Best Molasses Taffy Recipes

OLD FASHIONED MOLASSES TAFFY

Steps:

• Lightly grease a baking sheet. Bring the sugar, molasses, water, and vinegar to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir until the sugar has reached the hard ball stage, 250 to 265 degrees F (121 to 129 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a rigid ball.
• Remove from the heat, and stir in the butter and baking soda. Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, and allow to cool until cool enough to handle, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Once cool enough to handle, fold the taffy in half, then pull to double its original length. Continue folding and pulling until the taffy has turned golden brown, and is too stiff to pull anymore. Cut the taffy into bite sized pieces, and wrap in waxed paper. Store in an airtight container.

PULLED MOLASSES TAFFY

Steps:

• Butter a 15x10x1-in. pan with 3 teaspoons butter; set aside. In a heavy saucepan, combine the water, brown sugar, vinegar and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir until a candy thermometer reads 245° (firm-ball stage), stirring occasionally. Add molasses and remaining butter. Cook, uncovered until a candy thermometer reads 260° (hard-ball stage), stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat; pour into prepared pan. Cool for 5 minutes or until cool enough to handle., With buttered fingers, quickly pull half of the candy until firm but pliable. Pull and shape into a 1/2-in. rope. Cut into 1-1/4-in. pieces. Repeat with remaining taffy. Wrap pieces individually in foil or waxed paper; twist ends. Store in airtight containers in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.

POP'S MOLASSES POPCORN BALLS AND TAFFY

Steps:

• Place popcorn in a large bowl, with room for mixing. Fill another bowl with ice water. Butter several plates, one per each person who will be pulling taffy.
• Combine sugar, corn syrup, molasses, water, butter, and salt in a large 6-quart saucepan over medium heat; attach a candy thermometer. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Tip the pan slightly to melt the sugar crystals on the sides, scraping down with a wooden spoon. Heat until the mixture registers 300 to 310 degrees F (149 to 155 degrees C) on the thermometer or until a small amount of syrup drizzled into cold water turns hard, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Pour about 1 cup syrup onto each buttered plate. Let cool until safe to handle like a hot potato, 3 to 5 minutes. Pull syrup between your hands until a light golden brown color is achieved; the longer you pull it, the lighter it becomes. Twist into a long rope about 3/4-inch thick and place on back on a buttered plate to let taffy harden and cool. Break the hardened taffy apart.
• Pour the remaining hot syrup carefully over popcorn, while someone else quickly stirs the batch. Butter your hands and dip them in the ice water; working quickly to avoid burns and before taffy hardens, grab some of the popcorn mixture and form into a 3-inch ball. Repeat with the remaining popcorn.

OLD-FASHIONED MOLASSES TAFFY

Steps:

• 1. Mix together all ingredients except baking soda. Stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil, without stirring further. When mixture reaches the hard ball stage (265 degrees - when a small piece dropped into cold water forms a hard ball). Remove from heat, stir in soda and pour into buttered baking pan.
• 2. Butter hands and keep hands buttered throughout the pulling process. When taffy is cool enough to handle (but not too cool!)Careful now since even though it is cooled enough to handle it can still bring up blisters, cut in long pieces and pull and fold with a partner until candy becomes satiny, stiff and light in color (about 10 to 15 minutes). Finished strips should be pulled to about 1/2 inch wide. Cut in lengths of 1 12 inches and wrap individual pieces in waxed paper.

MOLASSES TAFFY

Steps:

• Place the molasses in a heavy aluminum saucepan or unlined copper saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Boil until the molasses reaches the hard-ball stage on a candy thermometer (250 to 266 degrees.) Remove it from the stove and add the butter and vanilla, stirring to mix them in. Pour the candy out onto a well greased piece of confectioner's marble or a well-greased heavy platter or baking sheet and allow it to stand until the candy begins to get hard around the edges. Moisten your hands with ice water. Take a 1/2 cup size ball of taffy into both hands and pull it back and forth until the taffy changes color and becomes golden. When the taffy begins to harden, twist it or braid it into sticks, tie it into knots, or shape it as desired.

MOLASSES TAFFY

Steps:

• Butter a 15x10x1-in. pan with 3 tablespoons butter; set aside. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, bring the molasses, sugar and water to a boil. cook and stir until a candy thermometer reads 245° (firm-ball stage), stirring occasionally., Add the vanilla, baking soda and remaining butter. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Uncover and cook until the thermometer reads 260° (hard-ball stage), stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat; pour into prepared pan. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes or until cool enough to handle., With buttered fingers, quickly pull half of the taffy until firm but pliable. Pull and shape into a 1/2-in. rope; cut into 1-1/4-in. pieces. Repeat with remaining taffy. Wrap each piece in foil, colored candy wrappers or waxed paper.

MOLASSES CANDY (OLE' FASHIONED PULL TAFFY)

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan, over medium heat, cook all ingredients stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved.
• Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, to the hard ball stage, about 260°F on candy thermometer (or a small amount of mixture dropped into cold water forms a hard ball).
• Pour mixture into a buttered shallow pan and allow to cool.
• When cool enough to handle, rub butter on hands and pull the candy (small portions at a time) until light golden in color and candy has a satin-like finish.
• Pull into long strips 3/4 inch in diameter and cut into 1 inch pieces with a scissors.
• When completely cooled, wrap each piece in waxed paper, twist waxed paper closed at each end.

OLD FASHIONED MOLASSES TAFFY

Steps:

• Cook sugars, molasses and water together until brittle over low heat, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Remove from heat, add butter, soda and salt, stirring just enough to mix. Pour into large greased pan and allow to stand until cool enough to handle. Butter fingers and pull until firm and light yellow. Stretch into a rope, twist and cut into 1" lengths.

POP'S MOLASSES POPCORN BALLS & TAFFY

Steps:

• 1. We always double this recipe so we have enough to make taffy and popcorn balls. My pop always made 2 double batches. In a large 4 quart saucepan with handle, mix all ingredients together. Over med heat, bring to boil, stirring frequently. Tip the pan slightly to melt the sugar crystals on the sides, scraping down with a wooden spoon. Continue to boil to the hard crack stage (300-310 degrees on a candy thermemeter) or until it threads and turns hard when drizzled into a cup of cold water (the method my Pop used). Have a huge bowl ready with the popcorn in it with plenty of room to stir hot syrup into the popcorn. Also have butter and a bowl of cold water handy. If you are making taffy, also butter a few plates, depending on how many people are pulling taffy. Pour syrup over popcorn while someone quickly stirs the batch. Be careful to keep hands out of the way of the syrup as it causes bad burns. Everyone making the popcorn balls should butter their hands and dip them in the cold water. Quickly grab up some of the mixture and form into a ball about 2-3" around. Work quickly as it hardens fast and will burn your hands if you don't. A few years ago, I found popcorn ball molds on the internet. These are great, especially for the kids.
• 2. To make taffy: pour about 1 cup of syrup on each greased plate. Let cool awhile so u can start handling it. Be careful as it is very hot. As soon as you can handle it like a hot potato, start pulling it between your hands, until a light golden brown is achieved. The longer you pull it the lighter it becomes. Twist into a long rope about 3/4 inch thick. Put on buttered plate to harden and cool. Break apart and store in airtight container or wrap individually in candy wrappers. Taffy will stick together if you don't keep it sererated. Have fun and I hope this recipe becomes a family tradition for you as well.

OLD FASHIONED MOLASSES TAFFY- MOM'S RECIPE

Steps:

• 1. Combine all ingredients in a heavy 3 quart saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil and then boil gently (stirring all the time) untill candy thermometer registers 266 degrees or to hard boil stage. Pour candy onto a buttered oven proof platter or cookie sheet. Then wait until candy is cool enough to handle. Butter your hands and pull candy back and forth into long ropes, twisting and pulling, until candy changes to a light color and it is too hard to pull any more. Stretch and twist out into ropes about 1/2 inch in thickness, cut with scissors into 1-inch pieces. Wrap in waxed paper. If candy is pulled long enough the taffy will be chewy, and will be taffy, if not you will get molasses hard candies. :)

OLD-VICTORIAN MOLASSES TAFFY

Steps:

• 1. Butter the sides of a heavy 3-qt saucepan..In the pan combine sugar, molasses, water, butter, and corn syrup...Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly so as not to scorch the ingredients...till sugar is dissolved...
• 2. Continue cooking and stirring over medium heat, to 265* (candy thermometer)Hard Ball Stage in a cold glass of water...with out stirring now, mixture should boil gently over entire surface(not rolling boil)Pour onto buttered platter or shallow baking pan (cookie sheet)...
• 3. Cool 15 to 20 minutes or till easy to handle...(this where the kids come in) Butter your hands lightly and pull candy till light in color and difficult to pull...
• 4. On a counter top rub and twist candy into ropes, 1/2 inch in diameter... With buttered scissors, cut candy into bite size pieces...Wrap each piece in wax paper and twist or you can use clear plastic wrap...
• 5. Makes 1 1/2 pounds of candy....You may add flavors to it or food coloring to it before cooking....

FROM QUEBEC - PULLED MOLASSES TAFFY

Steps:

• 1. Butter a jelly roll pan thoroughly.
• 2. In a large pan add brown sugar, molasses, butter, vinegar and 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is melted.
• 3. Continue boiling, without stirring, until a drop in cold water separates into threads (260 F on a candy thermometer).
• 4. Stir in the baking soda.
• 5. Pour the mixture into the buttered pan. With a metal spatula, fold over from edges until cool enough to handle.
• 6. Butter your hands and quickly pull and fold the taffy back on itself.
• 7. Do this until the color starts to lighten, then twist, continuing to pull as long as possible.
• 8. Twist into lengths and cut into pieces. (If the taffy becomes too hard to pull, warm in the oven for a few minutes).
• 9. Wrap the individual candy pieces in wax paper.

OLD-FASHIONED MOLASSES TAFFY

Steps:

• Cook molasses, sugar, cream, and salt in a heavy pan to hardball stage 265°F. Add butter and baking soda stir. Pour into buttered platters. Begin to work as candy cools around edges-pull toward the middle. When cool enough to handle, pull into long strands. TIPS: Use a large, heavy pan to cook in use a cooking thermometer and do not double the recipe.

CHOCOLATE MOLASSES TAFFY

Steps:

• Line an 8-in. square pan with foil. Grease the foil with 1 teaspoon butter; set aside. , In a large heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, water, molasses and remaining butter. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook without stirring until a candy thermometer reads 260° (hard-ball stage)., Remove from the heat; stir in chocolate and vanilla. Pour into prepared pan. Cool slightly. Score the surface into small squares. Cool completely and cut along scored lines. Wrap candy in waxed paper. Store in an airtight container.