Whoever first named divinity had the right idea, because it really is divinely good.
Divinity is made by pouring hot syrup over beaten egg whites and then beating the mixture until it loses it's gloss and a small piece dropped from a spoon will hold it's shape. TIming is important as the egg whites must be beaten and stiff when the syrup reaches the proper temperature so that it can be added right away. It you wait too long before adding the syrup it may cool too much so that it won't cook the egg white and the candy won't harden. (If this happens you get something very much like marshmallow creme - good but not divinity.) Like taffy, divinity is something two people can make together - one to watch the syrup and one to beat the egg whites. It also can simplify things if one person controls the beating while the other pours the syrup. A counter-top mixer is what's needed - a small hand mixer probably won't be strong enough to do the job completely and you'll need to finish the job by hand if you don't have a large mixer. If you do end up beating it the last few minutes by hand keep it moving, it doesn't have to be fast, just steady. As the divinity cools and thickens try turning down the speed from high, often you can do this and it will still beat at the same speed. If it does, this will help keep the motor cooler.
Beat the egg whites firm so they will hold a peak. (A heat resistant 3 quart bowl is about right, and room temperature egg whites will beat up a lot better than if you try to beat them cold from the refrigerator.) It they start to sag before it's time to add the syrup beat them some more so they are well beaten when the syrup is added. Add the syrup slowly at first, until the eff whites have been combined with the syrup. Then add it as fast as you can without overloading the beater. It sould be white in color (except for seafoam since it's made with brown sugar,) about the consistancy of cake batter, and should smell of cooking eggs. After abouttwo minutes is a good time to add flavoring and any coloring that is to be used. Then, keep beating until it loses it's gloss and a spoonful placed on waxed paper holds its shape. Once divinity starts to hard work fast. It set quikly.
Traditionally divinity is made in individual pieces dropped from a spoon, but it will keep better if you make in in one big piece in a lightly buttered eight inch square pan and cut it into squares as you need it. About 1/2 cup of chopped nuts or chocolate bits can be folded in athe last minute when the candy is about ready to harden. Once you've made divinity a few times you'll be able to tell when it's about to haden and you'll have more time to work with it before it's set up too hard to spoon out individual pieces. The first time or two you make it use a pan. With just a little between you're thumb and index finger you can feel when it is starting to set up - it goes from feeling like oil to feeling a little bit creamy and you know it's on the verge of setting up into solid candy. You can tell when fudge is about to set the same way. Once you have felt the change in the candy as it starts to set up a few times you will be able to predict how long you have to work with it before it will be to hard to do any more spooning the mixture out into individual pieces.
Don't double the divinity recipes until you've tried them with your mixer and your're sure it will handle the load - and that the bowl is big enough to hold the mixture as it expands greatly as the hot syrup is mixed into the meringue.
cook to 258 F (hard ball)
for mint divinity:
for vanilla divinity:
Seafoam is a light brown divinity made with brown sugar.
cook to 255 F
flavoring:
The chocolate affects the way the divinity hardens, so it's cooked higher than the other divinities hear and doesn't come out as airy and light as they do, but if youlike chocolate it's worth trying. If you want chocolate divinity rather than chocolate mint, leave out the 1/2 tsp of mint extract.
cook to 272 F
flavoring: