Raising a healthy Jane (or just being a healthy grown-up Jane) comes from good food and proper nutrition. Grab your aprons, I’m on kitchen duty with food to spare and recipes to share! When time allows, here’s where you’ll find one of my how-to-convert-to-an-organic-diet recipes.
Mary Frances Rauch says: but I don’t know what plant is in the picture?
MaryJane says: It’s a pea pod.
CJ Armstrong says: That looks familiar! Think we went vegetable “shopping” for our supper, while staying at the B&B
Winnie Nielsen says: This is on the way from the cabin to the BunkHouse Kitchen. Lovely greens are growing inside for yummy breakfast salads with fresh eggs from the girls who live in the same “neighborhood”.
CJ Armstrong says: Yup, Winnie, that’s it! What a wonderful visit we had there!
Winnie Nielsen says: Love the new wallpaper in the CoopHaus!
Gluten Mittag, MaryJane , from Nurenberg!! We visited the sites today of Hiltler’s famous propaganda rallies and the famous courthouse of the 1945 Nuremberg trials in room 600. Sobering to say the least.
MaryJane says: I was hoping I’d get a Winnie travel update today. Yes, sobering. But a part of history none should forget.
I think I will have to make this. MaryJane is this like making taffy? Looks really pretty and good. Thanks for posting.
MaryJane says: Yes, a version of taffy. Enjoy!
Geni Estell says: So glad to find this. My grandmother made this candy every winter.She always told me it had to be very cold and dry out. This is my favorite candy.
Earle Goodwin says: is this kin to Divinity Candy ?
C. Dahl says: No. THis is a version of taffy. Divinity is a meringue based cookie.
Tracy M. says: Mary Jane,
Is it true that the weather must be cold and dry in order to make this recipe? I remember hearing my Granny say this too.
Dominique says: read your recipe and would like to make this candy but need to know what measure is a T ?
MaryJane says: Standard to recipes is a capital T for tablespoon and small t for teaspoon.
Dee says: Can’t wait til cold outside. What if I made it in cold environment in my house. Do you think it would work?
Kelly says: Can you add food coloring and is it sweet tasting also does it turn hard.
1
Kathleen says: Can add flavorings and color
Rachel says: Do you have a recipe for caramel candy (not sauce) that uses ONLY brown sugar and butter? Seems like every recipe on the planet uses cream, or milk, or “vegan drinks” nowadays to make “caramel”.
It sounds very fussy to want the simple recipe, but my great grandmother always made caramel candy for Christmas using only those two ingredients, and I’d like to continue the tradition.
Grandma made it a few times, but never wrote it down, and my mom hasn’t a clue about how it was done. She said she remembers “Grandma used her big wooden spoon, a cast-iron pot, and a wood-burning stove…”, but nothing about proportions.
I would be grateful if anyone can post that recipe. Pretty sure I’m not just dreaming this. 🙂
Sounds as if the recipe you are looking for is… Brown sugar butter toffee…. One cup of brown sugar and one cup of butter cooked in a heavy saucepan to 300 degrees. You can add 1 teaspoon of vanilla or some nuts if you choose.
CooknNuStuf says: My mother made this type of candy too. It was called Taffy.
Looks like taffy to me. My mother made it once when I was about 6 and I had several friends over to pull the taffy, it was fun and a mess, needless to say. We never were allowed to do it again.
Amy says: As a child, we used to butter up our hands and have taffy pulls!…Memories
Krista says: This looks like fun. I haven’t made candy before and have always wanted to try it. It sounds pretty easy and delicious.
Esther says: If you have a marble slab, butter it and pour the hot mass on that instead of in a pan. I have never been successful in letting it cool on its own, too hard and brittle to work by that point. On a slab you can work it with bench scrapers to cool it fast. What a lovely creamy confection when done right…yum!
TwinCaster says: Yes that is how i was always told to make it with a marble slab to cool it on before you twist it – and it’s called “pulled candy” or “cream candy” just some slight differences in the recipe.
Joan Taber says: Back in the day (1940s-1950s), one of my aunts made this candy. She did the pulling outside on a night when there was no humidity; usually in the month of October or November. It’s delicious and I’m happy that I found this recipe. Thank you!
Joan Taber says: I meant to say that this IS NOT taffy. It is more like a butter-cream, but not.
pauli says: this sound like Edenburg rock my dad used to make it but you start working the cooked syrup sooner after you put it in a cooling pan. He made a pen at the inside of our kithen door and start working the syrup over the pen until the syrup becomming glossy white and if pull it to the bottem and leave it it pull up. You then pull it out and start cutting with a sissor in small cushions. After a day or 2 it melt in your mouth. The secret is to use only the best clean white sugar. Selati will not do. Hullets is the only sugar . And wet weather also do not work with this candy unless you are like me who love the flops.
Gaetane says: My grandmother made something similar….would till the weather was cool so she could put the pan on snow to cool!
And then we would pull….yummy,
Millie Hubbs says: Hi: I read your comment about not having your grandma’s recipe for
vinegar taffy. I don’t know how to get
A recipe I pinned to you, but it has
1/2 cup vinegar in it. If you can get to
my “Candy” pins. 🙂
Millie Hubbs
Tatiana says: Is it supposed to end up like hardish candy? My sister and I made it tonight and it ended up hardening after we pulled and rolled it.
MaryJane says: Yes hard, enjoy!
Jennifer says: Does it melt in your mouth like creamy butter?
Valerie Mahler says: This is NOT a hard candy, Mary Jane. It should ‘cream’ after a few hours. Melts in your mouth just like a butter mint only without the mint. I am surprised that you got it to pull as much as you did without it hardening more than it did. This candy should not be stirred or disturbed at any point. Even the old clipping that you show says nothing about stirring. A better recipe is to put 3 cups sugar into large heavy pan. Pour 1/2 cup water over and bring to a boil over medium high heat WITHOUT stirring ever. Start dribbling 1 cup heavy cream slowly around edges to keep pan boiling. All the sugar may not be dissolved-that’s OK. Boil slowly until 252 degrees. Pour quickly only frozen, buttered marble slab. Pull edges up as candy cools and fold toward middle so it cools evenly. When cool enough to handle, pull until white and and loses it sheen. It will also make a clacking sound now as you smack the ends together. Twist into a rope and cut into bite-size pieces onto wax paper to dry. Keep pieces separate until creamed so they don’t stick together and then store in airtight container. I cover with more wax paper while creaming so they don’t get dry and stale. Thus can happen very quickly and then your candy will be sub quality. This should be a very soft, creamy texture. I don’t add any other ingredients, not even vanilla. This is a regional southern specialty that has local recipes, but this is the only one that performs consistently for me. The local candy store makes it and it seems the same as mine, (no vanilla, cream of tartar or vinegar). All other recipes that I have tried are very finicky and give inconsistent results. Hope this helps!
MaryJane says: Hi Valerie, it sounds like your version of cream candy is a regional favorite. Thank you for sharing your recipe, it sounds scrumptious. We adapted this recipe from the Comfort Sisters Magazine (circa March 1916), which does not include cream in the ingredients. The generic term “cream candy” refers to the creamy color of the candy, since we typically think of hard candies as being somewhat transparent or dyed.
Cora says: You should make a youtube video of you making this candy. I have tried so hard to make this candy but it never turns out right. I love this candy and have searched for a recipe but I think I’m doing something wrong but not for sure what it is.
TwinCaster says: yes excactly!
Sabina says: Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!! I ate this when I was a child and always wanted to get the recipe!!! Can’t thank you enough for sharing.
Connie says: My grandma used to make us this as kids, and we gobbled it up! When I grew up I learned to make it. Love this yummy treat, and you get a good workout as you’re pulling it. My question is, can this be made with Stevia. I’m dietetic now in my older years, I’m hoping there might be a sugar substitute I could use.
Misty says: Happy to see this recipe. We called it pull candy and I miss it! Thanks for sharing!
Frances says: Hi there. We made what we called Stick Jaw. Some butter in a pan and add sugar then some vinegar. It boils to a transparent mixture. If you put a spoon into the mixture and then into a cup of water, the toffee should harden to the point that you cannot remove it from the spoon. You have to crack/bang it off.
Pour the mixture into a buttered dish and when solid, crack it into pieces. It is not called Stick Jaw for nothing!!
Regards Frances from South Africa
Penny Hedges says: I made this, but it didn’t cream. What did i do wrong?
MaryJane says: Did you use any substitutions? Did you check the temperature? Did you follow our step-by-step photos?
Cindy says: This is not old fashioned cream candy. It’s vinegar taffy. There’s a big difference. Cream candy doesn’t have vinegar and it creams overnight. It only resembles vinegar taffy when it’s first pulled. I make both. Go to My Country Table.com if you want to see Kentucky Cream Pull Candy. They’re both very good.
MaryJane says: So you’re saying that back in 1912, the Comfort Sister didn’t have the name right either? I suspect the name bears local flavor and there isn’t a hard and fast rule about what it’s called.
Pingback: Cream Candy Recipe - Cream Pull Candy Recipe - The Spruce Eats
Gale says: This sounds like the pull taffy my grandma always made. She would pull it till it turned white and then cut the ropes into small pieces. She kept it in tins and would dust it lightly with confectioners sugar to keep it from sticking. All the neighbor kids would show up when she made it for a little baggie full to take home and enjoy.
Cindy says: This is actually Vinegar Taffy. It doesn’t cream. It stays like taffy. Everyone confuses it with Kentucky Cream Pull candy wihich starts out like taffy but creams over night. I make both. They’re both very good but the actual cream candy will melt in your mouth after it creams. It’s only like taffy when first pulled.
Rich says: Can you add different flavorings to this recipe?
MaryJane says: We did not test any flavorings. Try it and let us know.
Amy Cloud Chambers says: Thank you so much for this recipe! Fried rice is a family “take out” favorite that I’ve always wanted to learn to make. I’ve seen recipes before, but your photo tutorial really makes the difference. And, the miso, we love miso. I’m going to try it next week, replacing the pork with tofu since we’re veggies. Won’t my family be surprised?!
Winnie Nielsen says: I am not familiar with Miso use but this recipe looks delicious. One dish meals are the best!
Krista says: This looks so yummy. I love fried rice. I have only had it with ham so it will be fun to mix things up and use pork!
Winnie Nielsen says: Is this the first newborn for 2016? The eyes of the Heritage Jersey are so beautiful.
Brenda White says: Too cute❤️
MaryJane says: Finnegan, our newest calf:)
Winnie Nielsen says: He is quite the beauty!!
Bonnie Ellis says: Finnegan: What an adorable name for a new calf. He’s beautiful! wish I lived closer. He looks hugable.
Jeri-Lyn Walsh says: So cute! And those eyes!
Food.
You know what you like.
Mmmm …
But do you know why, exactly, you’re drawn to certain dishes?
This sounds like a silly question, but there is a sort of science behind the appeal of a meal.
A harvest of interesting trivia, gathered by Amish furniture company Plain & Simple, explains how plating design, contrasting colors, and even the shapes of plates can make one’s dining experience more pleasurable.
For instance, are you more attracted to this dish …
Or this one?
The food components are pretty similar, but the first is somehow more appealing to me.
“The more presentable and visually-appealing [food] is, the better it tastes,” says the Plain & Simple post. “People favor bright-colored food that features lots of contrast. But too much color can be overwhelming—most people prefer three colors on their plate, distributed through three to four food components. Believe it or not, even the degree to which your plate is rotated affects how much you enjoy your food.”
How about this plate? Do the pale hues whet your appetite?
Photo by D Breen via Pixabay
According to Plain & Simple’s survey, “If you like your cheese salty, eat if off a knife—people rate cheese as tasting saltier when eaten off a knife rather than a toothpick, spoon, or fork.”
Of course, then there’s food art …
some of which is cuter (and more appetizing) …
Photo by Global Panorama via Flickr
than others …
Photo by Mukesh Patil via PDPics.com
Find out more fun “food appeal” facts at Better Dining Through Science.
Winnie Nielsen says: This link about the science of food is fascinating. I was particularly interested in the facts about strong coffee drinkers, which I fit into. As for presentation and color, I do believe it has a lot to do with appeal. When my youngest was a toddler, getting her to not be a picky eater was a challenge. What I found most interesting was that bland looking and colorless had a better chance of a positive outcome than offering something that was colorful and different. It is interesting how the brain perceives good to try and scary to try when you are 2-4 years old.
I just love playing with my food ! and the japanese bento boxes bring it to an artform. I like alot of color- for instance my brightly dyed with neon colors hard boiled Easter eggs just seem to taste better altho I am pretty tired of them now a week in. But not to worry I am about to make the local PA Dutch pickled red beet eggs, they turn a gorgeous color of red and when sliced open the yellow centers just make it even lovelier. the” quick and dirty” ( southern for easy ) way is to buy a quality jarred pickled beet ( I like our local ” Aunt Nellies ” brand with the old fashioned label and a farm in the background. Just dump it in a large jar with peeled hard boiled eggs. Leave them in fridge a day or so and then feast, they keep just about forever too.
see Aunt Nellies whole line of just like homemade canned foods:
Krista says: It’s interesting to think about food being appealing visually in order to make it taste better, but the more I think about it the more it makes sense. What makes it even more interesting is that everyone finds different things appealing. I am more interested in the second plate full of tacos and have no desire for the white plate full of white cheese and crackers. The link has some interesting facts. I found out my plates are enhancing savory flavors!
Lisa A says: Very interesting. I prefer the 2nd red plate with the 3 tacos.
I meant to run Ashley’s hot cross bunnies recipe this morning so you’d have time to work it into your Easter menu. I’ll leave the chili up just in case someone saw the luscious photos and decided it was perfect for Saturday night’s movie fest.
Winnie Nielsen says: Ohhhhhh, these are adorable! I always make hot cross buns for Easter but I have never seen these clever bunny shapes. Definitely making mine in these cute shapes this year. The addition of orange zest and cranberries also sounds delicious and I want to try that to my recipe as well. Hot Cross Buns, Hot Cross Buns, One a penny, Two a penny, Hot Cross Buns!!
Judith Lickteig says: Adorable!!! I just replaced the bun recipe on my Easter Brunch menu with this recipe. Love oranges and cranberries! I’ll be doing a pre-run on these this weekend. Thanks for sharing!
Ellen says: I love these! Combines two of my favorite things – hot cross buns and bunnies. Thanks!
Terry Steinmetz says: These are going to be made for my grandgirls when I get back to their place from Florida! How precious & yummy looking!
Absolutely adorable, will try these bunnies out for sure. thanks for the cute recipe!
Krista says: These are so dang cute! Perfect for an Easter morning breakfast. I would love to try these and share them with the family on Easter.
Jackie Edmondson says: Just the cutest. The grand & gr grand kids will love them
Ashley says: I CANNOT wait to try these! They’re adorable and sound delicious! I love making breads by hand, but I have a two year old and a two month old, so all our bread is made in the bread machine right now. Would it be safe (spoilage wise) to make this dough on a 2:20 dough machine setting? Or would you recommend a shorter time?
If any other commenter has a recommendation, I’d appreciate it!
Thanks ladies!
MaryJane says: Give it a try and let us know!
Denise says: I have never made hot cross buns but these bunnies I will have give a try! Love the combine of orange zest and cranberries. I use yeast in bulk, is there a measurement for the amount in a package?
MaryJane says: There’s 2 1/4 t yeast per package. 🙂
Amy J. says: Love these! 🐰
Winnie Nielsen says: These look like some sort of tender edible greens? Not much longer before the green house plants can go directly into the ground out your way. Old Man Winter is on the way out.
Buy props used in MaryJane’s books and magazine!
5% of profits will benefit www.firstbook.org, a non-profit that provides new books to children from low-income families throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Here’s how:
MaryJane will post a photo and a description of a prop and its cost along with a few details as to its condition here: https://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/MaryJanesCurations. It’s a playful way to be the new owner of a little bit of farm herstory.
Berry Sweet! Ohhh, the possibilities of goodness to be had.