Christmas Candies Day #1

Wanted to get these recipes on for this Christmas season and not let another go by without them.
Merry Christmas and enjoy!

As I was getting ready to type up this recipe, I noticed that it was missing some words, as this was in two pieces. (You will noticed that I taped it up.) Well, I decided maybe, just maybe the little tiny strip of words might still be in the recipe box. Low and behold it was! So I was able to get it taped back in place and type out the recipe. I did google search this recipe and didn't find it anywhere, so I am very glad that we aren't missing any of the words. Hooray! I do remember my mom making and loving any kind of divinity. Adding a wintergreen flavor every so often was delicious! She mostly made the recipes from Granny or the C&H company. Recipes below this one. Hope you enjoy all three.


Wintergreen Divinity
3 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon wintergreen extract
1/4 cup egg whites (2 average-size eggs)
Combine sugar, syrup and water. Cook over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat, bring to boil. Cover; boil without stirring for 3 minutes. Uncover; put in candy thermometer (if one is used), and continue cooking to265 degrees F, or until a small amount dropped in cold water forms a very firm ball. Remove from heat. Add salt and extract to egg whites and beat until stiff but not dry. Slowly beat in hot syrup, then continue beating until mixture almost holds its shape but is still glossy. (Mom also added a drop of green food coloring to tell this apart from the vanilla flavor divinity.) Turn into an 8-inch square pan lined with waxed paper. Cool, then cut into squares with a warm knife.


This is a recipe that my mom copied from Granny's house. Granny and mom were exceptional good cooks!

Divinity
3 cups sugar
1/2 cup Karo syrup (clear kind)
1/2 cup water
2 egg whites - beaten
vanilla
Cook syrup until softball stage - Beat in half into egg whites on mixer - Cook rest to hard boil stage and add to egg white mixture.
Add add nuts.
*Notes: the egg whites should be beaten stiff. On the vanilla, it is 1 teaspoon. I would suggest 1 cup chopped nuts, mom liked pecans best.




C&H Divinity
2 cups C and H Granulated Sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon C and H Powdered Sugar
In saucepan mix first 4 indgredients. Slowly bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cook to 260 degrees (hard-ball stage). Meanwhile, beat egg whites until stiff. Gradually pour hot syrup into whites, beating constantly. Beat until candy begins to hold its shape. Beat in vanilla and powdered sugar. (This amount of powdered sugar makes a real impovement in texture.) Drop from teaspoon onto waxed paper or pour into buttered pan. Let stand several hours until firm. Store in airtight container. Makes about 50 pieces.

Peanut Butter Divinity

I can remember my mom making this the first year it came out in 1976. You see my grandmother (granny) made the best peanut butter fudge and we just couldn't make it like she could. So I came up with my recipe from Kraft marshmallow creme, substituting with peanut butter chips and added extra peanut butter. My mom found this recipe and it worked for her. She did use 'creamy' peanut butter instead of the 'chunky' kind.

I do wonder if Mrs. Paul's still sells the frozen eggplant sticks or dinners?

2 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup water

2 egg whites

1/2 cup chunky peanut butter

In 2-quart saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and water. Bring to boiling. Cook to hard ball stage (260˚), stirring only till sugar dissolves. In large mixer bowl, beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Gradually pour syrup over egg whites beating at high speed on electric mixer. Add peanut butter and beat till candy holds its shape, about 3 to 4 minutes. (Test candy by spooning a small amount onto waxed paper; mixture should "mound" rather than flatten out.) Quickly drop from a teaspoon onto waxed paper. Makes about 3 1/2 dozen.

Here is my grandmother's (Leona Mahakian) recipe. Towards the bottom of the paper you will see the recipe for her peanut butter fudge, I could never get the right amount for the canned milk. All three of the peanut butter recipes tasted great! (my granny's, my mother's and mine.) I put my peanut butter fudge recipe on my other blog:http://domesticatedengineer.blogspot.com/2009/11/peanut-butter-fudge.html, hope you find one you like!