Old-Fashioned Divinity | Advanced Recipe (No Thermometer)

This is the way mama taught me to make one of my favorite treats. I share how to tell when the mixture is ready through "threading." This is one of the lost arts in candy-making that not many still practice.

Thanks for stoppin' by!

Recipe

Ingredients:

4 cups Granulated Sugar
1 cup Light Corn Syrup
3/4 cup Water
3 large Egg Whites
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 cups chopped Nuts (pecans or walnuts)

Directions:

1. Line two cookie sheets with waxed or parchment paper.
2. Separate eggs and put whites into a large mixing bowl and set aside to reach room temperature.
3. Combine sugar, corn syrup, and water in a saucepan over high heat, stir well, and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and cook to a hard ball stage, or 250 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer. During this part of the process, limit stirring to running the spoon around the edges occasionally to prevent crystallization of sugar around the sides of the pot.
5. While the sugar mixture is cooking, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks are formed.
6. When the sugar mixture reaches the hard ball stage, slowly pour a steady stream into the beaten egg whites while beating constantly at the mixer's highest setting. A stand mixer works best for this procedure.
7. Add the vanilla extract and continue to beat the mixture as it cools and begins to hold its shape.
8. Stir in the nuts. (pecans or walnuts)
9. Drop by the teaspoonful onto prepared cookie sheets. (It helps to use 2 teaspoons by using one spoon to push the candy off the other teaspoon.
10. If the candy becomes too hard, you can add a few drops of hot water and stir until it becomes softer.

Allow the candy to cool completely and then store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. They will last a few days longer in the refrigerator.

Makes approximately 6 dozen pieces.

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:11 Separate eggs and put whites into a large mixing bowl and set aside to reach room temperature.
00:53 Combine sugar, corn syrup, and water, and bring to a boil.
03:10 Reduce heat and cook to a hard ball stage.
04:07 Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks are formed.
06:07 What threading looks like.
06:55 Poor mixture into beaten egg whites.
07:12 Add the vanilla extract and continue to beat the mixture.
07:55 Stir in the nuts.
08:16 Drop by the teaspoonful onto prepared cookie sheets.

[cathyblanton]

My husband's mother tought him to make divinity just the way you made it. She had him drop it into a cup of water and then take it out and press it between his finger and thumb to check for a crackle. He stared it all by hand without using a mixer at all, except for the egg whites. It was amazing candy.

[CaptjensdenZ]

When I was a child someone in the family would make this every Christmas and ship it to us and it was so delicious. I was about 12 and I’m 65 now 😉it was the summer and I so wanted some divinity. I got out just the greatest cookbook ever, Better Homes & Garden❤️and proceeded to follow the recipe. Everything was going great and my mother after about 20 minutes or so my mother asked “what’s going on in there” and I’m waiting for the mixture to become a hard ball. Mother asked about 10 minutes later and same thing and I again responded the same way. She finally came in the kitchen and said “let me check” and informed me at that time that “it’s not like a baseball”😩🤣😵‍💫needless to say it was a flop. I’ve never tried again but I just may give it another try. Thank you for sharing and showing the threading. You are an awesome teacher!

[Daveomabegin]

That's a really neat effect with the threading. I've never seen it before 😊 Also, thank you for sharing the technique of reducing the temperature of the divinity before you spoon it onto the waxed paper.

[LuvSouth]

Hi just wanted to say my mother made the same thing, white mountain icing with coconut also the cake was white not yellow. It’s a delicious cake. Glad to see you made it the same way I do as our grandmothers did and their grandmothers before them. Goodness never gets too old !!

[pamgray]

Absolutely love her. She does it the right way. Tried it and it was perfect. Many thanks.

[thexfactor]

Thank you for this. My grandma used to make divinity, and I miss her so i am gonna try to make some for my kids.

[marissa]

Thank you for posting this recipe! Our parish has a Christmas fair and the older gentleman that faithfully has made this is now too ill to do it. His fudge recipe has come down to me but there were SO many ladies asking for divinity candy. Bless you ma’am and bless your mother for teaching you. ❤

[Jabo__Jabo]

Looks so delicious and you make it look easy! I also like your soft-spoken voice. You’re a good teacher!

[jessicaa]

Have failed every year I try. Trying again following this wish me luck!

[christalawrence]

Thank you! I was wondering how to do it without a candy thermometer. I appreciate you

[daisylove]

Thanks for this video your a very good teacher. That sure was neat to watch that sugar spin a thread now I finally know what that means & how it looks. You remind me of my sweet Mama ❤ I sub to you now.

[louisdevalois]

It's great stuff, I guarantee you on that! It's made perfectly!❤🎉❤

[miam]

You remind me of my mom making it. She always made it so awesome. I sure wish I could have some of your divinity.

[mylindacasbarro]

Thank you for showing us how to make divinity. Looks delish!

[jacqueline]

Oh thank you Lassie....for showing us "the thread"....awesome ....

[karlee_phillips]

I'm making this today! Thank you!

[davidb]

I remember doing this with my mother. We used a glass of water to test for hard ball stage. Drop a little in the water if it turns hard, there you go. That was 60 yrs ago.

[denasewell]

Hard ball stage occurs right around 8 minutes after starting to boil but can take up to 10 min depending on the weather but where I live it is 8 min

[fredrausch]

After you add pecans….do you bring to the 250 degrees in the same metal bowl on the stove top?
Thank you!

[faysandoval]

Hello thank you so much fir shareing and from my family to your we wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy new year