To find out if your taffy or candy has boiled long enough, drop a little in the cup of cold water. If it at once becomes crisp and hard, it is done.
Before your candy is quite cold, mark it with a silver knife into squares. This will make it break up more easily and neatly when cold.
Barley Sugar
- 1 lb. powdered sugar.
- The white of an egg.
- 1/2 a pint of water.
- 1/2 a lemon.
Dissolve the sugar in the water, and add the well-beaten white of an egg (this must be done before the mixture is heated). Then put on the fire in a strong saucepan. Remove all scum as it rises, and when the syrup begins to look clear, take off the fire and strain through muslin. Put the syrup back into the saucepan and let it boil quickly until you find by testing it that it is done. Then add the juice of the lemon and pour on to a buttered dish. Before the mixture sets cut it into strips and twist.
Chocolate Caramels
- 1 tea-cup golden syrup.
- 1 tea-cup brown sugar.
- 1 tea-cup milk.
- 2 oz. butter.
- 4 oz. powdered chocolate.
- A pinch of salt.
- 16 drops vanilla.
Boil all together for half an hour, stirring continually.
Cocoanut caramels are made in the same way, except that 1 oz. of grated or desiccated cocoanut is used instead of the chocolate.