Taffy

Prairie Recipes 

By Collette

Taffy was one of my dad’s favorite candies, or specifically salt water taffy. He often brought it back when my mother and he went on vacation. It wasn’t my favorite candy, but I do remember how pretty it was in pastel shades of color. I can think of only one time making it as a child and that was at my church. There was a candy maker in the congregation, and he brought his recipe and showed us how to pull it. It was fun to do, but I got blisters on my thumbs from pulling it until it turned white in color. In her story Richelle makes taffy one Christmas, and it could have been this old-time recipe.



Vinegar Taffy

2 cups of white sugar

½ cup vinegar

2 tablespoons butter

Melt butter in a kettle; when melted add sugar and vinegar. Stir until sugar is dissolved, and then stir occasionally. Boil until when tried in cold water, mixture becomes brittle. Turn onto a buttered platter to cool. As edges cool, turn toward the center. As soon as it can be handled, pull until white and glossy. Cut into sticks or small pieces and wrap in paper.

 

My younger son loved one of the cookie recipes a member of my catering group made. She baked them just for him and, if memory serves me well, he did not share them. They were always part of the Christmas cookies we made.

Beverly’s Wafer Rounds

1 cup butter or oleo                                         2 cups + 1 tablespoon flour

½ cup whipping cream                                    granulated sugar

 

Creamy Butter Filling
¼ cup soft butter                                             1 teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup sifted powdered sugar                         food coloring to tint pink or green

Sift flour and measure. Mix butter, flour and cream thoroughly. Chill one hour. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough 1/8 inch thick on lightly floured board. Cut into 1½ inch rounds. Transfer to waxed paper heavily sprinkled with sugar, turning to coat both sides. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Prick in four places with a fork. Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until slightly puffy. Put 2 cooled cookies together with filling. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Creamy Butter Filing:  Blend softened butter, sifted powdered sugar and vanilla. Tint pick or green.

My older son loved rum cake at Christmas. The recipe was from the home economics teacher

at the junior high. She never quite forgave me for not taking her class, but when I taught with
her, she did share this recipe. It also was my gift for many years to my hairdresser, Carol. Her
family enjoyed it, and when we quit catering I promised to give her the recipe. I gave it to her,
and now it is part of their family’s tradition.

 Louisa Coldwell’s Rum Cake

1 cup chopped pecans                                     ½ cup water

1 yellow cake mix                                           ½ cup vegetable oil
1 small instant pudding mix                            ½ cup light or dark rum

4 eggs

Glaze:

½ cup butter melted                                         ¼ cup water
1 cup sugar                                                      ½ cup light or dark rum

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Generously spray Bundt pan with cooking spray or grease and
flour. Press nuts into the bottom of the pan. Combine all cake ingredients in large mixing bowl.
Beat on high speed for two minutes. Pour into prepared pan and bake one hour. Prepare glaze
and pour over cake immediately after removing from oven. Allow to cool in pan, and then invert
onto plate. Serves 12.

Glaze:  Melt butter in small saucepan. Stir in water and sugar. Heat to boiling and boil for five

minutes stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add rum.