CHOCOLATE WORK.
HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE CREAM DROPS.
The first thing needed is a Chocolate warmer; this consists in a large tin or sheet-iron pan, inside of which is a smaller one arranged so water can circulate between them; set this pan on the fire, and bring the water to a boil; set off and put into the warmer any quantity desired of sweet Chocolate, having pounded it fine, so as to melt readily; stir thoroughly until dissolved into a thin paste; add a little ground cinnamon; now, having prepared the drops for dipping, in the following manner, viz.: Roll out a piece of Cream into a strip; then with a knife cut it into pieces of equal size; roll it again into balls; lay them in trays until they have dried a little, so they will keep their shape; then pour a cup of melted Chocolate on the warm slab (this should be a small marble slab, set in a frame, having an oil or gas stove, or a few gas jets under it; heat this slab blood warm); throw into it a number of these Cream Balls; work them around in the Chocolate until coated; then drop them from the hand with the forefinger and thumb on sheets of tin covered with wax paper; set them in a cool place until the Chocolate hardens; they are then ready for use; in summer they should be put into an ice chest until hardened.
Another way to prepare the Cream for dipping, is to dissolve a few pounds of Cream in the same manner as for Bonbons; then with a funnel run it into starch prints; in a little while they may be removed from the starch, dusted and dipped as before. In this same mixture may be dipped drops made from powdered Sugar in the following way: Grate the outside rine of a few Lemons, and having formed the Sugar into a cone, hollow out the top; pour into this the juice squeezed from the Lemons, together with the rine, and work all into a Cream; do the same with Oranges and with any kind of Fruit juice; add a little Citric Acid dissolved in water to bring out the Fruit flavor; also, dip in this mixture roasted Almonds, Nougat cut into small squares, Marshmallow Drops, Cocoanut Paste, plain Fondant squares, placing an English Walnut half on the top.
TO MAKE SWEET CHOCOLATE FROM PLAIN.
Melt in the Chocolate warmer any number pounds of Cocoa Paste; when dissolved stir into it one half pound of fine Sugar dust to each pound of Cocoa Paste.
PRALINES.
Cook four pounds of Sugar, small spoon of cream tartar, one quart rich Cream to a very soft ball; set off and work the Sugar on the sides of the basin with a small wooden spatula until it turns cloudy; work this cloud into the body of the Sugar, and so on until it has a whitish appearance throughout; then, with a funnel, run it into starch prints; in a few hours they may be taken out, dusted and dipped in melted Chocolate, in the same manner as Bonbons, with a wire ladle, dropping them on sheets of tin covered with wax paper; make them in Vanilla, Strawberry, Nectar, Lemon, Orange and Coffee. To make Coffee, take one-half pound best ground Coffee to one quart of water; set on the fire and bring to a boil; set off and let simmer a few moments; then strain, and use this liquid to cook the Sugar with instead of Cream, and finish as before; any kind of Jelly may be dipped in Chocolate, and are very nice.