Divinity is a meringue-style candy from the South. It is a Christmas treat that does take a little bit of time to make and is a cantankerous candy since even humidity can affect it. I have made it for many a year, and even though I follow the same recipe it comes out a little different every time. I also discovered that having a good mixer to fluff the egg whites makes divinity much easier to make as will having a decent candy thermometer.
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| Yes, this really is my Divinity |
So, this is the recipe given to me by my grandmother with one little twist that I added which seemed to help.
Ingredients: 2 cups of sugar, ½ cup corn syrup, ½ cup of water, 2 egg whites, 1 ½ teaspoon of vanilla, ¾ cup of chopped nuts (I use walnuts or pecans) Optional ¾ cup of candied cherries.
Instructions: In a saucepan mix the following: sugar, corn syrup, and water. Bring to a slow boil over low medium heat, stirring until dissolved. Once the syrup begins to boil, do not stir. If you bring the syrup to a boil too quickly, it will burn.
While the syrup reaches temperature, in mixing bowl, whip egg whites until stiff (egg whites will form peaks). Coat a pie pan with butter. I prefer to use a ceramic or Pyrex pie pan. It will make the release easier.
Now for the twist that grandma didn’t tell me, dividing the syrup:
Once the syrup reaches between soft-ball (235° F) and hard-ball (250° F) stage pour approximately ½ of the syrup into the stiffly beaten egg whites and continue to mix.
Return the remaining syrup to the stove and continue heating until it reaches soft-crack stage (265-270° F).
Pour the remaining syrup into the mixer. Mix until smooth. Last, add vanilla and the chopped nuts or optional candied cherries (maraschino cherries will cause the divinity to turn pink and may add to drying time).
Let it dry: Pour/scrape the divinity into the pie pan and allow to cool at room temperature. Once the divinity sets usually several hours, you can cut into squares and place on wax paper to dry. To store, put into a sealed container in the fridge separating layers with wax paper. Keeping the divinity sealed and cool will help prevent it from becoming too hard.
You can also put the divinity in mini-baking cups instead of the pie pan.
Something I have not tried is the drop method which I might try next time I make divinity. According to one recipe I found is in the final stage mix the candy until it reaches the point that it can be dropped by the spoonful to create small divinity pieces.
To determine when to do this, the recipe recommends two tests to tell when the divinity is done. “The first test is by just turning off your mixer and lifting the beaters. If the candy falls back into the bowl in ribbons that immediately merge back into themselves, the divinity is not done and you need to keep beating. Eventually, the divinity will lose its glossiness and sheen and stop being so sticky, which means it’s ready.
“The second test is even easier, I think, because all you do, if you are having a hard time telling whether the divinity is still glossy in the first test, is to go ahead and stop the mixer, drop a teaspoonful of candy onto wax paper, and check whether the candy will hold its shape. If it puddles, the divinity isn’t ready, but if it holds a peak and stays in a nice mound, you are good to go.” (https://houseofnasheats.com/old-fashioned-divinity-candy-recipe/)
If you don't have a candy thermometer, you can use the cold water method. My grandmother and mom used it for years. Here's a link to a site on how to do it.
1. Soft-Ball Stage. 235° F–240° F.
2. Firm-Ball Stage. 245° F–250° F.
3. Hard-Ball Stage. 250° F–265° F.
4. Soft-Crack Stage. 270° F–290° F.
5. Hard-Crack Stage. 300° F–310°
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