From Jodi Thomas: Aunt Dixie’s Divinity, written on the back of an envelope with a birthday card inside.

Put in a quart size pan–––works best in heavy pan, medium heat:

2 cups sugar ½ cup water Dash of salt

Bring to a boil–––should be rolling boil but not a crazy boil that climbs up the sides of the pan are you'll have a mess.

Boil stirring most of the time and watching ALL the time for about 6 to 8 minutes until the mixture will go soft ball stage. (That means when you drop a drop of it in a small bowl of cold water, you can push it around with your finger and make a sloppy ball.) Once that happens I usually let it boil for another minute just to make sure it's ready.

Next: Pour over marshmallow cream from a small jar 8 ounces, and start to mix on low for about 30 seconds, then kick it up to high for about 4–6 minutes. Sometime during this add 1 teaspoon of vanilla.

Stop mixing when the it starts to thicken, losses it's shine, or the ripples the mixer makes stay up for three seconds.

Add a cup of chopped nuts and make a few more rounds with the mixer

Or

Wait and add a nut on top of each piece. May also add a cherry on top if you don't like nuts.

Late: Using two spoons drop candy on waxed paper.

If the first few drops go flat, slow down a bit and give the candy time to cool a minute. Once the candy looks right coming of the spoon, move fast.

This makes about three dozen candies. The first few will be flat, but they still taste just as good. The last few may be stiff so eat them first. If you decide to put the nut or cherry on top be sure to dry the cherry's on a paper towel first and put them on as soon as you drop all the candy.

Never double the recipe. It won't turn out.

Love you, kid, and remember, divinity is like birthdays, not everyone turns out perfect.

Aunt Dixie Kirkland