Salt Water Taffy

3 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 cup light corn syrup
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla or mint flavoring, or a few drops oil of mint or rum
or brandy extract
Combine the sugar, water, corn syrup, and salt in a 4-quart saucepan. Stir
until boiling, and wash down any undissolved sugar from the sides of the pan
with a pastry brush dipped in water. Add the butter and continue boiling
without stirring until the candy thermometer registers 256 to 264 degrees.
The lower temperature will give a chewier taffy, and the higher heat a more
brittle product. Turn out on a marble slab or large platter or pan that has
been oiled well with vegetable oil. If using a large marbles slab, turn out
the hot batch into two pools. A few drops of food coloring can also be added
to the top of the candy now. Or you may wait until it is being pulled and
add several colors.

The edge of the taffy will cool fairly quickly, and when it can be
comfortably touched with well-buttered or oiled fingers, turn it inward to
form a mass. Taffy is ready to pull as soon as it can be handled, which is
usually sooner than expected. Have the palms and fingers well greased.
You'll probably like the flavor of butter for this, although margarine or
vegetable oil can be used. Take the warm, flowing candy up with the
fingertips and pull out about 12 inches at first. Quickly turn the candy
back from the fingertips of one hand to the other hand, then catch the
center and again pull, always with the fingertips. This incorporates air in
the mixture and gives its typical texture.

If adding a food coloring at this point, pause briefly and put a drop or two
of color along the taffy and flop the mixture over on the color, and
continue pulling until the color is mixed evenly.

When the taffy is very hard to pull and will hold its shape if laid out on
the marble slab or pan, it is ready to break off into pieces, but preferably
it should be cut with greased scissors. If making several colors of taffy,
you may pull each out until thin and then twist them together. For a
completely round candy, like a peppermint candystick or cane, roll this
twisted mixture on the marble slab to make it even. Store taffy in airtight
containers, such as cookie tins, between sheets of wax paper or foil, for
any moisture in the air will make it quite sticky. It is for this reason
that taffy is generally sold with the pieces individually wrapped.
To make Salt Water Taffy add 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons of salt to the recipe for
Taffy.