Divinity Candy

Ingredients:

· 4 cups granulated sugar

· 1 cup light (not dark) corn syrup

· 1 cup water

· 1/4 tsp salt

· 3 egg whites (room temperature)

· 1 cup walnuts, chopped

· 1 tsp vanilla

· food coloring

Preparation:

Combine sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt in heavy saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture starts to boil. Continue cooking until mixture forms soft ball when tested in cold water (or use a thermometer). In the mean time, beat egg whites until stiff. Then pour 1/2 cup of syrup over whites, beating fast all the time.

Continue to cook remaining syrup while beating egg whites, until syrup reaches the light crack stage when dropped in cold water (this will happen quickly). Pour remaining syrup over egg white mixture, beating all the while. Continue beating until candy begins to hold its shape. Stir in vanilla and nuts and food coloring. Drop by teaspoonful onto waxed paper.
Makes 50-60 pieces.

Tips:j
One of the key notes is this will not work if it is damp/humid weather.

Test the hardness of the syrup in a small bowl filled with water that has been chilled with ice cube. When you drizzle some of the syrup into the bowl it is ready when it stays "floating" in the air and does not sink to the bottom. then WORK REAL FAST. Test a spoonful on waxed paper, if it keeps its shape after just a second you can start to spoon. If you wait until it is too firm, the last 1/2 of the batch will be too difficult to spoon out.

You can pour this into a foil lined pan that has been Pam sprayed then cut into squares if you are not comfortable spooning it out.