BOILED SUGAR FOR CONFECTIONS
Eleven tests are considered for boiling sugar:—
Small thread, 215° F.
Large thread, 217°
Pearl, 220°
Large pearl, 222°
The blow, 230°
The feather, 232°
Soft ball, 238°
Hard ball, 248°
Small crack, 290°
Crack, 310°
Caramel, 350°
Fondant, the basis of all French candy, is made of sugar and water boiled together (with a small quantity of cream of tartar to prevent sugar from granulating) to soft ball, 238° F. The professional confectioner is able to decide when syrup has boiled to the right temperature by sound while boiling, and by testing in cold water; these tests at first seem somewhat difficult to the amateur, but only a little experience is necessary to make fondant successfully. A sugar thermometer is often employed, and proves valuable, as by its use one need not exercise his judgment.
White Fondant
2½ lbs. sugar
1½ cups hot water
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Put ingredients into a smooth granite stewpan. Stir, place on range, and heat gradually to boiling-point. Boil without stirring until, when tried in cold water, a soft ball may be formed that will just keep in shape, which is 238° F. After a few minutes’ boiling, sugar will adhere to sides of kettle; this should be washed off with the hand first dipped in cold water. Have a pan of cold water near at hand, dip hand in cold water, then quickly wash off a small part of the sugar with tips of fingers, and repeat until all sugar adhering to side of saucepan is removed. If this is quickly done, there is no danger of burning the fingers. Pour slowly on a slightly oiled marble slab. Let stand a few minutes to cool, but not long enough to become hard around the edge. Scrape fondant with chopping knife to one end of marble, and work with a wooden spatula until white and creamy. It will quickly change from this consistency, and begin to lump, when it should be kneaded with the hands until perfectly smooth.
Put into a bowl, cover with oiled paper to exclude air, that a crust may not form on top, and let stand twenty-four hours. A large oiled platter and wooden spoon may be used in place of marble slab and spatula. Always make fondant on a clear day, as a damp, heavy atmosphere has an unfavorable effect on the boiling of sugar.
Coffee Fondant
2½ lbs. sugar
1½ cups cold water
¼ cup ground coffee
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Put water and coffee in saucepan, and heat to boiling-point. Strain through double cheese-cloth; then add sugar and cream of tartar. Boil, and work same as White Fondant.
Maple Fondant
1¼ lbs. maple sugar
1¼ lbs. sugar
1 cup hot water
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Break maple sugar in pieces and add to remaining ingredients. Boil, and work same as White Fondant.
Bonbons
The centres of bonbons are made of fondant shaped in small balls. If White Fondant is used, flavor as desired,—vanilla being usually preferred. For cocoanut centres, work as much shredded cocoanut as possible into a small quantity of fondant; for nut centres, surround pieces of nut meat with fondant, using just enough to cover. French candied cherries are often used in this way. Allow balls to stand over night, and dip the following day.
To Dip Bonbons. Put fondant in saucepan, and melt over hot water; color and flavor as desired. In coloring fondant, dip a small wooden skewer in coloring paste, take up a small quantity, and dip skewer in fondant. If care is not taken, the color is apt to be too intense. During dipping, keep fondant over hot water that it may be kept of right consistency. For dipping, use a two-tined fork or confectioners’ bonbon dipper. Drop centres in fondant one at a time, stir until covered, remove from fondant, put on oiled paper, and bring end of dipper over the top of bonbon, thus leaving a tail-piece which shows that bonbons have been hand dipped. Stir fondant between dippings to prevent a crust from forming.
Cream Mints
Melt fondant over hot water, flavor with a few drops of oil of peppermint, wintergreen, clove, cinnamon, or orange, and color if desired. Drop from tip of spoon on oiled paper. Confectioners use rubber moulds for shaping cream mints; but these are expensive for home use, unless one is to make mints in large quantities.
Cream Nut Bars
Melt fondant and flavor, stir in any kind of nut meat, cut in pieces. Turn in an oiled pan, cool, and cut in bars with a sharp knife. Maple Fondant is delicious with nuts.
Dipped Walnuts
Melt fondant and flavor. Dip halves of walnuts as bonbon centres are dipped. Halves of pecan or whole blanched almonds may be similarly dipped.
Tutti-Frutti Candy
Fill an oiled border-mould with three layers of melted fondant. Have bottom layer maple, well mixed with English walnut meat; the second layer colored pink, flavored with rose, and mixed with candied cherries cut in quarters and figs finely chopped; the third layer white, flavored with vanilla, mixed with nuts, candied cherries cut in quarters, and candied pineapple cut in small pieces. Cover mould with oiled paper, and let stand over night. Remove from mould, and place on a plate covered with a lace paper napkin. Fill centre with Bonbons and Glacé Nuts.
Glacé Nuts
2 cups sugar
1 cup boiling water
⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
Put ingredients in a smooth saucepan, stir, place on range, and heat to boiling-point. Boil without stirring until syrup begins to discolor, which is 310° F. Wash off sugar which adheres to sides of saucepan, as in making fondant. Remove saucepan from fire, and place in larger pan of cold water to instantly stop boiling. Remove from cold water and place in a saucepan of hot water during dipping. Take nuts separately on a long pin, dip in syrup to cover, remove from syrup, and place on oiled paper.
Glacé Fruits
For Glacé Fruits, grapes, strawberries, sections of mandarins and oranges, and candied cherries are most commonly used. Take grapes separately from clusters, leaving a short stem on each grape. Dip in syrup made as for Glacé Nuts, holding by stem with pincers. Remove to oiled paper. Glacé fruits keep but a day, and should only be attempted in cold and clear weather.
Candied Orange Peel
Remove peel from four thin-skinned oranges in quarters. Cover with cold water, bring to boiling-point, and cook slowly until soft. Drain, remove white portion, using a spoon, and cut yellow portion in thin strips, using scissors. Boil one-half cup water and one cup sugar until syrup will thread when dropped from tip of spoon. Cook strips in syrup five minutes, drain, and coat with fine granulated sugar.
Spun Sugar
2 lbs. sugar
2 cups boiling water
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Put ingredients in a smooth saucepan. Boil without stirring until syrup begins to discolor, which is 300° F. Wash off sugar which adheres to sides of saucepan, as in making fondant. Remove saucepan from fire, and place in a larger pan of cold water to instantly stop boiling. Remove from cold water, and place in saucepan of hot water. Place two broomstick-handles over backs of chairs, and spread paper on the floor under them. When syrup is slightly cooled, put dipper in syrup, remove from syrup, and shake quickly back and forth over broom-handles. Carefully take off spun sugar as soon as formed, and shape in nests, or pile lightly on a cold dish. Syrup may be colored if desired. Spun Sugar is served around bricks or moulds of frozen creams and ices.
Dippers for spinning sugar are made of coarse wires; about twenty wires, ten inches long, are put in a bundle, and fastened with wire coiled round and round to form a handle.
Cream Mints.—Page [546].
Candied Orange Peel.—Page [547].
Bread and Butter Folds.—Page [549].
Noisette Sandwiches.—Page [552].
CHAPTER XXXIV
SANDWICHES AND CANAPÉS
In preparing bread for sandwiches, cut slices as thinly as possible, and remove crusts. If butter is used, cream the butter, and spread bread before cutting from loaf. Spread half the slices with mixture to be used for filling, cover with remaining pieces, and cut in squares, oblongs, or triangles. If sandwiches are shaped with round or fancy cutters, bread should be shaped before spreading, that there may be no waste of butter. Sandwiches which are prepared several hours before serving time may be kept fresh and moist by wrapping in a napkin wrung as dry as possible out of hot water, and keeping in a cool place. Paraffine paper is often used for the same purpose. Bread for sandwiches cuts better when a day old. Serve sandwiches piled on a plate covered with a doily.