Brown Candy

By kimrinaldi1

Ingredients

• 3 pints white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 pint whole milk or cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 pound butter
• 2 pounds pecans or walnuts -- chopped

Preparation

Step 1

Pour 1 pint sugar into a heavy iron skillet and place over low heat.
Begin stirring with a wooden spoon and keep sugar moving so it will
not scorch at all. It will take over 1/2 hour to completely melt this
sugar and at no time let it smoke or cook so fast that it turns dark.
It should be about the color of light brown syrup. As soon as you
have the sugar started to heat in the skillet pour remaining 2 pints
of sugar together with the pint of milk into a deep heavy kettle and
set it over low heat to cook along slowly while you are melting the
sugar in the skillet. As soon as all the sugar is melted begin
pouring it into the kettle of boiling milk and sugar keeping it on
very slow heat and stirring constantly . Now the real secret of
mixing these ingredients is to pour a stream no larger than a knitting
needle and to stir across the bottom of the kettle all the time.
Continue cooking and stirring until the mixture forms a soft ball when
dropped in cold water or reaches 230 degrees on a candy thermometer.
After this test turn off the heat and immediately add soda stirring
vigorously as it foams. Then add butter and stir to melt. Set off
stove at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Add vanilla and beat
until thick and heavy and has a dull appearance. Add nuts and mix.
Turn into pans. Cut into squares. Store in a cool place.