Chocolate Taffy by Alton Brown (from Food Nework's "Good Eats")

I make this in our middle school Foods class often.  It's a student favorite.  It gives them the opportunity to pull taffy (like great-grandma might have) and the resulting chewy candy keeps the classroom noise level down significantly, at least for a while.  Do not use regular cocoa - its too acidic.  You can buy dutch process (cocoa mixed with alkali) at Whole Foods and Trader Joes.  I find it at other places as well so read the label.  The use of a silpat is also essential.  Nothing sticks to it, which makes the cooling/kneading/stretching process much, much easier.

 - 2 cups sugar
- 2/3 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, plus additional for greasing pan and hands

In heavy medium saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Stir until thoroughly combined. Add corn syrup, water, and vinegar to pan and place over medium heat. Stir until sugar and cocoa dissolve, raise heat to high and bring to a boil.
Turn heat down to low, clip candy thermometer to side of pan and cook until mixture reaches 260 degrees F. Remove pan from heat, add the butter and stir.
Butter edges of sheet pan, line with silicone baking sheet and pour on taffy. Allow to cool until you are able to handle it.
Once you are able to handle the taffy, don vinyl gloves, butter them, and begin to fold taffy in thirds using the silicone mat. Pick up taffy and begin to pull folding the taffy back on itself repeatedly twisting as you go.
Taffy is done when it lightens in color, takes on a sheen, and becomes too hard to pull. Roll into log, cut into fourths, roll each fourth into a 1-inch wide log, and cut into 1-inch pieces. Making sure to keep pieces separated or they will stick to each other.

Wrap individual pieces of candy in waxed paper. Store in airtight container 3 to 5 days.
Episode#: EA1G13
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