Field Guide to Candy: How to Identify and Make Virtually Every Candy Imaginable (45 page)

5.
When the candy has cooled enough to handle but is still hot, pull it with your hands, stretching and gathering until it becomes opaque and satiny.

6.
Pull the candy into a long rope about ½ inch thick. Cut candy into bite-size pieces using the shears. Place pieces on a cool baking sheet to cool.

7.
When the pieces have fully cooled, wrap in cellophane.

Yield:

About 60 candies

Storage:

Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 2 months.

General Description:

This golden, chewy taffy captures the natural sweetness of
honey
. Its stiff, chewy texture comes from the taffy-making process: The candy is pulled over and over until it is dense and opaque. Then it is typically cut into small pieces and wrapped in wax paper to prevent sticking.

History:

In Valencia, Spain, Neolithic cave paintings show people gathering honey from a nest. The ancient Egyptians were one of the first civilizations to develop beekeeping, a practice that spread throughout Europe. Honey was valued for its medicinal properties, revered as an elixir of the gods, and prized as a sweetener. Before sugar became widely available in Asia and Europe, honey was the sweetener of choice in cooking and baking. Honey is still used as a natural alternative to white sugar.

Serving Suggestions:

Try different honeys to find your favorite. The flavor of honey lightens when heated, so stronger, more robust types may work better than delicate ones. You can arrange honey taffy pieces in a pretty box with
caramels
for a distinctive holiday gift.

Candy-Making Notes:

Pull the taffy mixture as much as possible; you may want to enlist helpers for some extra arm power. Wrap pieces of taffy in wax paper so they do not lose their shape.

Recipe:

1.
Spray a large baking sheet or marble slab with cooking spray. Lightly spray a pair of kitchen shears. Set aside wax papers for wrapping the taffy pieces.

2.
Combine sugar, honey, 1 cup water, butter, and salt in a saucepan and stir to combine.

3.
Cook over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved.

4.
Continue cooking to 265°F, hard ball stage, without stirring. Remove from heat.

5.
Add the vanilla extract and stir to combine.

6.
Turn out the mixture onto the baking sheet or marble slab, and let it cool to room temperature. Turn the mass over a few times so it cools evenly.