I remember as a small girl growing up we’d go to our Aunt Wanda’s on Saturday evenings. It seems back then that families did a lot more together as larger groups than we do now. Maybe not as many other activities to do then.
The women would gather in the kitchen and Aunt Wanda would start making her batch of taffy. I never was smart enough to get her recipe (and now I’m sorry), but the memories I have from this! Watching her as she would stand at the stove, mixing all the ingredients then stirring them slowing together until they formed just the right ball.
She would then dump it out on the counter top and give us the butter for our hands and then the fun began. We would get to pull on the taffy until we were laughing so hard and so tired, but the end result was the sweetest of taffies I ever had. We lost her a few years ago to Alzheimers and I really regret not sitting down with her and getting the recipe to share with my kids and grandkids before it was too late.
We move too fast in this world now and I would love to take my family back to some of those old days I remember as a child!
Editor’s Note: If you’ve got a taffy recipe that might rival Aunt Wanda’s, please post it! Please do not post recipes in the comments–go to the recipe submission page. Thank you!
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brookdale says:
I found an old recipe made with molasses, called Molasses Taffy.
It was in a recipe book called “Nos Histoires de l”Ile, livre de cuisine, A Collection of Recipes from French Island in Old Town, Maine”.
Will post it in FB for you. I think my grandmother used to make this, too. Hope it’s like the one you remember!
On October 12, 2012 at 1:40 pm
gmaphiphi says:
Thank you so much Christie, I will be sure and try this with my grandkids. I love to make candy when it starts getting this time of year and the way it makes the house smell. Phyllis on Taff Recipes Anyone?
On October 12, 2012 at 2:08 pm
Suzanne McMinn says:
brookdale’s recipe is on FBR now! (Sorry for being slow on that!) You can find it here:
http://farmbellrecipes.com/molasses-taffy-from-french-island-maine/
On October 12, 2012 at 4:04 pm
brookdale says:
gmaphiphi, sorry, I’m not Christie, but you’re welcome anyway. Let us know how the taffy turns out!
On October 12, 2012 at 6:27 pm
DancesInGarden says:
I just submitted a recipe I found in a book I bought today at a used book store. It had fallen open right to the page with a recipe for Vanilla Pull Taffy! It’s the reason I bought the book LOL. I’ve never made pull taffy, but the recipe looks simple enough that I might try it.
On October 12, 2012 at 8:16 pm
Suzanne McMinn says:
Here’s the one from DancesinGardens:
http://farmbellrecipes.com/vanilla-pull-taffy/
On October 13, 2012 at 5:55 am
annalba says:
I remember as a girl in the UK Bonfire night was when my Mother would make Black treacle toffee It was the best.
Sad to say I dont have HER recipe but I did find one on about .com which is the same I think.
Ingredients:
1lb/450g dark brown sugar
¼ pint/120ml water
¼ level tsp cream of tartar
½ cup/115g black treacle/molasses
½ cup/115g Golden Syrup.corn syrup ( I know this came in a green can Lyle’s Golden syrup I think I have seen this in Walmart.
http://britishfood.about.com/od/festivecooking/r/parkin.htm
method at the above link.,
I am going to make some this year for Christmas gifts.
On October 13, 2012 at 12:26 pm
Joy says:
Ah, dueling taffy recipes! I think pulling taffy would be a great retreat event and folks could taste-test the results to see which recipe they like best.
A lot of old-fashioned candy isn’t being made any more cause people don’t have a candy thermometer and don’t feel comfortable judging “soft boil”, etc. Divinity was a family event only to be made on a “dry day”–with chopped cherries or pecans or walnuts or plain depending on whose favorite was being made.
On October 15, 2012 at 10:33 am
gmaphiphi says:
I’m so excited & thankful for all these recipes for he Taffy. I am hoping before the holidays to get my grandchildren over to the house and have some fun. I want to make memories with them to carry on through lifetime like I have. Time is to short-Family-Food-and good times. Thank you all and will let you know how they turn out.
On October 15, 2012 at 10:38 am
peggylrobison says:
I, too, remember Mom making taffy and letting me and my sister pull it. She didn’t make it often and of all the recipe books she wrote out for us and family members, she didn’t put that one in. I am sorry also that we didn’t get her recipe.
On October 15, 2012 at 4:23 pm
gmaphiphi says:
This has been so much fun to see how many have had memories such as mine with your families. Let’s keep these going with ours now and give them something to remember. Thank you so much to all that have shared a recipe with me, I look forward to trying them and I will be sure to share the stories with you.
On October 17, 2012 at 2:21 pm