| ||
| ||
|
Cooking Tips Information | |
|
|
Old-Fashioned Taffy Pull Party--How to Host Your Own
Want a unique party idea for your child's birthday-or even her next weekend sleepover with friends? Try hosting your own taffy pull. It can get pretty messy, but kids absolutely love it. Just follow these steps to minimize the mess . . . and maximize the fun! 1. Stock up on supplies. If you don't already own basic candymaking tools, stocking up is pretty easy. You'll need a medium-size saucepan (3 or 4 quarts) with a heavy bottom and straight sides. You'll also need a long-handled wooden spoon, a pastry brush (used to brush off any crystals that might form), and a good candy thermometer with a metal clamp that attaches to the side of your saucepan. Next, go shopping for taffy ingredients. For the recipe in this article, you'll need to pick up the following: sugar, corn syrup, salt, unsalted butter, flavoring extracts (vanilla, raspberry, and lemon), food coloring (red and yellow work nicely), flour, wax paper, and candy wrappers. 2. Prepare your kitchen. If you resign yourself to the fact that this party is going to get messy, you'll be in the right mindset to just relax and let the kids have fun. Still, there are a few simple steps you can take to minimize the mess. First, lay down several painter's cloths, taping the edges to protect every inch of your floor. Next, sprinkle a light layer of flour over the painter's cloths-this will help keep everyone's shoes from sticking to the cloths when the inevitable spills occur. Finally, tape down some wax paper over the table or countertop where you plan to start your taffy pull. 3. Make your favorite taffy recipe. The process of making taffy can be a little tricky for young ones. I suggest making the taffy yourself, and after the candy has cooled, call in the kids to start the pulling. Here's a classic recipe for saltwater taffy. Try it! 3/4 cup water Measure 2 cups sugar, l 1/4 cups corn syrup, 3/4 cup water, 1 teaspoon salt into a saucepan and blend well with a wooden spoon. Place over low heat until sugar has dissolved, stirring continuously. Increase the heat and do not stir during the rest of the cooking. Wash the sides of the pan with a brush or fork covered with muslin and dipped in water, using an upward motion. This will prevent the formation of crystals which might cause the candy to sugar. After the syrup boils put in the candy thermometer, and when the thermometer registers 265 degrees, remove candy from heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter and stir very gently. Divide the taffy into three parts; you'll add different flavors and coloring to each one during the pulling process. 4. Prepare the little ones. First, have everyone wash his or her hands with lots of soap and warm water. Then, let them grease their hands generously with a stick of unsalted butter to prevent the fresh taffy from sticking to fingers. Don't use vegetable oil or margarine for this step-the flavor when mixed with taffy isn't nearly as good as real butter. 5. Let the pulling begin! Once the taffy has cooled enough to handle, it's time to start pulling. Instruct your partygoers to use only their fingertips to lift the edges of the warm, flowing candy up, and then to pull out about 12 inches. Then, they'll quickly fold the taffy back from the one hand to the other, catching the center, and then pulling again. If you're adding food coloring and flavoring, pause briefly after a few pulls to add a drop or two to the mixture, folding the mixture over on the color and flavor. Try using raspberry flavor with red coloring, lemon flavor with yellow coloring, and vanilla flavor with no coloring. Continue to pull until the color and flavor are thoroughly mixed in. 6. Wrap it up. When your taffy is very hard to pull and holds its shape when laid out on a platter, it's ready to cut into pieces. Rub a pair of kitchen scissors with unsalted butter, and then cut the hardened taffy into bite-size pieces. Have the kids wrap the pieces in candy wrappers, twisting each end. (You can also use wax paper or colored plastic wrap.) Now you can fill small baggies with the taffy, and send each child home with their own homemade party favor! *********************************************************** http://www.CandyMakingSecrets.com/
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
10 Simple Kitchen Organizing Tips A lot of the times we mean to get in there and finally organize the kitchen, but once things get out of control the job can seem so daunting and you just don't know where to start. These top 10 kitchen organizing tips will help make your kitchen pleasant and welcoming. How to Bake: Bread on the Grill One of the slickest tricks we know is baking bread on the grill. Once you get to know your grill, it's easy-like baking your favorite recipe in the oven. Wok this Way! (Part 2 of 5) Selecting a Wok As mentioned in Part 1 of the series, woks come in different sizes ranging from 10 to 32 inches in diameter, but a wok that's 11 to 14 inches in diameter should suffice for use in a household kitchen.Woks come in 2 different bottoms, the traditional round-bottomed woks, and the "westernized" flat-bottomed woks. Troubleshooting Machine Bread Bread machines-wonderful inventions that they are-don't think very well. You and I, when we have a loaf of bread percolating on the counter, can look and say, "My bread is rising a little slowly today. Gourmet Sauces, Rubs and Marinades - Give Your BBQ a Gourmet Kick Many individuals agree that the sauce on barbecued meat is like the icing on a cake. Gourmet barbecue sauces, rubs and marinades are commonly served on (or on the side of) the finished dish. Troubleshooting Cookies If your cookies are too tough . . Grilling Tips - Safety Comes First at the Barbecue You're standing at the gas grill in the hot sun, wiping the sweat from your brow, and having your favorite cool drink. You are making one of your favorite grill recipes for the neighbors that are coming over in a few minutes for a home and garden party. Preparing Lobster Tails Lobster, once the food of poor farmers, is now considered a special treat for many. Although some people prefer the meaty claws, I think that lobster tails are the best tasting part of this delicious creature. Better Breakfasts Ideas Nutritionists tell us that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. With breakfast, we are replenishing our bodies from the night before and charging them for the day ahead. Bacteria and Food-borne Diseases Types of BacteriaBacteria are all around us, in the air, water, ground, on our skin and in our bodies. They are classified in a variety of ways, but for our purpose we can categorize them in a more basic way. Seasoning An Oven Untreated cast iron rusts, especially around water. To prevent metal from oxidizing in the presence of moisture, cast iron requires a process called ?seasoning?. Why do We Need to Knead? Bread dough needs to be elastic in order to capture the gases created by the yeast, stretch as bubbles form in the dough, expand, and rise. Without that elasticity, bread would not have the open texture we enjoy nor would bread be chewy. 10 Dishes Every New Bride or Groom Must Know How to Make! Okay, you've either gotten married or are planning to pretty soon. Congratulations! I'm sure you're aware that this means you will be responsible for at least half the meals you and your loved one will eat from here on out! Not to mention future children, your visiting family members and - of course - inlaws. Christmas Cookie Decorating 101 Many bakers ask for tips and instructions on decorating cookies. Well that's a tall order because there are as many ways to decorate cookies as there are cookies! Here are a few guidelines for novices and experienced bakers alike to help you generate your own ideas for cooking decorating. Wok this Way! (Part 4 of 5) Cleaning and Caring for Your Wok Non-stick woks do not require seasoning, and come with simple cleaning instructions from the manufacturers, while steel carbon and iron woks require seasoning. Cleaning a seasoned wok is a lot different than a non-stick wok, and this is what we will cover here. Making Homemade Pasta for Dinner Tonight Homemade pasta cooked al dente (to the teeth), is a chewy and light treat. Here are the simple steps to making fresh pasta for dinner tonight. How To Eat Fresh Vegetables - Ideas for Working More Veggies Into Your Diet Fresh, uncooked veggies are so healthy and it's important to work them into your meal plan somewhere. The majority of American's don't eat enough vegetables and most vegetables consumed in the American diet are cooked potatoes in the form of french fries. 10 Smoky Tips To BBQ Food Safely Cooking outdoors was once only a summer activity shared with family and friends. Now more than half of Americans say they are cooking outdoors year round. The Wonderful Wok: Stir Frying Basics Want to enjoy the tantalizing taste of Asian food at home? Invest in a wok! Stir-frying is one of the easiest ways to create a delicious, healthy dinner in minutes. Learn to prepare meals the Asian way: light on meat, heavy on the vegetables, and quick-cooked on high heat to retain vitamins and flavors. How to Make a Cajun Roux The process of preparing Cajun food is in no way hurried and involves a layering of flavors which allows each ingredient to maintain its own identity.The foundation of preparing authentic Cajun dishes like gumbo, sauce piquant and etouffee is the Cajun roux (pronounced 'rue').
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
