Butter a baking sheet. Set baking sheet aside.

Combine sugar, corn starch, salt, butter, corn syrup and water in medium saucepan.

Heat on medium heat, stirring, until mixture comes to a boil.

Add candy thermometer to pan and cook, without stirring, until mixture reaches 250-253 degrees (see notes about cooking temp).

Pull pan off of heat and add 3-4 drops of food coloring and flavoring oil. Stir.

Imediately pour mixture onto buttered baking sheet. Allow to cool until you can handle it. Mixture should be warm when you begin to pull the taffy, not hot.

Spread a small amount of butter onto your hands, or onto your food gloves (I like using gloves) then remove taffy from baking sheet, form into a ball and begin to pull taffy.

Taffy will start out looking glassy and darker in color, but will change to a satin texture and lighter in color.

It will change from soft and stringy to stiff and smooth.

This can take anywhere from 5-15 minutes.

Roll taffy into a rope.

Cut taffy, with buttered scissors, into bite sized pieces.

Wrap taffy in small squares of wax paper.

This recipe makes 30-40 pieces of taffy, depending on the size you cut the pieces.