Hard Maple Taffy
- about 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- parchment paper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup Grade A pure maple syrup
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 6 tablespoons water
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon maple extract
- Oil a large marble slab or other heatproof work surface (see note, above), a bench knife (see note, above), a large knife (not serrated), and scissors.
- Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cut butter into bits.
- In a 3- or 4-quart saucepan cook maple syrup over low heat until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 10 minutes.
- Add sugar, corn syrup, water, salt, and baking soda and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until sugar is completely dissolved, about 10 minutes.
- Increase heat to moderate and cook mixture, without stirring, until a candy or digital thermometer registers 235F.
- Add cream, butter, and extract and boil, without stirring, until thermometer registers 255F., about 10 minutes.
- Remove pan from heat and immediately pour mixture onto oiled work surface.
- Cool mixture 2 minutes (do not touch mixture; it will be very hot).
- With oiled bench knife lift and fold edges of candy toward center to form a 4- by 2-inch loaf.
- With bench knife continuously flip loaf over until barely cool enough to handle.
- With oiled hands pick up taffy.
- Working over work surface, pull ends of taffy loaf away from each other and bring hands together to fold in half.
- (Use caution because taffy will be cooler on surface than in center; it will cool and harden rapidly as it is pulled.)
- Release one hand and with it pick up folded end of taffy.
- Holding ends and working rhythmically, continue to pull and fold taffy (it will turn from a sticky mass to a golden, streaked ribbon) until it begins to feel firm and starts to harden.
- Put taffy down on work surface and pull into a 20-inch length.
- With oiled knife cut taffy into fourths.
- Pull and twist each fourth into an even 15-inch "rope," about 1/4 inch thick.
- With oiled scissors cut taffy ropes into 3/4-inch pieces and arrange in one layer, without touching, on baking sheets.
- Let taffy stand at room temperature until hard, about 1 hour.
- Individually wrap taffy pieces in wax paper or candy wrappers or layer between sheets of parchment paper in an airtight container.
- Taffy keeps at cool room temperature 2 weeks.
vegetable oil, parchment paper, unsalted butter, maple syrup, sugar, light corn syrup, water, salt, baking soda, heavy cream, maple
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/hard-maple-taffy-15790 (may not work)