coates’s Twitter Archive—№ 21,956

This time of year, my family has—for as long as I can remember—made “Christmas” candy. It’s a recipe that seems simple (1/2 lb butter + 1 packed cup of brown sugar), but it’s the method that’s the difficult part. 1/7
Permalink On twitter.com ❤️ 3 Favorites 2020 Dec 4 Mood -1 🙁

…in reply to @coates
As a child, we made it with my grandmother (though it involves a certain amount of VERY vigorous stirring, so the kids’ involvement was mostly a token gesture, in hindsight). 2/7
Permalink On twitter.com 2020 Dec 4 Mood +1 🙂

…in reply to @coates
For the past few years, I’ve been trying to make it myself. Trying and failing. I could never get it to set up properly, and it usually broke in the pot before I was even finished stirring. 3/7
Permalink On twitter.com 2020 Dec 4 Mood -3 🙁

…in reply to @coates
So, every Christmas, when home to visit, I’d ask my mom to show me, yet again how to do it. I’ve learned, over the many batches, that it’s not something that I could learn by writing it down. It really took practice and a certain amount of something more like apprenticeship. 4/7
Permalink On twitter.com 2020 Dec 4 Mood +3 🙂

…in reply to @coates
So, we’d dig out the cast aluminum “three corner” pot, and she’d guide me through making a batch; stacking the two ingredients, setting a timer at just the right moment of melting (which, it turns out, works differently on my gas stove), … 5/7
Permalink On twitter.com 2020 Dec 4 Mood 0

…in reply to @coates
…stirring so vigorously that it works best with more than one person to take over and provide some wrist/elbow relief, and a careful eye peeled for the very first puff of smoke that indicates you’re in the magic zone between mushy and burnt. 6/7
Permalink On twitter.com 2020 Dec 4 Mood +5 🙂

…in reply to @coates
Tonight, for the first time in dozens of batches, over many years, I finally nailed it, and my candy set up! (Apologies for the rerun, Facebook and Instagram friends.) 7/7
On twitter.com ❤️ 5 Favorites 2020 Dec 4 Mood 0