Divinity for Christmas

No-Nuts Divinity

No Southern candy has played a bigger role in my life than divinity. My grandmother Tom made it often, without a recipe in sight. She always added pecans, but I prefer it without nuts. I like to eat divinity without having to chew. I know now that divinity is not for the candy-making novice. You have to watch the clock, the thermometer, and the weather report. It will not set up if the humidity is too high, so wait for a dry, sunny day.

3 cups sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

2 egg whites, at room temperature

1/2 tsp. salt

11/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Wax paper

1. Combine first 2 ingredients and 3/4 cup water in a 2-qt. heavy saucepan. Bring

to a rolling boil over medium heat without stirring; cook, brushing down any

sugar crystals on sides of pan using a pastry brush dipped in hot water, until a

candy thermometer registers 254° (about 19 minutes). Remove from heat.

2. Place egg whites and salt in the bowl of a heavy-duty electric stand mixer,

and beat at high speed until stiff peaks form. With mixer running, slowly add

half of hot syrup in a thin, steady stream, beating constantly at high speed

(about 3 minutes).

3. Cook remaining half of syrup over medium heat until a candy thermometer

registers 270° (soft crack stage; about 4 minutes). Slowly pour hot syrup and

vanilla over egg white mixture in a thin, steady stream, beating constantly

at high speed until mixture holds its shape and begins to lose its gloss (5 to 7

minutes).

4. Working very quickly, drop mixture onto wax paper using 2 stainless-steel

spoons. Cool completely (about 10 minutes).

Makes: 11/2 lb. 

Hands-on Time: 50 min. Total Time: 1 hr., 5 min.

Photo by Jennifer Davick from Around the Southern Table by Rebecca Lang (Oxmoor House, 2012).

Copyright 2012 Rebecca Lang. All rights reserved. 

Please visit rebeccalangcooks.com for more information.