Source:Doubleday Cookbook by Jean Anderson & Elaine Hanna
Makes 50 servings.
Preparation time: 1 hour
Tips: Christmas tradition. Also try plain divinity.
Divinity
Melts in your mouth candy
Ingredients
Preparation
2 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts.
1. Place sugar, syrup and water in a large, heavy saucepan; insert candy thermometer.
2. Heat and stir over moderate heat until sugar dissolves; lower heat slightly and cook uncovered WITHOUT stirring to 260 F degrees.
3. Towards end of cooking, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. When syrup reaches 260 F degrees, add to egg whites in a very slow, fine stream, beating hard all the while. Continue adding, more quickly towards the end, until all syrup is in.
4. Add vanilla and beat until stiff peaks form and it starts to losing it's shine; fold in nuts. Candy hardens fast work next step quickly.
5. Drop from rounded teaspoons onto wax paper-lined baking sheets and cool thoroughly.
VARIATION.
1. Seafoam: prepare as directed but use firmly packed light brown sugar instead of granulated.
2. Confetti Divinity: prepare as directed but omit nuts; instead, stir in 1 cup minced mixed candied fruit.
3. Christmas divinity: Prepare as directed but reduce nuts to 3/4 cup; also stir in 3/4 cup minced mixed red and green candied cherries.
4. Pistachio divinity: prepare as directed but reduce vanilla to 1/2 teaspoon and add 1/4 teaspoon almond extract. Tint pale green if you like, beat until stiff, and fold in 1 1/2 cups minced pistachio nuts.
NOTES : Makes about 1 1/2 pounds
