Orange Taffy Food

TAFFY

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, place all the ingredients except extracts, and gently stir them to combine. Place a candy thermometer on the side of the pan and bring to a boil, stirring only to prevent burning. Cook to hardball stage (265 to 270 degrees), remove from the heat, stir in the extracts, and pour onto a silpat-lined sheet pan or buttered sheet pan. Let it cool enough to handle then start rolling it into a log and stretching or pulling the taffy to work air in and make it white and opaque. Keep pulling and twisting until it hardens. Form long ropes of taffy, then cut them into pieces.
• Some tips when making taffy: Oil the top 1-inch of the saucepan's wall to keep the sugar from boiling over. Always use a pan bigger than you think you need to prevent boiling over. Always use a burner as big or bigger than your pan's bottom. Never scrape the bottom of the pan at the end, just pour out the syrup. Wash down the sides of the pan with a clean wet pastry brush to avoid crystallization.

TRICOLOR TAFFY

Steps:

• In a 4-quart saucepan, combine sugar, water, corn syrup, and salt. Swirl the pot over the burner to dissolve the sugar completely, do not stir. Increase the heat and boil to soft-ball stage (250 degrees). Use a candy thermometer for accuracy. Wash down the inside wall of the pot with a wet pastry brush if necessary. Remove from heat, stir in the butter and vanilla.
• Coat 3 sheet pans with nonstick spray. Pour the mixture onto the sheet pans, dividing in 3 equal portions. Mix the peppermint extract and a couple of drops of green food coloring in 1 batch. Mix the orange extract and a couple of drops of yellow food coloring in another batch. Leave the plain vanilla batch as is. As the candy cools, lift the edges toward the center with a metal spatula or bench scraper so they don't harden. When just cool enough to handle, butter your hands and pull the taffy into long ropes. Twist and pull until the taffy is stiff and the color is even. Cut the ropes into 1-inch pieces with clean, buttered kitchen scissors. Wrap each piece in waxed paper and store in an airtight container.

ORANGE TAFFY

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan, combine first four ingredients. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a rapid boil and cook until a candy thermometer reads 245° (firm-ball stage). Add cream and butter; heat and stir until mixture reaches 245° again. Pour into a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. pan; cool. When cool enough to handle, roll into 1/2-in. logs or 1-in. balls. Wrap individually in foil or waxed paper; twist ends.

ANY FLAVOR KOOL-AID TAFFY

Steps:

• Butter two large cookie sheets, then set them aside.
• In a 2 qt.
• saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch.
• Add corn syrup, water, butter, and salt.
• Mix well before heating.
• Bring mixture to boil on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 250 degrees Fahrenheit on candy thermometer (hard ball stage).
• Remove from heat, and immediately stir in the Kool-Aid powder.
• Quickly pour onto prepared cookie sheets.
• Let stand a few minutes, until cool enough to handle with your hands.
• Grab a few helpers to pull the taffy with buttered hands until the taffy lightens its color and becomes firmer.
• Roll taffy into bite-sized pieces.
• Wrap individually in squares of wax paper.