This candy has been around for a while but I’ve never attempted to make it until I heard Papa reminiscing about it. I’ve meant to try it a few times but that was just the little push I needed to give it a go and my family is glad I did. They truly are divine and they almost melt in your mouth!
It’s a good thing that these will only be made for special occasions as they is FULL of SUGAR!
This recipe really isn’t too difficult but it can be a little tricky… having a candy thermometer and a stand mixer make it a little easier.
It takes about 30-45 minutes to make a batch from start to finish (including clean up) but I can take several hours for the candy to set up completely… try not to eat it all before then!
What are some old-fashioned recipes that you remember from your childhood? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below!
Old Fashioned Divinity and Seafoam Candy
- 2 egg whites, room temperature
- 2 c. Sugar (for Seafoam candy use 1 c. White sugar and 1 c. Light brown sugar)
- 1/2 c. Corn syrup
- 1/2 c. Water
- Pinch of salt, optional
- 1 t. Vanilla
- 1/2 c. Chopped pecans or walnuts, optional
Start by gathering your ingredients and then line one or two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats.
You will also need two buttered spoons ready to scoop out the candies.
Put the egg whites into a large clean bowl or kitchen mixer bowl and leave while you prepare the syrup mixture. A stand mixer is great for this recipe as there is a lot of mixing involved.
I like to set my vanilla and chopped nuts near the mixing bowl as well.
Get a medium-size saucepan and combine the water, corn syrup, sugar, and salt.
Heat over medium to medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and then stop stirring.
Allow the mixture to come to a boil and cook for 7-10 minutes or until it reaches 255-260 degrees.
If you don’t have a candy thermometer you can test the mixture by dropping a small amount into cold water to make a hard ball – you may want to watch a video about this method as it is a bit difficult to explain.
While the mixture is cooking you can beat the egg whites into stiff peaks and once the syrup mixture reaches the correct temperature you will very slowly drizzle the syrup into the egg whites while continuing to mix them on low… this is why a stand mixer can come in very handy.
Be very careful during this step as you don’t want to spill or splatter any hot syrup on yourself or anyone else.
Once all the syrup has been added you can increase the mixing speed and mix for 10-15 minutes until the mixture loses its glossy look and starts to thicken a bit… you’ll see the difference in consistency when it happens.
While this is mixing you can put some water in that saucepan so it can soak.
Add in the vanilla and nuts and mix well.
Once mixed you can use one spoon to scoop out a small amount and use the other to gently push the candy off the first spoon onto the parchment paper.
Continue until all candy mixture has been scooped out.
Some people like to top the candies with a pecan half but that is completely up to you.
Let the candies sit for several hours or overnight to set up. Once they have set up and are no longer sticky they can be packaged in an airtight container and will keep on the counter for 3-4 days, if they last that long.
You can soak the bowl and utensils in hot water for just a few minutes for easy cleanup.
We were able to make 24-30 candies in each batch … there may have been a little extra taste testing going on at some point 🙂
Here are a couple of not-so-good pictures of the mixing process…
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