Grandmother's Molasses Taffy
Submitted by kyp0197
Old-fashioned molasses taffy pulled by hand until golden and chewy. A French Canadian candy tradition with molasses, brown sugar, and butter. Fun to make with the whole family.
YIELD
48 piecesPREP
60 minCOOK
20 minREADY
1 hrsThis is hands-on candy making at its most old-school. Molasses, granulated sugar, and brown sugar get boiled to hard ball stage, poured onto a buttered slab, and then pulled by hand until the dark, sticky mass transforms into a lighter, glossy, chewy taffy.
The pulling is where the magic happens, and it’s also the workout. Stretching and folding the hot candy incorporates air, which changes the color from dark brown to a warm golden and shifts the texture from brittle to pull-apart chewy. It can take 5 to 15 minutes depending on how quickly you work.
The baking soda stirred in at the end creates tiny air bubbles that make the finished taffy lighter and less tooth-achingly dense. It also reacts with the acidic molasses, mellowing the bitterness into something rounder and more caramel-like.
Kitchen Tips
- A candy thermometer is not optional here. Hard ball stage (260°F / 125°C) is precise, and guessing leads to taffy that’s either too soft or rock-hard.
- Butter your hands generously before pulling. The taffy is sticky and hot, and bare, dry hands will burn and stick.
- Work quickly once the taffy is cool enough to handle. It stiffens as it cools, and waiting too long makes pulling impossible.
- Cut with buttered scissors for clean snips. A knife crushes the rope and gives you ragged pieces.
Variations
- Add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract with the butter for a warmer, more aromatic taffy.
- Stir in a pinch of ground ginger or cinnamon for a spiced holiday version.
- Wrap finished pieces in waxed paper and store in a tin for gifting.
Ingredients
Directions
In a medium, heavy saucepan, combine molasses, granulated and brown sugars and water.
Heat to boiling and stir to dissolve sugars.
Let mixture boil, without stirring, until syrup reaches the hard ball stage (260F/125C) on a candy thermometer.
Remove from heat, stir in butter, baking soda, and salt.
Immediately pour onto a buttered marble slab or baking sheet.
When cool enough to handle, butter hands and gather taffy into a ball.
Pull taffy between hands and continually stretch and fold again until taffy turns lighter in colour (this can take from 5 to 15 minutes.
Stretch and twist taffy into a rope about 1 inch thick and cut into pieces using buttered scissors.
Wrap each piece in waxed paper.
Comments
i want to know what it is though??