CONFECTIONERY.

A BRASS KETTLE, if kept perfectly clean, is best for boiling sugar in for confectionery. Dissolve two pounds of white sugar in one pint of water and place this in the kettle over a slow fire for a quarter of an hour. Pour into it a small quantity of gelatine and gum arabic dissolved together. Skim off at once all the impurities which rise to the surface. The white of an egg may be used as a substitute to make the clarifying process still more perfect, and strain through a flannel bag. If you allow the syrup to boil a few moments longer you will have what is called "Rock Candy." To make other candies bring the syrup very carefully to such a degree of heat that the "threads" which drop from the spoon when raised into cold air will snap like glass. When this desired stage is reached, add a teaspoonful of vinegar or cream tartar to prevent granulation, and pour into pans as directed in the receipts which follow. To make stick candies, pull and roll into shape with buttered hands.

Take two and a half pounds of refined sugar, one pint of water and one teaspoonful of cream tartar. Mix in a kettle large enough to hold the candy when expanded by heat, and boil over a brisk fire, taking care that it does not burn, applying the heat at the bottom, not to the sides. After boiling fifteen minutes remove a small portion of the melted sugar with a spoon, and cool by placing in a saucer set in ice-water. When cool enough take a portion between thumb and finger, and if it "threads" as it is separated, the process is nearly completed, and great care must be used to regulate the heat so that the boiling may be kept up without burning. Test frequently by dropping a bit into cold water placed near. If it becomes hard and brittle, snapping apart when bent, it is done and must be removed at once, and the flavoring stirred in. Then pour into shallow earthen dishes, thoroughly but lightly greased, and cool until it can be handled; then pull and roll into sticks or any shape desired.

Take one pint of milk, butter about the size of an egg, one cocoanut grated fine, three pounds of white sugar and two teaspoonfuls of lemon extract. Boil slowly until stiff, beat to a cream, pour into shallow buttered pans, and when set cut into squares.

Take two heaping cups of white sugar, one wineglassful of vinegar and one tumbler of water. Boil one-half hour, flavor with vanilla and pull like molasses candy.

Take three cups of sugar, one-half cup of vinegar, one-half cup of water and a teaspoonful of butter, put in last, with a teaspoonful of soda dissolved in hot water. Boil fast for about half an hour, until it crisps in cold water; flavor with lemon and pull white.

Take one pound of almonds and wipe clean. In the meantime put on a pound of sugar with a quarter of a pint of water, let it boil until clear and thick; throw in the almonds and stir with a wooden spoon until you hear them crack. Take off the fire, but keep stirring them; and when dry put in a wire sieve and sift all the sugar from them. Now put that sugar on to boil again, add a little, very little, water and some cinnamon if you like. When this boils throw in the almonds again, and keep stirring until quite dry. Take off the fire and pack in a glass jar. You may add fruit-coloring in sugar the second time it is put over the fire.

Take two and a half cups of pulverized sugar, one-half cup cold water and boil five minutes. Then place in a pan of cold water and beat until cold enough to make into balls and put a walnut in the center of each.
By using maple sugar you have maple creams. Take half a cake of chocolate, shave off fine, set it in a bowl on top of a boiling teakettle to melt, and when the drops are cold roll in the melted chocolate with a fork.

These are made like walnut drops. While making into balls mold an almond meat into the center of each ball; then roll in coarse granulated sugar, and you have delicious cream almonds. Lay on buttered paper until cold.

Take two cups of sugar, one cup of water and one tablespoonful and a half of arrowroot or cornstarch, one tablespoonful of butter and one teaspoonful of vanilla. Wash the butter, stir the sugar and water together, add the arrowroot and bring to a boil, stirring constantly to induce granulation. Boil for about ten minutes, then add the butter, take from the fire and stir constantly until it begins to look like granulated cream. Add the vanilla. Butter your hands and make the cream into balls the size of a marble, and lay upon a clean board or flat dish (outside).

Take half a pound of sweet vanilla chocolate, grate it, set in a tin pail or saucepan, and put this in another of boiling water, so as to melt the chocolate. When the chocolate is melted to the consistency of syrup, roll the cream balls in it until sufficiently coated and take each one up carefully and lay upon a dish to dry.

Whip the whites of five eggs to a very stiff froth and add gradually the whole of one pound of pulverized sugar and one teaspoonful of arrowroot; last, a fresh-grated cocoanut, or half a pound of desiccated cocoanut. Mold the mixture with your hands into small cones (flour your hands); set these far enough apart not to touch one another, upon buttered or waxed paper, in a long baking-pan. Bake in moderate oven. Be sure to prepare the cocoanut before you begin; lay the pieces in cold water after paring, until all is grated.

Boil one pound and a half of coffee sugar (white, but not granulated), half a cup of sweet butter, half a teaspoonful of cream tartar, and just enough water to dissolve the sugar. Boil without stirring until it will break easily when dropped into cold water. When done add one teaspoonful of lemon juice, or ten drops of extract. Pour into well-greased pans, and when almost cold mark into small squares.

Get some one to assist you in holding the paper over the fire, and a third person to rub the wax over it. It may be done in a second. To remove macaroons or any other confection from paper, moisten the paper with a damp sponge on the opposite side and they will come off easily.

Boil one cup of molasses and one cup of sugar until it candies. Remove from the fire and stir in nearly half a cup of butter and flavor with vanilla.

Set some genuine maple sugar on to boil with half as much water as you have sugar. Boil until it is brittle when dropped into cold water, and when it is inclined to harden remove from the fire and stir rapidly until it becomes a waxen substance; then form into balls not larger than a marble. Butter your hands well to do this. Put half a walnut kernel on either side. Lay them on a greased platter to cool.

Boil one and a half pounds of moist white coffee sugar, two ounces of butter, one teacupful and a half of water, together with the peel of half a lemon. When done (if done it will become crisp by dropping into cold water) set aside till the boiling has ceased, and stir in the juice of one large lemon (no seeds). Butter a dish and pour in about an inch thick. When cool take out the lemon peel, pull until white and form into any shape desire. If you have no lemon take two tablespoonfuls of vinegar and two teaspoonfuls of extract.

Take one pound of grated cocoanut, half a pound of confectioner's sugar and the stiff-beaten white of one egg. Work all together and roll in the hands into little balls. Bake on buttered tins.

Take one pint of maple sugar, and half a pint of water, or just enough to dissolve the sugar. Boil until it becomes brittle by dropping in cold water. Just before pouring add a tablespoonful of vinegar, having previously prepared the nut meats; butter the pans, line with nut meats, and pour the candy over them.

Boil a pound of sugar with a cup of water. After boiling over a brisk fire pour in a dash of vinegar. Take off the scum as it rises and test by raising with a spoon, if its "threads" snap, pour over chopped cocoanut or any other kind of nuts. Brazil nuts cut into slices are very nice. Butter the pans before putting in nuts and candy.

Boil two ounces of dried hoarhound in a pint of water for about half an hour; strain and add three pounds of brown sugar. Boil over a hot fire until hard; pour out on well-greased flat pans, and mark as soon as cold enough to retain the marks.

Boil a syrup of two pounds of cut loaf sugar and a cup of water; boil until thick enough to pull. Then remove to the side of the stove until it shows signs of granulation. Drop in the cherries, carefully stoned, only a few at a time, and only two or three minutes; remove to a sieve, set over a dish, shake gently and turn the cherries out on white paper.

Throw the almonds into boiling water and blanch. After they are skimmed lay on a platter for several hours to dry. Put a piece of fresh butter in a spider, and as it melts stir the almonds over and over in it to glaze them. Take them off and set in the oven to roast, stirring often, until they begin to color slightly. Take from the oven, throw on clean paper, spread out and sprinkle with fine table salt, and repeat, so that all will be well sprinkled. Eat cold. Do not get the almonds too brown. Fry well before putting in the oven. They are very appetizing, and serve as a course at progressive dinners.

Dissolve one pound of gum arabic in one quart of water; strain; add one pound of refined sugar and place over the fire, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture has become the consistency of honey. Next add gradually the whites of eight eggs, well beaten, stirring the mixture all the time, until it loses its stickiness and does not adhere to the fingers when touched. The mass may now be poured out into a pan slightly dusted with corn-starch. When cool divide into small squares.

Take one cup of molasses, one cup of sugar, and one tablespoonful of vinegar, and a teaspoonful of fresh butter. Boil until it hardens when dropped in cold water; then stir in a pinch of soda or cream tartar and pour on buttered tins. When cool begin to pull, having previously greased your hands.

Break the whites of three eggs into a bowl, and add exactly as much water as you have whites of eggs (measure with the egg-shells). Stir in confectioner's sugar until stiff enough to mold into any shape desired. Flavor to suit your taste.

Butter or flour your hands, and roll the above French cream around filbert nuts. Have some chocolate melted over a steaming tea-kettle in a bowl, and after the filbert balls are dry, roll them in the melted chocolate by means of a long hat-pin or fine knitting-needle.

Select the finest only. Tear them open and extract the kernels, leaving them whole at the stem end. Insert a piece of cream, and press the fruit together at the bottom.

Boil two cups of sugar with half a cup of water and dissolve half a teaspoonful of cream tartar in a little cold water and add. Boil until it becomes brittle when dropped in cold water. Then add a piece of butter the size of a hickory-nut and boil a few minutes longer. Pour this over the nuts, which have been spread in a buttered tin, and set away to cool.

Boil together one pint of cream and three pounds of sugar. Add any desired flavoring. Boil until it reaches 260° Fahrenheit. Pour out the mixture on flat dishes to cool, and, as soon as it begins to "set," which is very soon, cut it into little blocks with a sharp blade dipped in cold water. These will be good for some time, and are as wholesome a confection as can be found for children.

Use pink confectioner's sugar, or color with fruit coloring; add grated cocoanut; roll into balls; fill each center with a candied cherry.

Chop seeded raisins, citron, figs and a few candied cherries. Put two cupfuls of granulated sugar and half a cupful of boiling water into a brass or porcelain kettle and boil hard for ten minutes. Take from the stove, pour into a bowl, flavor and stir rapidly with a spoon until it looks like cream. Add the chopped fruit and stir awhile longer. Press thin on buttered tins, cut into squares and wrap in waxed papers.

Blanch one-half pound of almonds in boiling water. When skinned, cut in half through the center and lay on white paper in the oven with door open to dry. Meanwhile, melt half a pound of sugar in a double kettle, without adding a drop of water. Stir constantly until the sugar boils, take off the kettle and stir in the almonds immediately. Pour into a flat greased tin pan, which has been previously warmed. Press the nougat flat to the bottom of the pan. Cut while still warm. Wrap in waxed paper.

Are made same as Cocoanut candy.