The Candy Cook Book/Chapter 7
CHAPTER VII
PULLED CANDIES
Candies that are to be pulled need to be boiled to 254° F. or up to 260° F. When removed from the fire they should be of the consistency required for the finished candy. A bit of paraffin keeps the candy from sticking to the teeth when being chewed, but it is not digestible, and its use in manufactured candies is forbidden in several States.
Molasses candies need to be stirred during the last part of the cooking to prevent burning.
A candy hook attached to the wall is convenient when much candy is to be pulled.
If, while being pulled, candy sticks to the hands, they may be rubbed with flour.
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups Porto Rico molasses
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
Melt butter in saucepan or iron kettle, add molasses and sugar, and stir until sugar is dissolved. Boil until mixture becomes brittle when tried in cold water, or to 256° F. During the last part of the cooking candy should be stirred constantly. Add vinegar just before taking from fire. Pour on buttered marble slab or agate tray, and when cool enough to handle, pull until porous and light colored, using tips of fingers and thumbs, not squeezing it in the hand. Cut in small pieces, using large scissors or a sharp knife. Wrap in wax paper.
- 1 cup molasses
- ½ cup sugar
- ¾ teaspoon soda
Put molasses and sugar in saucepan or iron kettle. Stir until dissolved, and boil without stirring over a moderate fire, brushing inside edge of saucepan with butter to prevent boiling over. Cook to 256° F., or until mixture spins fine threads when dripped slowly from tip of spoon. Put three tablespoons of candy into a buttered dish, and keep in a warm place for coloring. Add soda to remaining candy, stir, and turn into buttered pan or on to buttered slab. When cool enough to handle, pull as quickly and as long as possible. When very light, lay upon it the unpulled candy, and pull out together in one long strip. Cut in small pieces, and roll in confectioners' sugar. If candy is not to be eaten at once, wrap each piece in waxed paper.
- ⅓ cup butter
- ⅔ cup molasses
- 1⅓ cups sugar
- 1 cup water
Put butter in saucepan or iron kettle, and when melted add sugar, molasses, and water. Stir until sugar is dissolved, and let boil without stirring until mixture will form a very soft ball that will just keep in shape when tried in cold water. Turn on a buttered marble slab or agate tray, and as mixture cools around sides fold toward center. When cool enough to handle, pull until porous and light colored with tips of fingers and thumbs, not squeezing it in the hand. Cut in small pieces with large scissors or a sharp knife, and arrange on slightly buttered plates, or wrap in wax paper. A few drops oil of peppermint, clove, or cinnamon may be added during the stretching.
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup molasses
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup
- 3 tablespoons sugar
Put ingredients in saucepan or iron kettle, stir until butter melts and sugar dissolves, and boil until it forms a hard ball in cold water, or to 254° or 256° F. Pour gently on buttered marble slab or large tray. When cool enough to handle, pull until light colored. If using the hook, twist each time as it falls from the hook. Use flour on the hands if candy sticks. Roll, cut in pieces, and wrap in wax paper.
Follow directions for Molasses Kisses, cooking to 256° F. Pull as long a time as possible, then cut in bars, and wrap in wax paper.
- ½ cup molasses
- 1½ cups sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1½ tablespoons vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ⅛ teaspoon soda
Put molasses, sugar, water, and vinegar in saucepan or iron kettle, stir until it boils, and add cream of tartar. Boil until mixture becomes brittle when tried in cold water, or to 256° F. Stir constantly during last part of cooking. When nearly done, add butter and soda. Pour on buttered marble slab or agate tray, and when cool pull until light colored. While pulling, flavor with one teaspoon vanilla, or half a teaspoon of lemon extract, or a few drops oil of peppermint or wintergreen. Cut in pieces with scissors, and wrap in wax paper.
- 1 cup sugar
- ⅔ cup corn syrup
- 1½ tablespoons butter
- ⅓ cup water
Melt butter in saucepan, add sugar, corn syrup, and water, stir until sugar is dissolved, bring to boiling point, and boil without stirring to 260° F., or until it forms a hard ball when tried in cold water. Pour on a marble slab or white agate tray which has been slightly moistened by being wiped over with a piece of damp cheesecloth. Fold edges over into the center before they have time to get hard; by doing this the candy will be kept soft, but in doing it the candy must be disturbed as little as possible, as any tendency toward stirring it may cause it to sugar, and then it cannot be pulled. As soon as candy is cool enough to handle, knead it until firm, add flavor, then pull it over a hook until it is white. Cut with scissors into bars, and wrap in waxed paper.
- 1½ cups brown sugar
- ½ cup corn syrup
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup water
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ½ tablespoon glycerine
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla
Put brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, and water in saucepan or iron kettle, and boil, stirring occasionally, to 256° F., or until ic forms a hard ball when tried in cold water. Add salt and glycerine, pour on greased marble slab or agate tray, and when cool enough to handle, pull until light colored. Add vanilla while pulling. Pull out in round sticks the size of kisses, cut in small pieces with scissors, and wrap in waxed paper.
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ tablespoon cornstarch
- ⅔ cup corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Flavoring
Mix sugar and cornstarch, put m saucepan, add corn syrup, butter, and water. Stir until boiling point is reached, and boil to 256° F., or until it forms a firm ball when tried in cold water. Add salt, pour on greased slab or agate tray, and when cool enough to handle, pull until light colored. Divide in separate portions, and color and flavor each portion as desired, while it is being pulled. Lemon, orange, peppermint, lime, strawberry, or pineapple flavors may be used, and pink, green, yellow, or orange color paste.
To make red striped kisses have one portion of candy colored bright red and kept warm near the oven. Lay the large piece of pulled taffy on the slab; on the upper side lay two or three parallel strips of red taffy; turn the piece over and lay two or three red strips on that side. Pull out until one and one half inches wide and three fourths inch thick. Cut in pieces with scissors, and wrap in wax paper.
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups sugar
- ½ cup vinegar
Put butter in iron kettle or saucepan; when melted, add sugar and vinegar. Stir until sugar is dissolved, wash down crystals from sides of saucepan with butter brush dipped in cold water; boil to 256° F., or until mixture will become brittle when tried in cold water. Turn on buttered platter or marble slab. When cool, pull until very white, and cut in small pieces with scissors or a sharp knife.
- 2 cups sugar
- ⅔ cup boiling water
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- Few drops oil of peppermint
Put sugar, water, cream of tartar, and vinegar in a saucepan, and mix ingredients thoroughly. Bring to the boiling point, and boil without stirring to 265° F., or until mixture will become brittle when tried in cold water. Pour on an oiled marble slab, or large white agate tray, and leave undisturbed until cool enough to handle easily. Lift candy, avoiding any movement that is like a stirring motion, as stirring may cause candy to sugar, and pull, doubling candy over evenly and pulling out as long as possible, keeping the grain all one way. Add flavoring during the pulling. When candy is too stiff to pull longer, stretch out into a long rope, half an inch in diameter, and cut with scissors into small pieces. Put immediately into a bowl of powdered sugar, stir until well coated, and when dry put into a glass jar, cover, and let stand several days in a warm place, when candies should become tender and sugary.
Candy may be divided into several portions, and one portion colored pink and flavored with wintergreen; another portion may be colored green and flavored with almond and vanilla; another portion may be colored yellow and flavored with lemon or orange.
- 2 cups sugar
- ¼ cup corn syrup
- ½ cup water
Put sugar, corn syrup, and water in saucepan, stir until sugar is dissolved, bring to boiling point, and boil without stirring to 310° F., or until it begins to discolor on edge of saucepan. Pour out on oiled marble slab or platter, cut off a small portion, color red, and keep in a warm place. Pull remaining candy as soon as it can be handled, flavoring with a few drops of oil of peppermint. Pull out into a long strip, and flatten it. Pull the red piece out to the same length, and lay on top. Pull quickly, holding over the stove, or in front of oven, into thin strips, and twist so the strip will be spiral. Keep rolling and twisting until cold, then cut with scissors, or break in short lengths.