CANDIES

684.—PLAIN FONDANT

4 cups granulated sugar1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup boiling water

Put sugar in a smooth, clean saucepan, add boiling water, and stir until dissolved; heat slowly to boiling point, add cream of tartar, and boil without stirring to 240° F., or until sirup will form a soft ball when tested in cold water. As sirup granulates around the sides of saucepan, wash down with a clean brush which has been dipped quickly into cold water; pour out upon a slightly oiled slab or large platter; as the edges begin to harden, turn them toward the center, and when the mixture is partly cooled work with a wooden spatula or butter paddle until creamy; when it begins to lump, knead with the hands until smooth. Let stand a few hours before using, or keep in a covered jar until needed.

685.—COFFEE FONDANT

Follow recipe for Plain Fondant (see No. 684), using strong, clear coffee in place of water. Or, if only a small quantity is needed, melt plain fondant over hot water and add one teaspoon of instantaneous coffee to each cup. This may be used melted for mints, or for dipping, or, when cooled, for centers.

686.—BONBON CENTERS

Cut candied fruits or nuts into small pieces, and work with a bit of fondant into small balls; let stand a few hours before dipping. Keep centers small so that bonbons will not be too large when finished.

687.—FONDANT BONBONS

Melt fondant over hot water; flavor and color as desired; dip bonbon centers one at a time, and remove with a fork or confectioners' dipper; place on an oiled slab or platter until cold.

688.—CHOCOLATE BONBONS

Melt bitter chocolate in a cup over hot water, and dip centers the same as for Fondant Bonbons (see No. 687). Dot chocolate (sweetened) may be used if preferred. Confectioners' chocolate is best for dipping, but cooking chocolate is satisfactory if half a teaspoon of butter is melted with each four squares.

689.—FONDANT MINTS

Put Plain Fondant (see No. 684) in cups, melt over hot water, and flavor with a few drops of oil of spearmint, wintergreen, orange, lime, or any desired flavor; color lightly if desired, and drop from a teaspoon upon an oiled slab or platter.

690.—QUICK FONDANT

Break the white of an egg into a bowl, add a tablespoon of water and about two cups of confectioners' sugar, or enough to knead. Flavor with oil, extracts, or grated orange or lemon rind, and color as desired. Use for mints (rolled and cut), stuffing dates, prunes, cherries or nuts, or for bonbon centers.

691.—QUICK MINTS

1 cup sugar1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
½ cup boiling water3 drops oil of spearmint

Put sugar into a smooth, clean saucepan, add boiling water, and stir until dissolved; add cream of tartar, and boil to 234° F., or about five minutes; cool slightly, add flavoring, beat until creamy, and drop from a teaspoon on an oiled slab or platter. If mixture thickens before all is used, add a few drops of boiling water. Oil or essence of wintergreen, lime, orange, etc., may be used instead of spearmint, and mixture may be colored lightly to correspond with flavoring.

692.—AFTER-DINNER MINTS

2 cups sugar½ cup boiling water
¼ cup molasses4 drops oil of spearmint

Put sugar and molasses into a smooth, clean saucepan, add boiling water, heat gradually to the boiling point, and boil to 258° F., or until candy becomes brittle when tested in cold water; add flavoring, pour on an oiled slab or platter, and when cool enough to handle pull until nearly white; pull into long strips about half an inch in diameter, and cut in small pieces with scissors; roll in powdered sugar, and keep in a covered jar for several days before using.

693.—APRICOT PASTE

Follow recipe for Mint Paste (see No. 694), omitting spearmint and coloring, and adding one cup of stewed and strained dried apricots (without juice); roll in confectioners' sugar, or dip in melted fondant or chocolate.

694.—MINT PASTE

1 box granulated gelatine¼ cup lemon juice
2/3 cup cold waterGrated rind 1 orange
1 cup boiling water5 drops oil of spearmint
2 cups sugarGreen coloring

Soak gelatine in cold water five minutes; dissolve in boiling water; add sugar, and stir until dissolved; add lemon juice, and boil twenty minutes; add rind, flavoring, and coloring; pour into a small pan and let stand for several hours; cut into cubes and roll in confectioners' sugar. Oil of wintergreen, cloves, or cinnamon may be used in place of spearmint, and other coloring may be used.

695.—TURKISH DELIGHT

1 box granulated gelatine3 tablespoons lemon juice
2/3 cup strained orange juiceGrated rind 1 orange
1 cup boiling water¼ cup nut meats cut fine
2 cups sugar½ cup candied fruit cut fine

Soak gelatine in orange juice five minutes; dissolve in boiling water, add sugar and lemon juice, and stir until sugar is dissolved; boil twenty minutes; add rind, and, when nearly cold, add nuts and fruit and pour into a small pan; let stand several hours, cut in cubes, and roll in confectioners' sugar. Paste may be colored pink by adding red gelatine to the orange juice.

696.—FRUIT WAFERS

½ pound prunesJuice and grated rind ½ lemon
½ pound figsConfectioners' sugar
½ pound dates

Soak prunes and figs in cold water over night, drain and wipe dry; cut prunes from stones, stone dates, and put all fruit through food chopper, using finest cutter; add lemon rind, juice, and sugar enough to knead to a firm paste; roll on a sugared board to one-fourth-inch thickness, and cut in small rounds, squares, or diamonds. Or form paste into small balls, and roll in coconut or chopped nut meats. One-half cup of finely chopped nut meats may be added to the paste. This is an excellent filling for stuffed dates.

697.—SPICED RAISINS

2 cups large raisins seeded½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ tablespoon butter½ teaspoon mace
2 tablespoons vinegar¼ teaspoon clove
2 tablespoons water

Cook very slowly until raisins are plump and liquid has evaporated. Cool, and roll in granulated sugar.

698.—STUFFED DATES

Wash one pound large dates, dry, and remove stones; stuff with plain fondant, or fondant mixed with candied fruits or nuts; or stuff with a seeded raisin, or a piece of date, fig, or pineapple. Roll in confectioners' sugar.

699.—STUFFED PRUNES

1 pound large prunes½ cup confectioners' sugar
½ pound dried apricots

Wash fruit, soak over night, drain and dry; remove stones from prunes with a knife; put apricots through food chopper, mix with sugar, and fill prunes; roll in confectioners' sugar.

700.—MARRONS GLACÉS

2 cups sugar1 tablespoon corn sirup
1½ cups water1 pint chestnuts

Shell one pint of chestnuts (see No. 243) and simmer in a sirup made of sugar and water until chestnuts are tender but not broken. Drain from sirup; cook the sirup with the corn sirup to 310° F., or until sirup begins to discolor. Remove saucepan from fire, place in a saucepan of hot water, put chestnuts on a dipping needle or long pin, and dip in sirup until thoroughly coated; place on an oiled platter.

701.—NUTS AND FRUITS GLACÉ

2 cups sugar1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup water

Boil sugar, water, and cream of tartar to 310° F. Follow directions for dipping Marrons Glacés (see No. 700). Cherries, strawberries, orange sections, grapes, or mint and rose leaves may be dipped in the same way.