Grandma Wilma’s Divinity

Ignore the typo.

Divinity is a classic holiday candy that many people consider challenging to make, but when done right, it is a truly divine treat. My grandma Wilma perfected this recipe over the years, making what was probably hundreds of batches. In 2024, I took her Divinity recipe and entered it in the Colorado State Fair cooking competition—and won 1st place, officially making me an award-winning chef. Granted, I was standing on the shoulders of a giant.

Every year, Wilma would bring cylindrical tins of Divinity to the family’s Christmas Eve celebration. With respect to the duly departed, this was too much Divinity. Divinity is an insanely rich candy, and it is best enjoyed in small quantities. For this reason, when I prepared my pieces for submission to the State Fair, I cut my pieces to be about half the size that Wilma normally did, and I distributed small plates of just three pieces to my friends and family.

Like most candies, the creation of Divinity is a very sensitive process. In particular, it is extremely sensitive to humidity, and in humid locations, it can be nearly impossible to get the candy to “set up.” Even in relatively dry places like Pueblo, CO, there are days when the humidity is too high for making Divinity. Always check your weather app before starting!

According to my mom Wilma would exhaust herself when beating the mixture during her earliest attempts - sometimes even needing to pass the bowl to someone else to take a turn. Through the years, however, she discovered that making divinity does not require the depletion of your stamina meter.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uJYpuzH1pw

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Divinity

Author: Wilma Stringfellow

Ingredients

• Karo Light Corn Syrup | 3/4 cup
• Sugar | 3 cups
• Salt | 1/2 tsp.
• Hot Water | 3/4 Cup
• Egg whites | 3
• Vanilla | 1 tsp.
• Walnuts | 1 cup
• Softened Butter

Instructions

1. Combine Karo syrup, sugar, salt, and hot water in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat whilst stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved. Cook without stirring to "hard ball" stage, approximately 260° F.
2. In separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Slowly pour syrup mixture over beaten egg whites while continuing to beat. Do not pour too quickly, as the hot syrup will cook the egg whites and ruin the batch. It should take several minutes. Once all syrup has been added, continue to beat until mixture holds shape. It will be very stiff. Add vanilla and nuts.
3. Pour into buttered pan and mark into squares - smaller is better. Let rest at room temperature for at least an hour.

Notes

Walnuts can be swapped for pecans.

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