The Safety Police can bite me . . . .

Or why hot molten liquid is good for you . . .

Okay so I am a wife.  A bitch and a lover . . . oh wait that's a different post.  I'm a mom.  I get the concept of not letting your 5 yr old play with matches or a loaded gun or a hot stove.  Unless it's Christmas time.  HUH? you say.  Only the hot stove part.  The gun is only for New Years Day and if you are Up Nort.  Yeah the Wisconsinite comes out in me in a very stabby way around sturgeon spearing time and when cutting up venison.  Matches are just for fun.  Go light something little Timmy . . . . :D

It seems candy is on my mind.  I'm so freaking homesick it isn't funny.  It's Christmas time and I need need need to make Christmas Soup.  I'm skipping the Beef Knuckle for Oxtails.  (yeah I'm a food whore) BUT the rest is close to the same.  I'm exploring how to make the sinker dumplings that are gluten free.  May need to just be sick for a day but I NEED my soup.  Jesus was actually born in September (Right cuz you didn't know that already?) so CHRISTMAS to me is "celebrating HIS birth" WITH  soup and dangerous candy.

I recently realized just what the hell we Andersen/Wenzel women did each December and it involved a LOT of hot molten syrup sugar things that needed to be watched and then POURED into other things.  Dear LORD I was like 6 helping this happen.  I still have my fingers (excepted for that unexpected Girl Scout molten caramel incident circa 1981) intact.  

I am going to continue the tradition with my girls.  Safety Police be damned.  I bring you - GLASS CANDY!!!!!  AND  DIVINITY!!!!

Glass Candy (yes Kristen you need the actual flavoring :D)

3 cups white sugar
1 cup corn syrup (lite)
1 cup water
walk to Rice's drug store in Winneconne and pick your flavor - oh wait - they aren't there any longer :D  you can get LorAnn's flavors at Michaels/Hobby Lobby/ and your better craft stores.


bring to the hard crack stage (you need a candy thermometer for this 290-300)
Add the flavoring/food color and be prepared to CLEAR YOUR Sinuses !!!!!!!!!!!!  We as Andersen/Wenzel/Owens/Meilehn/Sullivan-Howard's choose Cinnamon as our flavor of choice.  You pick.
Peppermint/Spearmint is not a bad choice.  Butter Rum also an excellent choice - part of my husband picking criterion.  Pour into a buttered 9x13 and let cool.  I put powdered sugar over the butter and over the top.  I'm just weird but it makes it seem to come out easier.  Crack the hell out of it.  enjoy.  SP - bite me.

Divinity

This only works in LOW humidity - so hello - winter! YOU NEED A CANDY THERMOMETER.  Don't even try if you don't have one.  They are like 4 bucks at Walmart.  Get one.

•3 cups granulated sugar
•1/2 cup light corn syrup
•2/3 cup warm water
•2 egg whites
•1 tsp vanilla extract I've also done almond - pure makes a difference


Read all the way through before you do this - no one wants to be surprised with hot syrup or whipped egg whites - ever.  Just sayin.  Diamonds are an awesome surprise.  Molten syrup - not so much. 


Preparation:

1. Prepare a cookie sheet by lining it with foil and spraying it.

2. Combine the sugar, corn syrup and water in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves. Continue cooking without stirring until the mixture reaches 250 degrees, firm-ball stage.

3. Beat the egg whites in a bowl until stiff peaks form. Slowly pour about half of the sugar syrup into the egg whites, beating constantly.

4. Continue to cook the remaining syrup until it reaches 270 degrees, soft-crack stage.

5. Stream the remaining syrup mixture into the egg whites while the mixer is running. Continue to beat until the candy is thick, shiny and holds its shape.

6. Mix in extract until fully incorporated.

7. Drop by the teaspoonful onto cookie sheet, and let cool until full set.

I have a vintage KitchenAid mixer from the 50's.  It serves me so well and I use it for everything but it doesn't have all of the cool bells and whistles of the new ones.  I like my cracked and peeling  - old black and white one.  It works.  And the safety police have nothing to say. 

Enjoy your Christmas and celebrate your Lord.  He rules.  There really is nothing for us here on this earth if we don't love our sweet people.  Let someone you love know it today.  Life is. now.