Pull Toffee Recipes

Grandma's Easy Pull Toffee Recipes Make Candy Perfect For Pulling

You will have fun trying these old toffee recipes. From the end of the Great War and throughout the Great Depression, having a "taffy pull" was a common and affordable form of Saturday night entertainment in many homes.

And can anyone ever forget the distinctive "swoosh" and "slap" sounds made when an experienced taffy puller at the county fair stretched and looped a five-foot length of sticky taffy over a large iron hook fastened to the corner of his concession stand?

After watching the taffy being made, you couldn't resist buying a piece. I know I couldn't. It was so good. Now, you can make your own pull toffee with these easy toffee recipes.

Experience An Old-Time Toffee Pull

Two cups granulated sugar, one-half cup water, two tablespoonfuls vinegar, one tablespoonful butter, one teaspoonful vanilla, one-half teaspoonful cream of tartar. Cook all ingredients except cream of tartar until a few drops will crack in cold water. Then add cream of tartar and pour on greased slab. Start to pull when cool enough to handle. Keep hands cool by washing frequently in cold water.

Aunt Top's Nut Toffee

This toffee recipe calls for hickory nuts, but it is also delicious when made with peanuts, cashews, walnuts, or almonds.

Two pints maple sugar, half pint water, or just enough to dissolve sugar; boil until it becomes brittle by dropping in cold water; just before pouring out add a tablespoon vinegar; having prepared the hickory nut meats, in halves if possible, butter well the pans, line with the meats, and pour the taffy over them.

Molasses Candy

Take equal quantities brown sugar and Orleans molasses (or all molasses may be used), and one tablespoon sharp vinegar, and when it begins to boil, skim well and strain, return to the kettle and continue boiling until it becomes brittle if dipped in cold water, then pour on a greased platter.

As soon as cool enough, begin to throw up the edges and work, by pulling on hook or by hand, until bright and glistening like gold; flour the hands occasionally, draw into stick size, rolling them to keep round, until all is pulled out and cold. Then with shears clip a little upon them at proper lengths for the sticks, and they will easily snap; flavor as you pour the candy out to cool. --Sterling Robinson

1 cup molasses, 3 cups sugar, 1 cup boiling water, 3 tablespoons vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar, 1/2 cup melted butter, 1/4 teaspoon soda. Put first four ingredients in kettle placed over front of range. As soon as boiling-point is reached, add cream of tartar. Boil until, when tried in cold water, mixture will become brittle. Stir constantly during last part of cooking. When nearly done, add butter and soda.

Pour into a buttered pan and pull same as Molasses Candy. While pulling, add one teaspoon vanilla, one-half teaspoon lemon extract, few drops oil of peppermint, or few drops oil of wintergreen.

1 quart good molasses, 1 cup vinegar, 1 cup sugar, butter the size of an egg, 1 teaspoonful saleratus [baking soda]. Dissolve the sugar in the vinegar, mix with the molasses, and boil, stirring frequently, until it hardens when dropped from the spoon into cold water; then stir in the butter and soda, the latter dissolved in hot water. Flavor to your taste, give one hard final stir, and pour into buttered dishes.

As it cools, cut into squares for taffy, or, while soft enough to handle, pull white into sticks, using only the buttered tips of your fingers for that purpose.