Cherry Cheesecake Saltwater Taffy

More Northwest beach themed eats! Today's treat: Salt Water Taffy.

No seaside tourist trap is complete without a old fashioned candy store selling salt water taffy. Living next to the Puget Sound, naturally I have my own little store from which I can buy taffy but it is much more fun to make it at home.

Well, fun and a bit of a workout. However, I feel that all the exertion required to make taffy allows you to eat as much of as you want without netting any calories. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a killjoy, or a doctor... or a nutritionist (all killjoys!).

I flavored this batch with cherry and cheesecake because I wanted a dreamy pink colored taffy. However, you're welcome to use the recipe as a base for any color/flavor you can dream up. Again, I'm using candy flavoring oils for this recipe, you can also use regular extracts, you will just need to use more as they are not as concentrated as the candy oils.



Not So Humble Cherry Cheesecake Saltwater Taffy
yields roughly 1 1/2 pounds
adapted from lorannoils.com
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cherry LorAnn flavoring oil
1/2 teaspoon cheesecake LorAnn flavoring oil
1-2 drops Americolor Maroon gel

Prepare a shallow heat safe pan by lightly buttering it. If you plan on dividing the candy into multiple batches, prep 2-3 small pans. Have your flavorings and colorings nearby with buttered spatulas ready to stir.

Sift together the cornstarch and sugar and add to a medium nonstick sauce pan. Stir in the corn syrup, salt, butter and water. Place over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Once it comes to a boil, cover and cook for three minutes. Remove the lid and then clip on your candy thermometer and cook to 260°F.

Once the syrup hits 260°F, remove from heat and add your flavors/colors and mix well. Then pour into your prepared pan. If you're doing multiple batches, divide the syrup between the pans and add the flavorings and colors and then mix well.

Allow the candy to cool until until solid enough to handle and then butter your hands lightly and begin pulling!

You want to stretch out the taffy, bring the ends together to form a loop, stretch and repeat. Over and over. Do this for about 15-20 minutes until the taffy has a creamy, satiny appearance. All this work will incorporate air into the candy, making it soft and chewy. The more pulling the better it will be.





When the taffy has been thoroughly pulled, stretch it into a thick rope and cut it into 1 inch pieces with buttered scissors. Wrap these in cellophane or parchment paper.





Also Happy Birthday, Brother Humble. Stop by and pick up your card (and some food)! Also, sorry about the grainy photos today. We're having one of those dark overcast days in Seattle and the light I had to shoot by was just pitiful.