Honey-Stretched Taffy

Photos by Michael Piazza / Styled by Catrine Kelty

Winter is when a beekeeper’s work goes into hibernation until spring. I like to imagine honey taffy was discovered by a bored beekeeper, missing her hives and messing around in the kitchen. This is a sticky job, as you’d imagine, but it’s made a lot easier by oiling all surfaces that come in contact with the honey as you’re stretching it. You can also wear latex gloves coated with canola oil to make the pulling a little easier. The longer you stretch the honey, the easier and more pliable the taffy becomes. A pound of honey, after all the heating, stretching and cutting, yields about 24 pieces wrapped in confectionary wax paper, twisted at the ends. A generous handful makes a terrific gift during the holiday season, gathered in a small vintage tin. 

Makes 24 pieces

cooking spray or canola oil
1 pound honey (about 1½ cups)
confectionary wax paper squares 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Coat lightly with cooking spray.

Place honey in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, uncovered, until honey begins to boil (about 8 minutes). Continue cooking until a candy thermometer registers 280°F (about 10 minutes more). Quickly pour mixture onto prepared pan, spreading evenly. Cool 20 minutes.

Oil your hands lightly with canola oil or cooking spray. Fold the stiffening honey over itself to form a ball, then stretch the honey into a long rope, about 2 feet long. Fold it back onto itself, and then fold in half again, smoothing ends together. Continue stretching and folding honey for about 5 minutes, or until the color changes from deep amber to a soft tan. Wrap in plastic wrap coated with cooking spray and chill for 10 minutes.

Using a knife coated in cooking spray, cut the taffy into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 12-inch log, then cut each log into 6 bite-sized pieces. Roll each piece into a tiny cylinder shape, wrap in wax paper and twist the ends. 

This recipe appeared in the Fall/Holiday 2020 issue as part of a larger story on the Business of Beekeeping.