Comments on: The Divine-ness of Divinity Candy http://spinningsugar.wordpress.com/2007/12/03/the-divine-ness-of-divinity/ Lost Recipes and Techniques for the World's Best Candies, Cakes and Other Delights Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:27:11 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Connel http://spinningsugar.wordpress.com/2007/12/03/the-divine-ness-of-divinity/#comment-332 Connel Tue, 15 Jan 2008 04:52:25 +0000 http://spinningsugar.wordpress.com/2007/12/03/the-divine-ness-of-divinity/#comment-332 I love you. My dad used to be able to make Divinity from his mother's teaching, sortof like the Joy-of-Cooking one. He offered me that recepie and I killed it many times. The "10 minutes of solid beating" (after the candy is slowly poured in) was somehow missed in every previous attempt. Fortunately, those gooey experiments tasted great (even with the completely wrong consistency.) I've now had my first divinity in several decades thanks to you. Can you imagine getting this craving several times a year, not having any way of figuring it out? Stores sometimes sell evil-satanic divinity with whole almonds in them - not even close to real cherry divinity! (Well, flavor is close, but texture - no way!) Oh, what a relief! I did have to do the "forgivness" steps you describe above. I have to wonder why the extra beating isn't standard in all the instructions. I think I'll try for penuche next. With deep gratitude, <strong><em>SpinningSugar:</em></strong> Connel, I am complimented beyond words. I am so pleased to have been of help to you and any others along the way. This is a passion of mine handed down through my family and I have only one goal with this blog in preserving techniques and recipes that I love for those to follow me. Very best wishes to you and yours. I love you.

My dad used to be able to make Divinity from his mother’s teaching, sortof like the Joy-of-Cooking one. He offered me that recepie and I killed it many times. The “10 minutes of solid beating” (after the candy is slowly poured in) was somehow missed in every previous attempt. Fortunately, those gooey experiments tasted great (even with the completely wrong consistency.)

I’ve now had my first divinity in several decades thanks to you. Can you imagine getting this craving several times a year, not having any way of figuring it out? Stores sometimes sell evil-satanic divinity with whole almonds in them – not even close to real cherry divinity! (Well, flavor is close, but texture – no way!) Oh, what a relief!

I did have to do the “forgivness” steps you describe above. I have to wonder why the extra beating isn’t standard in all the instructions.

I think I’ll try for penuche next.

With deep gratitude,

SpinningSugar: Connel, I am complimented beyond words. I am so pleased to have been of help to you and any others along the way. This is a passion of mine handed down through my family and I have only one goal with this blog in preserving techniques and recipes that I love for those to follow me. Very best wishes to you and yours.

]]> By: Mike http://spinningsugar.wordpress.com/2007/12/03/the-divine-ness-of-divinity/#comment-297 Mike Sat, 15 Dec 2007 21:56:04 +0000 http://spinningsugar.wordpress.com/2007/12/03/the-divine-ness-of-divinity/#comment-297 What was supposed to take ten minutes took eternity. My mixture never lost its glossiness even after 35 minutes of steady beating at full speed on my KitchenAid mixer. I finally gave up, put in the vanilla and then the nuts, then spooned it out with big spoons. It was very sticky. The first few balls of it spread out when they hit the wax paper-lined jelly roll pan. I yielded 20 pieces, so I must have been using too big of spoons? Please tell me what I did wrong. P.S. I don't know how to determine the realtive humidity insode my house, but it is regulated by my HVAC system. I turned it down to half strength last night (the humidity setting) but could that have been my problem? The result didn't seem light and fluffy like I remember it. By the way, this is my first attempt maling divinity. Any help would be sincerely a[[reciated. Thanks, Mike <strong><em>SpinningSugar:</em></strong> Mike, first I offer my condolences to your mixer. What a workout! Your instincts are spot-on: humidity was the culprit. There was too much moisture in the batch, which prevented it from setting up in the first place, then yielded the spread when spooned out. When this stuff is done and the gloss is gone, the texture is much like a very thick/dense whipped cream. Your memory of a light, fluffy divinity is accurate. I would recommend you go to your local TV station website and check the weather pages. Ours here in Dallas (WFAA, KDFW) do not offer hygrometer readings, but do point you to school weather stations that do and I have one very near my own home for additional reference. The National Weather Service page will offer one for the airport closest to your location. If you are having an overcast day, forget divinity. Try it on the second consecutive day with sunny skies and a nice dry north wind, or forget it. Your HVAC system can only overcome a small portion of the humidity outdoors, but must certainly make you and your family more comfortable on a hot/humid or cold/rainy day. One last tip as a last resort, try adding confectioners sugar two tablespoons at a time to your whipping batch of divinity that fails to loose its gloss. Blend that in well with your mixer, then shut it down and walk away for five minutes or so. When you return, try whipping the stuff again and see if the gloss leaves and the mixture thickens. If so, proceed to spoon it out. If it still won't hold up, add two more tablespoons of confectioners sugar, whip in, stop, wait and try again. If the batch still won't hold together, you're out of luck. But if it does, your divinity will at least hold its shape. And after a couple of days, the "rawness" of the confectioners sugar should disappear and leave a delicious batch. Don't add more than four tablespoons of confectioners sugar, though, or the taste will walk right out the door. Good luck to you and let me know if I may help further! Very best wishes to you and yours. Personally, I appreciate your endeavors, Mike. DO keep them up! What was supposed to take ten minutes took eternity. My mixture never lost its glossiness even after 35 minutes of steady beating at full speed on my KitchenAid mixer. I finally gave up, put in the vanilla and then the nuts, then spooned it out with big spoons. It was very sticky. The first few balls of it spread out when they hit the wax paper-lined jelly roll pan. I yielded 20 pieces, so I must have been using too big of spoons? Please tell me what I did wrong. P.S. I don’t know how to determine the realtive humidity insode my house, but it is regulated by my HVAC system. I turned it down to half strength last night (the humidity setting) but could that have been my problem? The result didn’t seem light and fluffy like I remember it. By the way, this is my first attempt maling divinity. Any help would be sincerely a[[reciated. Thanks, Mike

SpinningSugar: Mike, first I offer my condolences to your mixer. What a workout! Your instincts are spot-on: humidity was the culprit. There was too much moisture in the batch, which prevented it from setting up in the first place, then yielded the spread when spooned out. When this stuff is done and the gloss is gone, the texture is much like a very thick/dense whipped cream. Your memory of a light, fluffy divinity is accurate.

I would recommend you go to your local TV station website and check the weather pages. Ours here in Dallas (WFAA, KDFW) do not offer hygrometer readings, but do point you to school weather stations that do and I have one very near my own home for additional reference. The National Weather Service page will offer one for the airport closest to your location. If you are having an overcast day, forget divinity. Try it on the second consecutive day with sunny skies and a nice dry north wind, or forget it. Your HVAC system can only overcome a small portion of the humidity outdoors, but must certainly make you and your family more comfortable on a hot/humid or cold/rainy day.

One last tip as a last resort, try adding confectioners sugar two tablespoons at a time to your whipping batch of divinity that fails to loose its gloss. Blend that in well with your mixer, then shut it down and walk away for five minutes or so. When you return, try whipping the stuff again and see if the gloss leaves and the mixture thickens. If so, proceed to spoon it out. If it still won’t hold up, add two more tablespoons of confectioners sugar, whip in, stop, wait and try again. If the batch still won’t hold together, you’re out of luck. But if it does, your divinity will at least hold its shape. And after a couple of days, the “rawness” of the confectioners sugar should disappear and leave a delicious batch. Don’t add more than four tablespoons of confectioners sugar, though, or the taste will walk right out the door.

Good luck to you and let me know if I may help further!

Very best wishes to you and yours. Personally, I appreciate your endeavors, Mike. DO keep them up!

]]> By: Stacy http://spinningsugar.wordpress.com/2007/12/03/the-divine-ness-of-divinity/#comment-295 Stacy Wed, 12 Dec 2007 20:32:41 +0000 http://spinningsugar.wordpress.com/2007/12/03/the-divine-ness-of-divinity/#comment-295 Thank you for this including the variations to this recipe. My grandmother made this candy for as long as I can remember. She passed away this past summer and I'm going to "try" to make divinity for the first time for the holidays. My husband is always looking at a way to incorporate chocolate into my recipes. I'll have to try your Godiva recipe! Happy holidays from my kitchen to yours!! <strong><em>SpinningSugar:</em></strong> And very best wishes to you and yours, Stacy! May you all enjoy the merriest of Christmasses! Thank you for this including the variations to this recipe. My grandmother made this candy for as long as I can remember. She passed away this past summer and I’m going to “try” to make divinity for the first time for the holidays. My husband is always looking at a way to incorporate chocolate into my recipes. I’ll have to try your Godiva recipe! Happy holidays from my kitchen to yours!!

SpinningSugar: And very best wishes to you and yours, Stacy! May you all enjoy the merriest of Christmasses!

]]> By: Sophronia http://spinningsugar.wordpress.com/2007/12/03/the-divine-ness-of-divinity/#comment-294 Sophronia Tue, 11 Dec 2007 22:01:13 +0000 http://spinningsugar.wordpress.com/2007/12/03/the-divine-ness-of-divinity/#comment-294 wonderful recipes and article. You answered so many questions I had about making divinity. I live in Texas and we have a lot of humid days. Your tips really helped. I appreciate your being so clear and providing such good instructions. Thanks from a new friend. <strong><em>SpinningSugar:</em></strong> A warm welcome to you, Sophronia, and thank you for the kind comments. One can never have enough friends! Very best wishes to you and yours during this wonderful holiday season! wonderful recipes and article. You answered so many questions I had about making divinity. I live in Texas and we have a lot of humid days. Your tips really helped. I appreciate your being so clear and providing such good instructions. Thanks from a new friend.

SpinningSugar: A warm welcome to you, Sophronia, and thank you for the kind comments. One can never have enough friends! Very best wishes to you and yours during this wonderful holiday season!

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