12.21.2010

Christmas Candy #3 - Burnt Molasses Candy

The third offering from A Couple in the Christmas Candy Kitchen comes from a booklet by Bear Wallow Books called Old-Fashioned Candy Recipes. They call it Molasses Skillet Taffy, but Burnt Molasses Candy might be a better name. This is not for everyone - the flavor is strong and distinct. If you like the taste of burnt sugar, you may like this, but in very small doses. The color makes it a good "coal for the naughty" gift.

Ingredients:
2 cups molasses
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon salted butter

Combine ingredients in a large cast iron skillet. Bring to a boil. Continue cooking (stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon) until mixture reaches 310 F on a candy thermometer. Pour mixture into a greased cake pan and refrigerate. When hardened, break into very small pieces.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for posting this; my great grandma used to make molasses candy...it's been about 20 years since I've had it and have never been able to find a recipe. All I find are for the chewy candy. I remember her pouring the mixture into a square pan to let it harden and then dumping it out on the counter and cracking it into pieces with a hammer (after wrapping it of course, to keep it clean)

Unknown said...

Thank you for this recipe! My grandmother used to make molasses candy, but I never knew how. I knew she used molasses and vinegar, but was not sure of other ingredients. She would boil it, pour it in a round cake pan, and put it on the back porch in the colder weather to harden. Then, she would crack it with the back handle of a heavy kitchen knife, and we got to eat it! I loved this candy so much!
This looks just like hers! I cannot wait to try it!
Thank you!
Trish E