OPERA FUDGE.

Put sugar and cream in kettle, set on hot fire, stir until it commences to boil, then add the cream of tartar, and put in the thermometer, and stir constantly but very gently until it is cooked to 238, being sure to move the thermometer very often with paddle, and stir underneath it, to prevent it from sticking; then pour on slab, moistened a little previously, but do not scrape out the kettle, and allow it to stand until it is perfectly cold, then cream or turn it exactly as directed for bon-bon cream, and when it works up into a hard ball, cover with a damp cloth for about thirty to forty minutes, when you will see that it has sweat enough so that it may be taken in the hands and moulded up in any way desired, or may be sliced down with the knife, cut into squares, and eaten at once if you wish. If you wish you may add a good teaspoonful of vanilla while creaming it, and thus have a vanilla fudge. If you wish to make a chocolate fudge out of this, as soon as you remove the damp cloth, take part or all of it, and work into it, with your hands, by kneading it, enough melted chocolate to color it well, then pat it out into a thin cake and put it into a small box cover previously lined with wax paper, smoothing it out to about three-fourths of an inch thick, then set it away for several hours to harden a little. To remove it, simply turn the lid over, letting it fall out, and then peel the wax paper from it, and cut it up in small squares. Take the remainder, after making part of it chocolate, and into it work sufficient chopped nuts or chopped cherries and citron to show up well, and if desired, color it pink and flavor with rose, and mould up in the same manner as directed for chocolate fudge. As you see, you may make this fudge any color or flavor you desire; but the ones we have mentioned you will find about the best. You have probably noticed that this fudge is made about the same as bon-bon cream, only with this you do not cover and steam it, and also must stir it constantly but gently, or it will sugar for you. You will also notice that it takes longer to cream up than it does bon-bon cream, and is very stiff when you commence turning it, but do not notice that, nor get discouraged, because if you cooked it to the required degree, it will not fail to come out all right for you. You will find that fudge will keep fresh for quite a while, if you put it in a can or jar with a tight cover, and keep it in a cool dry place.

If the fudge sugars for you, you will know that you have either stirred it too much, started to cream it when too warm, or disturbed it while cooling; try adding a pinch more of the cream of tartar in your next batch.

Don’t forget to make the correct allowance, in case your thermometer does not register 212 in boiling water.

If it should sugar and not cream up into a hard ball, it must not be used for this fudge again, but add a little cream to it, also a small amount of glucose, and make the plain fudge out of it.

Don’t have the slab too wet when pouring out this fudge, but just moist, as it is liable to throw your batch back a few degrees.