Red Apples.—As dinner favors, red apples are unusually effective. For the foundation use pulled figs, stuffed with any good mixture. Nuts and pitted dates may be used for the filling, but the combination is a little too heavy. Marshmallows and pecan meats are preferable. A third possibility is chopped nuts and figs. Whatever filling is used, the method of its insertion is the same. If the figs are dry, steam them thoroughly. Make a slit in the side, fill with the chosen mixture, and pinch together the edges of the opening.
As the covering for the figs, uncooked fondant must be used. Cinnamon is a popular flavoring. Color it with red paste. At this stage in the process it should not be made the shade desired for the finished product, but there should be enough of the red to overcome the dead white of the fondant. In other words, make the first coating much lighter than it otherwise would be. Into the uncooked fondant, sugar must be worked until modeling is easy.
Encase the stuffed fig in fondant. The thickness of the coating will depend upon the size of the fig; the finished product should be about the size of a real apple. Model the surface so that it looks as much like an apple as possible. If it is desired to have the confection all edible, use a piece of angelique for the stem; a twig from a vine or bush really looks better, however. For the blossom end use a clove. If the general directions given above are followed, the result will be a surprising naturalness.
Proceeding as directed on page [64], use the vegetable coloring pastes for the coloring. As the red color paste is likely to have the magenta shade overmuch, the first coating would better be of orange and the second of enough dark red to give the true apple red.
To intensify the color and leave the apple glossy, brush it with crystal syrup cooked to two hundred and twenty degrees. The syrup should be used while yet warm and should be applied smoothly.
By the use of other colors, other sorts of apples can be made.
Before being eaten, these apples, like real apples, should be cut into sections.
See the illustration facing this page, and No. 24 of the [frontispiece].
Single Roses.—They may be pink, red, yellow or white. The process in each case is the same except for the coloring and the flavoring. Take as much fondant as is needed for roses of one color and as the base, use uncooked potato fondant. Divide it into three lots and color with paste the shade desired—the first so very faintly that its tint is just off the white, the second a little deeper and the third deeper still. Always remember that immersion in hot syrup deepens the color. Remember, too, that the three lots of different shades are for roses of one color only.