Tamarin—Information and Recipe by Geneva Fougere
Tamarin was to traditional Acadian families, what chocolate bars are to us today. Since money was very limited, and used solely to purchase the staples for family meals and other necessities, treats had to be made if they were to be had and enjoyed. Toys and ice cream were made as well, so families depended greatly on the skills and recipes of parents that were handed down from previous generations. Many of the home produced treats were seasonal with tamarin and ice cream being examples of winter favourites and made from commonly used ingredients. Tamarin was mostly a winter treat because cold was required to quickly cool the toffee enough after boiling then gather it in a ball to be stretched until it hardened and lightened slightly in colour. The final stage in preparation for cutting, was to line long strands of this stretched delicacy on a flat pan to be cut in edible sizes. See recipe below.
Tamarin/Bonbons à Mélasse/Molasses Candy
- 1 cup molasses 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup white sugar 1 tbsp butter
- 1 cup brown sugar 1 tbsp vinegar
- 1/4 cup corn syrup
Put all ingredients in a deep saucepan. Boil until a sample teaspoon forms a hard ball when dropped into a cup of cold water. An audible “crack” is heard when the temperature right. Pour contents onto a well greased platter. Let cool until candy can be taken into hands. Stretch candy until it becomes a golden brown, or lighter, if desired. Cut into 1 inch pieces.