There is hardly a holiday season where I don’t make several batches of divinity candy. Have you ever made it? No one really knows how “divinity” got its name. The most popular theory is simply that when first tasted, someone declared it to be, “Divine!” and the name stuck. Divinity has at times been referred to as a “Southern candy”, most likely because of the frequent use of pecans in the recipe.
Ingredients needed:
white sugar corn syrup water salt egg whites unsalted butter vanilla extract pecans
How to make Divinity:
The complete, printable recipe is at the end of this post.
Here are a few tricks to make divinity the best treat every single time:
Make sure you add the hot syrup in one long, slow pour. if you can, freeze the chopped pecans beforehand so it adds that extra crunch I prefer to spoon the mixture onto wax paper over parchment paper so that it doesn’t stick as much, but either will work in a pinch If you can’t use corn syrup, try using sugar syrup with a dash of vanilla extract Make sure you are scraping the sides of the bowl when mixing the large egg whites Before adding ingredients to the pan, drop a few drops of hot water onto the large saucepan. For best results, the water should move around like it’s dancing. Try to use a heavy-bottomed saucepan for this recipe, since you are cooking a hot mixture that needs to get fairly hot once the sugar dissolves. It’s best to make divinity on a dry, clear day. The texture of divinity can be affected by moisture in the air.
This recipe is so simple, yet can present some questions. Here are the most commonly asked questions that I get when I am talking about the process to make your own divinity candy.
What are stiff peaks?
Stiff peaks occur when you whip egg whites using the whisk attachment of your electric mixer (a hand mixer would work just as well). Whip it on medium speed until it becomes the texture of whipped cream and when you hold the whisk upside down, there will be a thin stream of thick cream. Make sure you properly secure the bowl of your stand mixer before beginning- this will prevent a lot of mess later on!
What is the hard ball stage?
In a medium saucepan, you will cook one cup water, corn syrup, sugar, and salt over medium heat until it hits 150 degrees F. Use a candy thermometer to make sure you get it to the right temperature.
What are the best toppings to add to divinity candy?
If you want to add a unique twist to your divinity candy, sprinkle one of these toppings onto your candy as soon as you drop it onto the tray. That way, the topping has time to attach before the candy cools and hardens.
crushed up candy canes sprinkle of brown sugar miniature chocolate chips melted chocolate drizzled over top with a piping bag
Favorite Candy Recipes:
Turtles Mint Fudge Crockpot Candy Macadamia Nut Butter Toffee Almond Brittle
