I am respectfully submitting the following recipe for DIVINITY because not only is it the most delicious, melt in your mouth candy, but it is also because divine providence brought the giver of this recipe into my life.
Lula McKissack hails originally from Hattisburg, Mississippi, where she grew up on a small backwoods farm. She was given to her aunt when she was 9 years old, by her mother, because she was strong and could do the work her childless aunt needed to be done. She continued to work hard the rest of her life.
Lula left her aunt’s home at 16, married Mr. McKissack, had two boys, Tommy and Bobby, left Mr. McKissack and moved to Louisiana where she built her own home with the help of her boys. Lula’s boys left home early to join the navy and Lula was alone with little means of supporting herself. One of her friends, Nola, found out about two jobs in Los Angeles, California. They both decided to come for the California jobs. Nola came first and since my Aunt Bessie and Uncle Harold owned a jewelry store, had to work long hours, Nola got the job with them caring for their hearth and home. When Lula came, she went to work for our family. I was 9, nearly 10 years old when Lula came to us and she stayed employed by my parents for 19 years.
I remember calling Lula after being married for only 2 weeks, crying that the house was dirty and everything was a mess. I had no idea where and how to begin. She told me to begin in one corner of the room and circle around until I was in the middle and the job would be done. She was right and now, I always know how to begin a cleaning job, actually any job.
Lula added unconditional love, forgiveness and a deep spirituality to our family. She worked miracles in our home and even though she has passed on, she continues to work miracles with our family. Her philosophies of life have been handed down to the next generation like nuggets of gold and her Divinity candy will satisfy your hunger for something sweet and inexplicable.
Divinity will calm your nerves and as you pause to enjoy it, you will feel empowered with all of Mama Lula’s sweet charity and goodness.
LULA’S DIVINITY
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup of hot water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites, beaten stiff
1 teaspoon vanilla
(I add 1/2 cup of chopped pecans)
In a 2 quart saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, hot water and salt. Cook and stir until sugar dissolves. Bring mixture to a boil and cook to the hard ball stage. (a little of the mixture is dropped in a cup of cold water and forms a little hard ball) Beat egg whites stiff. Pour hot syrup slowly over beaten egg whites beating constantly at a high speed. Add vanilla and beat until mixture forms soft peaks. Drop from tablespoon onto waxed paper, lifting and twirling spoon to form peak on top of each mound.
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