b.u.t.ter the dish into which the candy is to be poured before you begin to cook. To do this put a little piece of b.u.t.ter on a piece of clean soft paper and rub it all over the dish.
Always stir round the edge as well as the middle of the saucepan. Stir slowly but continually, for candy burns very quickly if left alone.
The flavoring should be added just before taking the saucepan off the fire.
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 sc.u.m 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 b.u.t.tered 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. b.u.t.ter.
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.
Cocoanut Cream
1-1/2 lb. granulated sugar.
4 oz. grated cocoanut.
Melt the sugar with as little water as possible. Continue to let it boil gently until the syrup begins to return to sugar again. Directly this happens put in the cocoanut and mix thoroughly. Pour the mixture into a flat dish or tin.
Cocoanut Cream (_another way_)
1 cocoanut, grated.
1 lb. granulated sugar.
1/2 a cup of cocoanut-milk.
1 oz. b.u.t.ter.
Put the sugar, cocoanut-milk, and b.u.t.ter into a saucepan. When they boil, add the cocoanut gradually. Boil for ten minutes, stirring all the time. Pour the mixture into a basin and beat till nearly cold, then turn out into a dish.
Cocoanut Drops
1/2 lb. cocoanut, grated.
1/2 lb. white sugar.
The whites of 2 eggs, well beaten.
Mix well together and bake in drops on b.u.t.tered paper for fifteen minutes.
Cream Caramels
1 tin Nestle"s milk.
1 lb. soft white sugar.
2 oz. b.u.t.ter.
Vanilla.
Melt the sugar with a very little water, and when boiling add the b.u.t.ter and Nestle"s milk. Stir continually, as the mixture burns very easily, for fifteen minutes. Try in water to see if it will set. Add the vanilla, pour into a dish, and beat until nearly cold.
One ounce of cocoanut or 2 of grated chocolate can be used instead of vanilla to flavor the above.
Fruit Cream
1 cocoanut, grated.
1-1/2 lb. granulated sugar, moistened with a little cocoanut-milk.
Put the sugar in a saucepan and let it heat slowly. Then boil rapidly five minutes; add grated cocoanut, and boil ten minutes. Stir constantly. Put a little on a cold plate, and if it makes a firm paste, take from fire. Pour part of it into a large tin lined with greased paper; and add to what remains in the saucepan, chopped blanched almonds, candied cherries, nuts, etc. Pour this over the other cream, and cut in bars.
Pop-Corn
The corn has to be "popped" over a clear fire in a little iron basket with a long handle. The corn is put in the basket and shaken continually, and in time each grain pops suddenly and becomes a little irregular white ball. These can be eaten with salt, or rolled in a sweet syrup (colored and flavored as you like it best) made of 1/2 lb.
of white sugar boiled for ten minutes with a very little water.
The Plainest Toffee
3 oz. b.u.t.ter.
1 lb. brown sugar.
Stir until done.
Another Toffee