Recipe for Divinity

Food will not bring us close to God. Something else will, and it’s not the confection described as “a taste of heaven.”

When traveling through the South, you might come across a confection known as “divinity.” It has been around more than 100 years and probably originated in the South because pecans were frequently used in the recipe. Corn syrup was a popular sugar substitute in the 1900s, and divinity candy was one of its creative uses.

[Here, you might produce a box of divinity and pop a piece in your mouth. Make certain it’s a small piece, because the gooey nature of divinity may render you mute for several minutes. You might also have plates of divinity as a snack following the service, or highlight someone’s favorite divinity recipe.]

One maker of “Old Fashioned Pecan Divinity” gushes that “these wonderful confections are like a taste of heaven.” But no one knows for certain how the white candy got its name. Someone was probably meddling in the kitchen, stuck their finger in the goo and tasted it, and thereupon pronounced it “simply...