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