To thin Chocolate when too thick for dipping, add a little Cocoa Butter, Rape Seed Oil or fresh melted Suet.
To thicken when too thin, add fine Sugar dust. Chocolate for dipping can be flavored with vanilla sugar, ground cinnamon, cloves, allspice or mace.
VARNISH FOR CHOCOLATE WORK.
Place in a glass jar a quantity of Gum Shellac; pour over it enough Alcohol to cover; let remain till next day; when ready to use, pour out a quantity in a vessel; add Alcohol until of the consistency of varnish, then apply with a brush.
APPLE JELLY.
Take any quantity of Sweet Apples; cut them into slices, and put them into a basin with enough water to cover; set on the fire and cook until quite soft; remove and rub through a fine sieve; now, if wishing to run this in starch for dipping, add to one quart of this pulp one ounce of dissolved Gelatine; then cook five pounds of Sugar to a Good Ball, and stir in this pulp; now, with a funnel, run it into the starch prints; next day, after removing them from the starch and dusting, they are ready to dip; but if a stiff Jelly is wanted for Jelly Rolls, etc., add to each pint of this pulp one pound of pulverized Sugar; set on the fire and boil, stirring all the time, until it begins to adhere to the spatula; then remove and pour out into pans or trays, spreading it of any thickness wished; this is the basis of almost all Jellies, such as Strawberry, Raspberry, Pineapple, etc.; simply color and flavor to to suit taste.
APRICOT JELLY.
Cook ten pounds of Sugar to a Hard Ball; then add to it five pounds of Apricot Pulp, having strained it through a fine sieve; pour a portion into a funnel and set the rest near the fire to keep warm; run it into starch prints, and let it remain until next day: they may then be removed, dusted free of any adhering starch, and dipped in melted Fondant.
PRESERVING FRUITS.
Select the finest Fruit, but not too ripe, and pare such as Peaches, Quinces and Pears; then, with an ordinary fork, prick them to the seed in several places, so that the air in the Fruit may escape, and also so the Sugar may enter the Fruit more easily; as they are pricked throw them into cold water, this prevents them from becoming black in the places pricked; now, put them into a basin of hot water, letting them simmer until parboiled, then, with a skimming ladle, dip them from the hot water and drop them into a basin of cold water, allowing them to remain a few moments; remove from the water and put on a hair sieve to drain; when drained, put them in a wide-mouthed crock and bring to a boil a quantity of simple syrup; pour this over the Fruit; then place a plate over the top to hold the Fruit under the syrup; set away till next day, then empty this crock of Fruit and put the syrup again into the basin, and bring just to the boil; return again to the crock and cover with the plate; do this each following day, for six days; by this time the Fruit will take up no more Sugar; put them into a cool place.