How to Make Microwave Taffy

Home made Taffy

Taffy is a popular chewy candy sold all over and long a favorite of cooks that make homemade candy. From its early beginnings as a seashore treat to an everyday delicious treat, taffy has proven it's here to stay. As more people turn to microwave cooking, taffy has been reborn into a quick and easily prepared tasty version of the more time-consuming favorite. It takes just a few minutes before enjoying a piece of chewy mouthwatering microwave taffy.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Casserole dish (microwave safe)
• Jelly roll pan
• Food coloring
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp. salt
• Candy thermometer
• Kitchen shears
• Wax paper or plastic wrap
• Liquid flavorings (optional)

How to Make Microwave Taffy

1. Jellyroll pan

   Mix sugar, salt and corn syrup with 1 cup of hot water. Pour the mixture into a 3-quart microwave safe casserole dish. Butter the jelly roll pan lightly and set aside.

2. Place casserole dish in the microwave and run on high for 8 minutes until the mixture is boiling. Take hot mixture out and stir. After stirring the mixture, place the dish back into the microwave and again set the microwave on the high setting. Cook the mixture, checking the temperature every once in a while with a candy thermometer. The cooking taffy usually takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes. When the candy thermometer reaches 260 degrees F, take the cooked taffy out of the microwave and wait for any bubbling to stop.

3. Add vanilla, butter and the desired shade of food coloring. Stir everything together. Pour the colored taffy mixture into the prepared buttered jelly roll pan and allow it to cool for 5 minutes.

4. Starting the pulling

   Rub some butter on a pair of kitchen shears and your hands. Gather 1/6 of the taffy with buttered hands and roll into a ball. Pull the taffy back and forth until it holds shape in a 1/2-inch strand of candy. For example, if the taffy when pulled out straight and held with one hand droops and falls, keep pulling until it retains the form instead of drooping when held with one hand.

5. Wrapping Taffy

   Cut the shaped taffy into pieces with the buttered shears. Wrap each piece in wax paper or plastic wrap to keep it from drying out. Repeat process with remaining cooked taffy.

Tips & Warnings

• Add other liquid flavorings before cooking if desired. Add the number of drops required for the desired taste. It helps to have someone helping you pull the taffy so that the remaining cooked taffy remains pliable while pulling the first ball of candy. Each person can work on a portion of the taffy at the same time.

• Always use oven mitts or potholders when removing hot taffy and be sure it is cool enough before beginning to pull it. Make sure the casserole dish is tall enough so that it doesn't spill when being taken out of the microwave or boil over the dish when cooking.

Resources

• The History of Taffy
• Taffy Recipes
• Old-Fashioned Taffy Pull Party--How to Host Your Own