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• Ingredients
• 2-2/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup coarsely chopped nuts (optional)

NOTE AND WARNING: You will need a stand mixer and a candy thermometer for ease, and it’s still going to make a mess. This recipe is from Betty Crocker and I’ve never had a problem making it, but there are warnings all over the place about making this candy on humid days. Just sayin’. Go to their website and check it out if you think it may be an issue where you are. If this stuff didn’t taste so blasted good, I would never make it. But it’s easy once you’ve done it a few times, and the clean-up isn’t bad using a LOT of very hot water.

Cook sugar, corn syrup, and water in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved. Continue cooking, without stirring, until the mixture reaches the hardball stage (260 degrees F).

While that’s going on, in your stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, whip egg whites until stiff peaks form. Switch to the beater attachment.

Beating constantly on medium speed, pour the hot sugar mixture into the mixer bowl in a thin stream. Then mix in the vanilla. Keep beating the mixture until it holds its shape. It will get thicker and duller the longer it mixes. Stir in the nuts, if using them. Using a buttered spoon, quickly scoop spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Work quickly. Let stand at room temperature for 12 hours. Store in covered container. The yield is about 40 candies. I used a heaping teaspoon and got 36 of them. Betty Crocker says 48.

NOTES: I toasted chopped pecans in my oven and used those, but any kind of nuts will do. My mother would use raw walnuts, but I think it would have been better to toast the nuts first. I had everything ready to go before I started cooking the sugar mix. My egg whites were whipped, my pecans were chopped and toasted, my vanilla extract was sitting where I could grab it. I used a ladle to scoop spoonfuls of hot sugar mixture from the saucepan into the mixer bowl. Like I said, it was a mess, but they taste SO, SO good!