Divinity Candy with Walnuts
Al ight and pillowy candy filled with walnuts. A fun holiday treat!
This post is sponsored by Diamond of California.
Holiday traditions are a huge part of what makes this season so special. Decorating the tree, parties with friends and family, gift exchanges, and of course, making and sharing treats! I have so many baking and candy traditions that I have a hard time getting to them all before the new year.
But no matter how busy the season gets we always make time for Divinity. It’s been a tradition in my husband’s family all of his life and we’re passing it on to our kids. If you’ve never heard of divinity, no worries, because neither had I. It’s a light and nougat-like candy made primarily from sugar, corn syrup and whipped egg whites. It may not sound like much but each little bite is, well, divine.
Sometimes we leave the divinity plain, but often we’ll add some chopped nuts, usually walnuts, to boost the flavor. I love the creamy texture of the nuts with the soft candy. We also usually add red or green food coloring to give it a little holiday flair.
I don’t want to discourage any of you from making divinity, because it is definitely worth the effort, but sometimes it can be a little finicky. We have a saying— the first batch of divinity fails. Because it always does each year, until we remember how it works. You’ll need a candy thermometer and undivided attention. Timing is everything, so this is not the time to multitask.
But all that being said, once you get the hang of it it’s easy, and the little pillows of heaven you get to gobble up are worth it all.
What are your favorite holiday treat traditions?
Divinity Candy with Walnuts
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups granulated sugar (500 grams)
- ½ cup light corn syrup (155 grams)
- ½ cup water (125 grams)
- 2 large egg whites
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 drops food coloring , optional
- ½ cup chopped walnuts (55 grams)
Instructions
- In a heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water over medium high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar.
- Once the mixture starts to boil, stop stirring and insert a candy thermometer. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking, without stirring, until the thermometer registers 260°F ("hard-ball" stage), about 10-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium high speed until stiff peaks form. The goal is to reach stiff peaks as the sugar reaches hard ball stage. I usually start beating the egg whites when the sugar reaches 230°F.
- When sugar mixture is ready, remove saucepan from heat and remove thermometer. Gradually pour hot mixture in a thin stream over egg whites while continuing to beat the whites on high speed.
- Add vanilla and food coloring (if using). Continue beating on high speed until candy starts to lose its gloss, 3-4 minutes. When beaters are lifted, mixture should fall in a ribbon that mounds on itself.
- Test mixture by dropping candy by a spoonful onto waxed paper. If it stays mounded, it's ready. If mixture flattens, beat ½ to 1 minute more. If mixture is too stiff to spoon or has started to look a little grainy, beat in a few drops of hot water until candy is a softer consistency.
- Immediately stir in walnuts. Quickly drop onto waxed paper, candy will harden within just a few minutes.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature, candy will keep for at least a week.
Nutrition
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Diamond of California as part of a long-term culinary ambassadorship. Thank you for supporting partnerships with brands I love and believe in, which make Completely Delicious possible. All opinions are always 100% my own.
To find more great recipes using nuts visit the Diamond Nuts website. You can also find them on facebook, twitter, youtube, pinterest, and instagram.
5 Comments on “Divinity Candy with Walnuts”
Mmm, I love this stuff! So good and such a Christmas classic.
My best friend’s mom used to make divinity and I’ve always wanted to give it a go. Have you ever tried it with honey? I have a giant bottle of honey in the pantry but, you guessed it, no corn syrup. Oh, this looks nice, and I’ll bet it could be customized, too. Almond extract, orange rind, crystallized ginger, graham cracker crumbs on bottom, crushed candy canes…
I’m sure you could use honey, though I don’t know if anything else needs to be adjusted (temp, etc.). Might need a little bit of research. Love all of the ideas for customization! Just remember this candy sets fast so you’ll have to make your mixing, sprinkling, etc. super speedy. 🙂
This recipe was awesome! My mother used to make divinity every year at the holidays-sometimes it turned out and sometimes it didn’t. I’ve never made it simply because I know it can be finicky. I came across this recipe and decided to give it a try and I am so glad I did! It came out perfectly! Light and lovely with a great taste!! Thank you for sharing!
I’m so happy to find this recipe for divinity that people say they have made successfully! My grandmother always made divinity at Christmas time and it was so good. I’ve never attempted it, having tried the cold-water-ball testing method when making fudge and finding out I have no talent for that technique at all! LOL