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Dessert

Butter Taffy

A candy made by boiling sugar, vinegar, butter, and other ingredients until brittle.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
By Sterrett, Laura C · From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 9 ingredients
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Why it works: Butter and cream are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 41,516 recipes. Both carry delta-dodecalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓

Butter Taffy

Ingredients

Directions

Cook the first batch

  1. Combine two cups sugar, three-quarters cup vinegar, and one-half cup butter.

  2. Boil until brittle when tested in water.

  3. Pour into buttered pans.

Cook the second batch

  1. Combine three pounds brown sugar, half pound chocolate, half pound butter, two tablespoons molasses, same amount of vinegar, and one cup cream or milk.

  2. Add vanilla when off fire.

  3. Boil twenty-five minutes.

Beat and set

  1. Beat ten minutes to granulate.

  2. If crisp preferred, do not beat.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

418Calories
2 gProtein
26 gFat
45 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Chocolate1 oz (28g) semisweet155
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Molasses1 tbsp (20g)58
Cream1 tbsp (15ml) heavy51
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Vinegar1 tbsp (15ml) distilled3

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

By Sterrett, Laura C. Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Butter + creamtop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together41,516 recipes

    Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).

  2. Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together43,450 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).

  3. Sugar + molassestop 11% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together9,225 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).

  4. Chocolate + creamtop 11% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together5,466 recipes

    Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).

  5. Sugar + chocolatetop 13% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together15,404 recipes

    Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Sugar
Forms the firm, brittle candy structure as it cooks and provides sweetness.
Vinegar
Its acidity helps prevent sugar from recrystallizing, keeping the candy smooth.
Butter
Adds fat for a rich flavor and a tender, melt-in-the-mouth texture.
Brown sugar
Adds sweetness, moisture and a caramel-like depth from its molasses content.
Chocolate
Contributes flavor and fat, deepening the taste of the taffy.
Cream
Adds richness and a creamy softness to the finished taffy.

The step that matters

Boil until brittle when tested in water. Sugar syrup must reach the right concentration to set firm. Stopping early leaves the taffy sticky, while overcooking makes it hard, bitter and prone to burning.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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