Salt Water Taffy

His is something that you really need to be in the mood for making. It is an upper-arm workout, but it is a lot of fun once you get the hang of it. The flavor options are endless and I give you a few suggestions in the tip below. 

Tips:

Butter up - it's important to grease your hands when your are pulling the taffy because it is extremely sticky!
Flavor later - many taffy recipes direct you to add the flavor in after you remove the mixture from heat; if this is done, the flavor cooks out of the candy! So I direct you to knead the color and flavor into the taffy while pulling the taffy.
What's your flavor? - I tried a variety of different ways to flavor this and here are my findings:

Regular or imitation extracts - these can work, but you will need to use more. I used about 1 teaspoon of imitation extract and got a faint flavor. 
Concentrated or candy flavorings - you can find these at craft stores or in the cake decorating section of other stores. They are in tiny little bottle and come in a variety of flavors. I used about 1/4 teaspoon because this stuff is potent.
Drink mixes - I tried using Kool-aid and it was successful as well. It was actually a little lighter in texture; probably due to the citric acid in the Kool-aid mix. I used about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the mix (about half an envelope).
Concentrated drink liquid - I had some flavors of MIO and Crystal Light Liquid in the cupboard and gave this a shot. NOT BAD! I used about 4 squirts of the flavoring.

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

Cook Temperature: 260 degrees

Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Servings: 45-50 pieces

1 cup granulated sugar

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/3 cup warm water

1 Tablespoon butter

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2-3 drops food coloring (optional)

1/4 - 1 teaspoon flavoring (see above tips)

Directions:

1)  In a medium saucepan, mix together sugar and cornstarch in the saucepan. Gradually mix in the corn syrup and water until the ingredients are combined.

2) Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir with a silicone spatula until the sugar dissolves.  Continue stirring until the mixture begins to boil, then add the Tablespoon of butter and stir until melted. 

3) Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan and let the mixture cook undisturbed, until it reaches about 260 degrees or the hard ball stage (about 15 minutes). 

4) While the mixture is cooking, grease a large pan with butter and set aside. You can also cut 3x3 inch pieces of waxed paper during this time to wrap the candies after.

5) When the mixture is up to temperature, remove the pan from heat and dip your spatula in warm water then scrape down the sides of the pan. 

6) Stir in the baking soda until the mixture begins to foam slightly. 
            **If you are using Kool-aid and want a light texture, add in half of the Kool-aid now.**

7) Pour the candy mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and let it cool until it is able to be handled or maintains an indent when poked with your finger.

8) When the candy is cool enough, make an indent in the mixture where you can pour on the color and flavoring. Grease your hands with oil or butter and fold the edges of the candy over to enclose the indentation.  

9) Pull the taffy until it's light in color and has a satiny gloss (10-15 minutes). 

10)  Roll the pulled taffy into a long rope, about 1/2 inch in diameter. Cut the rope with greased scissors or a butter knife into 1-inch-long pieces. Wrap the candies in wax paper or plastic wrap and twisting the ends of the wrapper.