Pulled Taffy Recipe

Make a small mess and big memories when you pull saltwater taffy with your kids.

I remember my Aunt Becky always had the best activities to keep us busy in the summer. My cousins and I would have a blast racing go carts, playing mini golf, catching fire flies, and making unusual cookies and candies.

Oh sure, chocolate chip cookies were still pretty high on our list but every once in a while Aunt Becky would bust out something fun and messy like homemade lollipops or pulled saltwater taffy.

As a parent, I kind of cringe when I think of the potential mess taffy creates. But I will never forget the fun we had while pulling taffy from one end of her kitchen to another. And so I can’t wait to make taffy with my little guy once he’s old enough. In the meantime, here’s a pulled taffy recipe that you can try with your kids while you create a memory to last a lifetime.

What you need:

• Medium saucepan (3 or 4 quarts)
• Wooden spoon with a long handle
• Pastry brush
• Candy thermometer with a metal clamp
• Wax paper
• Kitchen scissors

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup water
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• flavoring extracts (vanilla, strawberry, lemon, etc.)
• food coloring
• flour

Cover your table with wax paper to minimize the mess. Mix the water, sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a medium saucepan. Place over low heat until sugar has dissolved, stirring continuously. Increase the heat and do not stir during the rest of the cooking. Wash the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in warm water, using an upward motion. This will prevent the formation of crystals which might cause the candy to sugar. After the syrup boils put in the candy thermometer. Remove the candy from heat once it reaches 265 degrees. Add 2 tablespoons butter and stir very gently. Divide the taffy into three parts; you’ll add different flavors and coloring to each one during the pulling process.

Have the kids wash their hands well and then grease their hands up with the remaining butter. Once the taffy has cooled enough to handle, have the kids pick the edges of the taffy up with their fingertips and then pull it out about 12 inches. Then they will fold the candy back from one end to the other, catching the center and then pulling again.

After a few pulls, add a few drops of food coloring and flavor extract and then continue the pulling process. You’ll be pulling the taffy for about 10 minutes or until it has a satiny gloss.

Once the taffy is hard to pull and it holds its shape, it’s time to cut it into pieces. Roll the taffy into a 1/2 inch diameter rope on the wax paper. Rub a pair of kitchen scissors with the unsalted butter and then cut the taffy into bite-size pieces. Let the taffy sit for about 30 minutes. The kids can wrap it up in candy wrappers or pieces of wax paper.

Enjoy!

Tara
KidZui Mom