

"But I thought that would make sweet ..."

"You are," said one leader. "This is called Salt Water Taffy kitchen is the hardest part is very easy, but this is the fun part is left -.. So"

We saw back and forth between us. If theCandy> was already cooked, what was it?

"Before you wash your hands. And all the hot water and soap. Do not wash just one," continued the leader of others.

A girl said. "Why do we wash our hands like this?"

"We brought them in toffee, so they must be very clean," said the leader.

Put your hands in the candy? Hmmm, maybe this was the fun part yet ...

A little 'later, when weback of our hand-washing expedition leader was very busy little back and forth between their hands.

"What?" asked one girl.

"This," he said, "is toffee. And it is almost ready."

The mass of stuff they did was light and creamy.

"Where did it come from?" another girl asked.

"Because," replied the officer, nodding toward the table.

The cream-colored glob similar in some ways all that is in the pots.

"How?" AnotherGirl asked.

Both the leaders laughed.

"That 's what happened, toffee, if you pull away."

We have seen five minutes.

"Here," he said, "is done." She laid the taffy on a piece of wax paper, rolled into a rope, and then quickly cut into sections with scissors.

"Now I want you to taste," says expectations.

No problem ...

"That's good!"

"Chewy."

"Tastes a bit 'like caramel."

The leader smiled."Rub butter on your hands," he said, pointing to "grab and drag ... and then start some toffee. "

Before long a dozen girls wearing uniforms brownie handled diligently handsful of toffee.

"This is fun!" said a girl.

"The most fun we've ever done!" exclaimed another, nodding vigorously.

"We can do next week, too?" asked a third.

"I thought the fun was left," said Brownie leader.

When the caramel has reached the rightConsistency, we cut to pieces. Then the leader has some baggies and soon it was time to go home.

"Did you have fun today?" asked my mother when I got in the car. He had ridden into town with Dad to take the Brownie meeting.

"Look what we did!" I cried.

My mother blinked bag of candy. "Why, who, like the taffy we do for the school in the past. Wonder if it looks like the same taste."

I looked at my mother. She went toSchool in a one room country school for about a mile from our dairy.

"You toffee" Made, "I said.

She smiled. "Of course. We have to do for Christmas. It was not much, but the next time Christmas rolled around a."

I held the bag toward her.

He dipped a piece in her mouth and then nodded. "It tastes the same."

Dad thought it was good.

And apparently everyone else in the family.

The next morning, when I sadcontemplated the empty Baggie, I decided the Brownie leader was dead wrong.

Making the taffy was not the best part - eating it was.

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Salt Water Taffy

1 cup sugar

3 / 4 cup light corn syrup

2 / 3 cup water

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons butter

3 / 4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla sugar (or another flavoring, like peppermint or anise)

In a large saucepan all ingredients except vanilla.Stirring constantly over medium heat, cook until the mixture reaches 256 degrees) Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer (or until a small amount may be in a cup of cold water forms a hard ball.

Stir in vanilla. Pour into a greased 8x8 square baking pan. Allow to cool.

Note: If you want to make toffee color, add a few drops of food coloring, just before adding the vanilla or other flavorings.

When the mixture is cool enough to handle, rub a small amount of soft butterbetween the palms, take a handful of taffy and pull until it is stiff and lightweight. Pull or roll into ropes and cut into pieces with scissors.

To store the candy, let it sit for an hour or so and then wrap the individual pieces in plastic wrap or wax paper.

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