RECIPES FOR TAFFY

77. VANILLA TAFFY.--The taffy explained in the accompanying recipe is flavored with vanilla and when pulled is white in color. However, it may be made in different colors and flavors by merely substituting the desired flavor for the vanilla and using the coloring preferred. This recipe may also be used for chocolate taffy by adding melted chocolate just before the taffy has finished boiling.

VANILLA TAFFY

To the sugar, add the cream of tartar, vinegar, and boiling water. Place over the fire and boil until it will form a brittle ball when tested in cold water or will register at least 260 degrees on a thermometer. Just before the boiling is completed, add the butter. Remove from the fire, add the vanilla, pour in a shallow layer in a buttered pan or plate. Cool and pull. When the taffy has been pulled until it is perfectly white and is hard enough to retain its shape, twist it into a long, thin rope and cut with a pair of scissors into inch lengths.

78. BUTTER TAFFY.--Another variety of taffy flavored with vanilla is the one given in the accompanying recipe. It is called butter taffy because butter is used in a rather large amount for flavoring. It will be noted, also, that brown sugar and corn sirup are two of the ingredients. These, with the butter, give the taffy a very delightful flavor.

BUTTER TAFFY

Mix all the ingredients except the butter and vanilla. Place over the fire and boil until a brittle ball will form in cold water or a temperature of 260 degrees is reached. Just before the boiling has been completed, add the butter. Remove from the fire, add the vanilla, and pour in a thin layer into greased pans or plates. Cool, pull, and cut.

79. MOLASSES TAFFY.--Of all the taffies, that made with molasses is nearly always the favorite. A light cane molasses that is not very strong in flavor is the preferred kind for this candy. When cut into round flat pieces and wrapped in waxed paper, molasses taffy appeals to both old and young.

MOLASSES TAFFY

Mix all the ingredients except the butter. Cook until a brittle ball will form or a temperature of 264 degrees is reached on the thermometer. Add the butter just before the boiling is completed. Remove from the fire, pour into greased pans or plates, and allow it to become cool enough to handle. Then pull and cut.

80. CHEWING TAFFY.--A taffy that is hard enough not to be sticky and still soft enough to chew easily is often desired. Chewing taffy, which is explained in the accompanying recipe, is a candy of this kind. After being pulled, it may be cut as other taffy is cut or it may be piled in a mass and chopped into pieces.

CHEWING TAFFY

Put the gelatine to soak in a few tablespoonfuls of cold water. Cook the sugar, sirup, and milk until the mixture will form a hard ball that may be dented with the fingers or it reaches a temperature of 252 degrees. Stir the mixture gently to prevent burning. Remove from the fire and add the butter. Take the gelatine from the water, squeeze it as dry as possible, and add it to the hot mixture, stirring until it is entirely dissolved. Pour on a greased surface, cool, and pull until it is a light-cream color. While pulling, flavor with vanilla and a few drops of lemon. Stretch into a long thin rope and cut into inch lengths or pile in a mass and chop into pieces.

81. BUTTER SCOTCH.--Closely related to taffies so far as ingredients are concerned is candy known as butter scotch. This variety, however, is not pulled as are the taffies, but is allowed to become cool and then marked in squares which are broken apart when the candy is entirely cold.

BUTTER SCOTCH

Mix all the ingredients except the butter and the lemon extract. Boil until a hard ball will form or 256 degrees register on the thermometer. Just before the boiling is completed, add the butter, and when the mixture has been removed from the fire, add the lemon extract. Pour into a greased pan, and before it has entirely cooled, cut into squares with a knife. When cold and desired for serving, remove from the pan and break the squares apart. If desired, candy of this kind may be allowed to become entirely cold without cutting and then broken into irregular pieces just before being served.

82. MARSHMALLOWS COATED WITH BUTTER SCOTCH.--A delightful confection may be made by covering marshmallows with hot butter scotch. To accomplish this, drop the marshmallows with a coating fork or an ordinary table fork into hot butter scotch that has just finished cooking. Remove them quickly, but see that the marshmallows are entirely covered. Drop on a buttered pan or plate and set aside to cool.

83. GLACÉ NUTS AND FRUITS.--Nuts and fruits covered with a clear, hard candy are known as glacé nuts and fruits. These are a very delightful confection, and can easily be made if the accompanying directions are carefully followed. Nuts of any variety may be used for this purpose, and such nuts as almonds need not be blanched. Candied cherries, candied pineapple, pressed figs, dates, and raisins are the fruits that are usually glacéd. Confections of this kind should be eaten while fresh or kept in a closed receptacle in a dry place.

GLACÉ NUTS AND FRUITS

Prepare the nuts by shelling them and, if necessary, roasting them, and the fruits by cutting them into small strips or cubes. Mix the sugar and cream of tartar and add the water. Cook until it will form a very brittle ball in water, will spin hair-like threads when drops of it fall from the spoon, or registers 290 degrees on the thermometer. Remove from the fire and put in a convenient place for the dipping of the fruit and nuts. Drop these into the hot sirup, one at a time, with a coating fork or an ordinary table fork. When entirely covered with the sirup, remove and drop on greased plates or pans.

84. PEANUT BRITTLE.--Peanuts are often used in confection making and are very much liked by the majority of persons. They come in two general varieties, which may be roasted before use or used unroasted, and it is well for the housewife to understand the difference between them. One variety is the large, oblong peanut generally sold at peanut stands and used for the salted peanuts sold in confectionery stores. The other is the variety known as Spanish peanuts, which are small and round. For some candies, it is necessary that the peanuts be roasted and the skins removed, while for others unroasted peanuts with the skins on are desirable. To remove the skins from unroasted peanuts, they must be blanched by immersing them in boiling water until the skins will slip off easily, but in the case of roasted peanuts, the skins may be removed without blanching.

85.Peanut brittle is one of the candies in which peanuts are used. As its name implies, it is very thin and brittle and it usually contains a great many peanuts. Two recipes for candy of this kind are here given, one requiring peanuts that are roasted and blanched and the other, peanuts that are unroasted and not blanched.

PEANUT BRITTLE NO. 1

Put the sugar in a saucepan without any water. Place it over a slow fire and allow it to melt gradually until a clear, reddish-brown liquid is formed, taking care not to allow it to burn. Have a pan greased and covered with a thick layer of a large variety of roasted peanuts. Pour the melted sugar over them and allow it to become hard. Then break into pieces and serve.

PEANUT BRITTLE NO. 2

Mix the sugar, sirup, and water and place it over the fire. Boil until a hard ball will form or a temperature of 250 degrees is reached on the thermometer. Add the butter and the peanuts without removing their brown skins. Allow to cook, stirring all the time, until the mixture begins to turn a light brown and the skins of the peanuts pop open, showing that the peanuts are roasted. Remove from the fire, add the vanilla and the soda and stir rapidly. Then pour the mixture, which will become thick upon the addition of the soda, on a flat, greased surface. A slab is better for this purpose than anything else, but if this cannot be obtained a metal or other hard table top may be used. When the candy begins to get stiff, loosen it from the surface on which it was poured, cut it into two pieces, and turn each over; or, if it can be handled without cutting, turn the entire piece over. Then stretch the candy until it is just as thin as possible, beginning around the edge. As it becomes colder, stretch even thinner. When entirely cool, break into pieces and serve.

86. NUT BARS.--Another excellent nut candy can be made by pouring a sirup made of sugar, corn sirup, and water over a thick layer of nuts. Such fruits as dates and figs or coconut, or a combination of these, may be used with the nuts, if desired.

NUT BARS

Put the sugar, sirup, and water over the fire and stir until it boils. Cover and cook until a hard ball will form or a temperature of 254 or 256 degrees is reached. Spread the nuts on a buttered slab or pan, and to them add fruit or coconut if it is desired to use either of these. Pour the hot sirup over this until it is about 1 inch in thickness. When sufficiently cool, cut in pieces of any desirable size, using a quick, sliding motion of the knife and pressing down at the same time. Break into pieces when entirely cold and serve.

87. NATURE OF CARAMELS.--Caramels are included among the popular candies, and they may be made in many varieties. To plain vanilla caramels, which are the simplest kind to make, may be added any desirable color or flavor at the time they are removed from the fire. To keep caramels from crystallizing after they are boiled, glucose in some form must be used, and the most convenient kind to secure is corn sirup. Then, too, caramels will cut more easily and will have less of a sticky consistency if a small piece of paraffin is boiled with the mixture. The addition of this material or any wax that is not a food is contrary to the pure-food laws, and such candy cannot be sold. However, paraffin is not harmful, but is merely a substance that is not digested, so that the small amount taken by eating candy in which it is used cannot possibly cause any injury.

88.In the making of caramels, it should be remembered that good results depend on boiling the mixture to just the right point. If they are not boiled enough, they will be too soft to retain their shape when cut, and if they are cooked too long, they will be brittle. Neither of these conditions is the proper consistency for caramels. To be right, they must be boiled until a temperature of 246 to 248 degrees is reached. However, chocolate caramels need not be boiled so long, as the chocolate helps to harden them.

89. PLAIN CARAMELS.--The accompanying recipe for plain caramels may be made just as it is given, or to it may be added any flavoring or coloring desired. A pink color and strawberry flavor are very often found in caramels and are considered to be a delicious combination. As will be noted, white sugar is called for, but if more of a caramel flavor is preferred, brown sugar may be used instead of white. Maple sugar may also be used in candy of this kind. Nuts, fruits, or coconut, or any mixture of these materials, improves plain caramels wonderfully. If they are used, they should be stirred into the mixture at the time it is removed from the fire.

PLAIN CARAMELS

The milk used for making caramels should be as rich as possible; in fact, if cream can be used, the candy will be very much better. Add half of the milk to the sugar and sirup and put over the fire to cook. Allow this mixture to boil until a soft ball will form when dropped in water, stirring when necessary to prevent burning. Then gradually add the remaining milk without stopping the boiling if possible. Cook again until a temperature of 248 degrees will register on the thermometer or a fairly hard ball will form when tried in water. In the water test, the ball, when thoroughly cold, should have exactly the same consistency as the finished caramels. Toward the end of the boiling, it is necessary to stir the mixture almost constantly to prevent it from burning. When done, pour it out on a buttered slab or some other flat surface and allow it to become cool. Then cut the candy into squares from 3/4 to 1 inch in size, cutting with a sliding pressure, that is, bearing down and away from you at the same time.

If the caramels are to be packed or kept for any length of time, it is well to wrap them in waxed paper. Before attempting to use caramels, however, they should be allowed to stand overnight in a cool, dry place, but not in a refrigerator.

90. CHOCOLATE CARAMELS.--When chocolate caramels are made, the chocolate should be added just before the cooking is finished. The amount of chocolate to be used may be varied to suit the taste, but 2 squares are usually considered sufficient for the quantities given in the accompanying recipe.

CHOCOLATE CARAMELS

Cook the molasses or maple sirup, the corn sirup, and the sugar with 1 cupful of the milk until the mixture will form a soft ball in cold water. Then add the remainder of the milk and cook until the mixture is thick. Add the butter, chocolate, and salt, and cook until a hard ball will form in cold water or a temperature of 248 degrees is reached, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Add the vanilla, pour on a buttered surface, cool, cut, and serve.

91.There are numerous varieties of cream candies, some of which must be made with great care while others may be made quickly and easily. For instance, fudge, penuchie, divinity, and sea foam are examples of cream candies that do not require long preparation, but these must generally be used up quickly, as they do not stay soft upon exposure to the air unless it is very moist. On the other hand, such cream candies as opera cream, fondant, center cream, and orientals require both care and time in their preparation. If these are properly looked after, they may be kept for some time. In fact, it is necessary that some of them stand for several days before they can be made into the numerous varieties to which they lend themselves.

The main point to consider in the preparation of all cream candies is that crystallization of the sugar, which is commonly calledgraining, must be prevented if a creamy mixture is to be the result. Candies of this kind are not palatable unless they are soft and creamy. However, no difficulty will be experienced in preparing delicious cream candies if the principles of candy making previously given are applied.

92. FUDGE NO. 1.--Probably no other candy is so well known and so often made as fudge. Even persons little experienced in candy making have success with candy of this kind. Another advantage of fudge is that it can be made up quickly, very little time being required in its preparation. Several varieties of fudge may be made, the one given in the accompanying recipe being a chocolate fudge containing a small quantity of corn starch.

FUDGE No. 1

Mix the sugar, milk, butter, and salt and boil until a very soft ball will form in water. Then add the chocolate and the corn starch, which has been moistened with the cold water. Boil to a temperature of 236 degrees or until a ball that will hold together well and may be handled is formed in cold water. Remove from the fire and allow the mixture to cool until there is practically no heat in it. Add the vanilla, beat until thick, pour into a buttered pan, cut into squares, and serve.

93. FUDGE NO. 2.--A fudge containing corn sirup is liked by many persons. It has a slightly different flavor from the other variety of fudge, but is just as creamy if the directions are carefully followed.

FUDGE No. 2

Cook the milk, sugar, corn sirup, butter, and salt until the mixture will form a very soft ball when tried in water. Add the chocolate and cook again until a soft ball that can be handled will form or the thermometer registers 236 degrees. Remove from the fire, cool without stirring until entirely cold, and then add the vanilla. Beat until creamy, pour into buttered pans, cut into squares, and serve.

94. TWO LAYER FUDGE.--A very attractive as well as delicious fudge can be had by making it in two layers, one white and one dark. The dark layer contains chocolate while the white one is the same mixture, with the exception of the chocolate. The layers may be arranged with either the white or the dark layer on top, as preferred.

TWO-LAYER FUDGE

Mix the sugar, milk, corn sirup, butter, and salt, and cook until a very soft ball will form. Transfer half of the mixture to another pan and add to it the chocolate, which has been melted. Boil each mixture until it tests 238 degrees with the thermometer or a soft ball that can be handled well will form in cold water. Upon removing it from the fire, add the vanilla, putting half into each mixture. Set aside to cool and when all the heat is gone, beat one of the mixtures until it becomes creamy and pour it into a buttered pan. Then beat the other one and pour it over the first. Cut into squares and serve.

95. BROWN-SUGAR FUDGE.--Fudge in which brown sugar is used for the largest part of the sweetening is explained in the accompanying recipe. Peanuts are added, but if desired nuts of any other kind may be used.

BROWN-SUGAR FUDGE

Mix the sugar, milk, and butter and boil until a soft ball will form in cold water or a temperature of 238 degrees is reached on the thermometer. Remove from the fire, add the vanilla, and cool until the heat is out of the mixture. Beat, and when the candy begins to grow creamy, add the chopped nuts. When sufficiently thick, pour into a buttered pan, cut, and serve.

96. MAPLE PENUCHIE.--Almost any kind of maple candy finds favor with the majority of persons, but maple penuchie is especially well liked. Nuts and coconut are used in it, and these improve the flavor very much.

MAPLE PENUCHIE

Into the maple sirup, stir the soda, and add the milk and salt. Place over the fire and boil until a soft ball that can be easily handled will form in cold water or a temperature of 238 degrees is reached on the thermometer. Remove from the fire, add the vanilla, and allow the mixture to become entirely cold. Beat, and when it begins to get thick, add the nuts and coconut. Continue beating until the candy grows stiff but can be poured out. Pour in a buttered pan, cut, and serve.

97. DIVINITY.--An excellent confection known as divinity can be made with very little difficulty if the accompanying recipe is carefully followed. Nuts and raisins are used in this confection, but if desired they may be omitted. As divinity is dropped from a spoon on oiled paper, care should be taken not to boil the mixture too long, or it will be necessary to work very rapidly in order to drop all of it before it becomes too dry.

DIVINITY

Boil the sirup, water, and sugar together until a fairly hard ball will form in cold water or the mixture registers 240 degrees on the thermometer, which is a trifle harder than the fudge mixture. Beat the egg white until it is stiff but not dry. Over this pour the hot mixture a drop at a time until it can be added faster without cooking the egg white. Beat rapidly until all the sirup is added, stir in the vanilla, and when fairly stiff add the nuts and raisins. Continue beating until the mixture will stand alone, and then drop by spoonfuls on oiled paper or a buttered surface. When dry enough to handle, divinity may be served.

98. SEA FOAM.--Another candy in which a cooked sirup is poured over beaten egg white is known as sea foam. Candies of this kind should be served at once, for they are apt to become dry and hard if they are allowed to stand.

SEA FOAM

Boil the sugar, water, and salt until a fairly hard ball will form or the thermometer registers 240 degrees. Beat the egg white stiff, but not dry. Pour the hot sirup over the egg white, a drop at a time at first, and then as fast as possible without cooking the egg white. Add the vanilla and continue beating the mixture until it will stand alone. Drop by spoonfuls on a buttered surface or oiled paper. When sufficiently dry, remove from the surface and serve.

99. NATURE OF FONDANT.--Fondant is the foundation cream out of which bonbons and various other fancy candies are made. It is also used for stuffing dates, taking the place of the pit. While it is not so desirable for the centers of chocolate creams as for most of the other candies for which it is used, it can, of course, be coated with chocolate if desired. Some persons have an idea that fondant and related candies are difficult to make, but if directions are followed carefully this will not be the case.

[Illustration: FIG. 5][Illustration: FIG. 6]

100.In the first place, it should be remembered that the weather is an important factor in the success of candy of this kind. A clear, cold day should be selected, for it is difficult to make fondant successfully on a warm or a damp day. Then, too, it is an excellent plan to make more than can be used at one time, for no greater labor will be involved in the making of a large amount than a small amount and better results may be expected. If the fondant material is cared for properly, small quantities of it may be made up as desired. Therefore, if convenient equipment is on hand for making candies of this type, no less than 2-1/2 pounds should be made at one time. Five pounds is a preferable amount, but, if desired, 10 pounds may be made up at one time, although this amount is about as much as one person can handle and even this is somewhat difficult for some to work up.

A little ingenuity on the part of the person making up the fondant will result in many delightful bonbons. Candied fruits, nuts, coconut, and numerous varieties of flavoring and coloring may be utilized very successfully with fondant. It should be remembered, however, that bonbons do not keep fresh for more than a few days or a week at the most if they are exposed to the air. If it is desired to keep them for any length of time, they should be packed in a tin box, but when stored in this way, different colors should not be placed next to each other or they will mix.

101. FONDANT.--As will be noted, the accompanying recipe for fondant calls for 5 pounds of sugar. It is not necessary that all of the fondant be worked up at once. Indeed, it is suggested that this amount be prepared and then stored so that the fondant may be used as needed. If a smaller amount should be desired, half of each ingredient may be used.

FONDANT

Mix the sugar, water, and acetic acid or cream of tartar. Place over the fire and, as in Fig. 5, stir until the sugar is dissolved. Just before the mixture begins to boil, wash down the sides of the kettle with a wet cloth, as shown in Fig. 6. Then place a lid over the kettle and cook until almost ready to test. Remove the cover and, as in Fig. 7, insert a thermometer, which should register 238 degrees. If the fondant is to be stored for some time, it may be boiled to 240 degrees, but for general use a mixture that reaches a temperature of 238 degrees will be the most satisfactory. If the water test is applied, as in Fig. 8, the mixture should form a firm ball that can be easily held in the fingers. Just before the boiling is completed, cool a large platter or a slab and moisten it by wetting it with a damp cloth.

[Illustration: FIG. 7]

No time should intervene between the end of the boiling and the removal of the sirup from the stove, for every second that the sirup is allowed to stand over the hot burner before it is poured out will raise the temperature. Pour quickly on the platter, as in Fig. 9, and do not allow it to drip. If some sirup is left in the pan, utilize it for something else, rather than allow it to drop on the surface of the candy in the platter or slab. It is at this point that crystallization begins, and the fondant, instead of being creamy, will become grainy. Cool as quickly as possible, so as to lessen the chances for crystallization to begin, and do not disturb the sirup in any way during the cooling. The best way in which to accomplish this is to put the platter in a cool place and make it perfectly level before the sirup is poured into it.

[Illustration: FIG. 8][Illustration: FIG. 9]

When the mixture has cooled to the extent that it no longer retains any heat, it is ready to be stirred. As already explained, a putty knife or a wallpaper scraper is the most satisfactory utensil to use for this purpose, especially if a large batch is being made. However, a small batch may be stirred very successfully with a case knife. With whatever utensil is selected, scrape the fondant up into a heap, and then, as in Fig. 10, start the working. See that all parts are worked alike. Continue the operation, occasionally scraping off the knife or the paddle used. The first indication of the creaming stage will be a cloudy look in the mixture and a slight thinning of it, so that the work will be easier for a few minutes. It will then gradually begin to harden, and when the end of the work is reached the hardening will progress rapidly. At this stage, try to get the mass together, see that no loose fragments cling to the platter, and pile all into a heap. By the time the working is completed, the candy will be rather hard and will look as if it can never be worked into a soft, creamy candy. It will become soft, however, by the proper treatment.

[Illustration: FIG. 10][Illustration: FIG. 11]

Wring a clean towel or napkin out of cold water, and, as in Fig. 11, place it tightly over the mass of fondant and tuck it in securely around the edges. Allow the candy to stand for an hour in this way. At the end of this time it will be sufficiently moist to work in any desired way. With a knife or a scraper, break it off into pieces of a size that can be handled well at one time and work each one of these soft by squeezing it in the manner shown in Fig. 12. When all of the pieces have been worked soft, pack them into a bowl and continue working until all the fondant has been worked together and is soft. Over the top of the bowl, as shown in Fig. 13, place a damp cloth and cover this with a plate or an earthen cover. Set away in some place where it will remain cool, but will not become too moist, until it is desired for further use.

[Illustration: FIG. 12][Illustration: FIG. 13]

The four recipes that follow show how fondant can be made up into attractive as well as delicious confections. They will doubtless give the housewife other ideas as to ways of preparing candies from this foundation material.

102. BONBONS.--In a broad sense, bonbons mean candy or confections in general, but it is also the name of candies made out of colored and flavored fondant. Sometimes they are made small and dainty and are decorated with a nut meat or a piece of maraschino or candied cherry or candied pineapple. Again, centers may be made that contain coconut, nuts, figs, dates, raisins, etc., and these then dipped in some of the fondant that has been colored, flavored, and melted.

[Illustration: FIG. 14]

103.When bonbons are to be made, remove fondant in pieces from the utensil in which it has been stored. Work it with the hands as it was worked when put away and add the desired coloring and flavoring at this time. If simple bonbons are to be made, form the colored and flavored fondant into tiny balls, place them on oiled paper, and press a nut or a piece of maraschino or candied cherry or candied pineapple on top.

104.To make more elaborate bonbons, form, as in Fig. 14, small round centers out of the fondant to which have been added such materials as dates, figs, raisins, nuts, or coconut, or any combination of these. Only enough fondant should be used to make the other materials stick together. Then, in a double boiler, color, flavor, and melt some of the fondant and, with a coating or other fork, drop the centers into this melted cream. When thoroughly coated, remove, and place on waxed paper. While warm, a piece of nut or candied fruit may be placed on the top of each one. If it is desired not to use fondant in the centers, the nuts or candied fruits themselves may be dipped into the melted bonbon cream and then placed on waxed paper to harden.

[Illustration: FIG. 15]

105. RECEPTION WAFERS.--Thin wafers made of fondant are a confection much used at parties, receptions, and similar social gatherings. One variety of these is colored pink and flavored with wintergreen, while another is flavored with peppermint and not colored in any way. Other colors and flavors may also be made if desired, but the usual kinds are the pink and white ones.

Divide the mass of fondant to be used into two parts and color one of these a pale pink. Flavor the pink mass with wintergreen and the white one with peppermint. Put one of these in a double boiler and allow it to melt until it is soft enough to pour. Then, as in Fig. 15, with a dessert spoon or a tablespoon, drop the melted fondant on a smooth surface in sufficient amounts to make wafers about the size of a quarter. Drop quickly and as accurately as possible so that the wafers will be the same size and shape. Allow them to stand until cold and set.

Sometimes it will be found that two wafers can be dropped from the same spoonful before the material becomes too cold to pour, but usually it is necessary to dip a fresh spoonful for each wafer. As the fondant hardens on the back of the spoon it should be scraped off and put back into the double boiler. A comparatively small amount of fondant should be melted at one time in order to provide against its becoming sugary, but if it shows any signs of this condition the double boiler should be emptied and thoroughly cleaned before more of the fondant is melted in it.

106. RAINBOW DELIGHT.--An especially attractive candy that has fondant for its foundation is rainbow delight. As may be inferred from its name, candy of this kind is in several colors.

To make rainbow delight, divide fondant into three parts. Flavor one with vanilla and to it add chopped nuts. Flavor the second with strawberry, color it pink, and, if desired, add shredded coconut. To the third, add melted bitter chocolate until it is as dark as preferred. Line a small bread pan or a box as smoothly as possible with waxed paper, place the white fondant in the bottom, and press it down into a layer. Over this put the chocolate fondant, press this into a layer, and on top of it place the pink candy. After making the mass smooth and even, allow it to remain where it will be cold until it is set. Then remove it from the pan or box by turning it out on a surface that has been slightly dusted with confectioner's sugar. Have coating chocolate melted and cover the surface of three sides of the candy with a thick layer of the chocolate. If, when the chocolate becomes dry and hard, it seems a little thin, give it a second coating.

When it is entirely cold, turn the candy over and coat the remaining side. To serve, cut into slices and cut each slice into pieces.

107. TUTTI-FRUTTI ROLLS.--Another very good candy that can be made from fondant is tutti-frutti roll. Secure nuts, cherries, candied pineapple, and citron, chop them fine, and to them add shredded coconut. Work these in any quantity desired into the fondant until all are worked through evenly and then flavor with vanilla. Shape the mass into a roll and let it stand until it is well set. Then coat it with coating chocolate. When it has become cold, turn it over and coat the bottom. To serve tutti-frutti roll, cut it into slices.

108. OPERA CREAM.--No more delicious cream candy can be made than that known as opera cream. This may be colored and flavored in many different ways or made up in various forms. When chocolate is added to it, a better fudge than the ordinary kinds is the result. Sufficient time should be allowed for the making of opera cream, for it is necessary that this candy stand for several hours before it is worked up.

OPERA CREAM

Mix the sugar and the cream of tartar, add the sirup and cream, and cook over a hot fire. Watch closely to see whether the cream looks as if it might curd, and if it does, beat rapidly with a rotary beater. Do not stir after the boiling has begun unless it is necessary to keep the mixture from sticking to the pan. Boil until a very hard ball will form in water or until it registers 240 degrees on the thermometer. Moisten a large, flat platter or a marble slab, pour the mixture on it, and allow it to remain until it is entirely cool, disturbing it in no way during this cooling. When cool, work up with a putty knife or a similar utensil in the same manner as for fondant until it becomes hard and creamy. Place all in a heap in the center of the slab or platter and cover closely with a damp cloth, a clean towel being desirable for this purpose. Allow it to stand for about 2 hours, and then work it with the hands, being careful to remove any lumps that it might contain.

The cream is now ready to be worked up in any desirable way. Divide it into small batches, and then flavor and color it or work melted chocolate into it. Press it into a layer about 1 inch thick in a shallow box lined with waxed paper or a pan that has been buttered, cut it into squares, and allow it to stand for a few hours. Then remove and serve.

109. CENTER CREAM.--An excellent cream candy for the centers of chocolates is given in the accompanying recipe. As molds are necessary in its preparation, it is more difficult to make than fondant, but success can be had with this as well as with other candies.

The cream used for these centers may be colored and flavored in any desirable way. It is somewhat firm while being handled, but will be found to soften after it has been made up and coated. It can be handled better if it is made 3 or 4 days before it is desired for use. As will be noted, the recipe is given in a fairly large quantity, for it is preferable to make a good-sized amount of the cream at a time; but it need not all be used up at once.

CENTER CREAM

Mix the sugar, glucose or corn sirup, and water and proceed in the same way as for fondant. Boil until the thermometer registers 234 or 236 degrees or a ball that is not quite so firm as for fondant will form in cold water. Pour on a moistened platter or slab to cool. Then cream in the same manner as for fondant, but allow more time for this part of the work, as the glucose does not cream rapidly. Just before it hardens, pour it into a crock or a bowl, place a damp cloth over the top of the bowl, and put away for a couple of days.

110.The molds for shaping center creams are formed in a thick layer of corn starch by means of a device that may be bought from a candy-making supply house or made at home. This device consists of a long strip with projections that may be pushed into the corn starch to make neatly shaped holes, or molds. These projections are spaced about 1 inch apart, so that the walls between the corn-starch molds will not fall down when the center-cream mixture is poured into them. A long stick, such as a ruler or a yardstick, and either corks of different sizes or plaster of Paris may be employed to make such a device. If corks are to be used, simply glue them to the stick, spacing them about 1 inch apart. If plaster of Paris is to be used, fill small receptacles about the size and shape of chocolate creams with a thin mixture of plaster of Paris and water and allow it to set. When hard, remove the plaster-of-Paris shapes and glue them to the stick, spacing them the same distance as mentioned for the corks. The home-made device will answer the same purpose as one that is bought, and is much less expensive.

111.When it is desired to make up the creams, sift corn starch into a pan to form a thick layer, making it perfectly level on top with the straight edge of a knife. Then make depressions, or molds, in the corn starch by pressing into it the device just described. Make as many rows of molds as the space will permit, but do not make them so close together as to weaken the walls between the molds. Melt some of the center cream in a double boiler, color and flavor as desired, and pour into the molds made in the corn starch. Allow the centers to remain until they become hard in the molds. Then pick them out, blow off the corn starch, and set aside until ready to coat. Continue making centers in this way until all the cream is used up, resifting the corn starch and making new molds each time. Then coat with chocolate in the usual way.

112. ORIENTALS.--Delicious chocolate creams known as orientals can be made by the amateur if a little care is exercised. It should be remembered, however, that these cannot be made successfully on a damp day and that it is somewhat difficult to make them in warm weather. A clear, cold day is required for satisfactory results. Unlike fondant, these creams must be made up at once, so it will be necessary to allow sufficient time not only for the cooking and creaming processes, but also for the making and coating as well. After being made up, however, they should be allowed to stand for 3 or 4 days, as they, like many other cream candies, improve upon standing.

Since these centers are very sweet, a slightly bitter chocolate is the best kind with which to coat them. Confectioner's bitter-sweet chocolate will be found to be the most satisfactory, but if this cannot be procured, bitter chocolate may be mixed with sweet coating chocolate.

ORIENTALS

Put the sugar, water, and glycerine over the fire and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Wash down the sides of the kettle with a cloth, and just as the mixture begins to boil, add the acetic acid. Place a cover over the pan and allow the mixture to boil until a temperature of 238 degrees is reached on the thermometer or a firm ball that can be easily held in the fingers will form. Pour out on a slab or a platter to cool, and when perfectly cool begin to work it as for fondant, but first beat the egg whites until they are stiff. As soon as the candy is collected into a mass, pour the egg whites over it, as shown in Fig. 16. Continue to work the candy until all of the egg white is worked in. Add the vanilla during this process. If the mixture seems stiff and the eggs do not work in, continue with a little patience, for they will eventually combine with the candy. Because of the eggs, oriental cream is whiter than bonbon cream, and so it is a little difficult to tell just when it is beginning to get creamy. However, it softens a little as it begins to set, just as fondant does. At this point work slowly, and as it hardens get it into a mass in the center of the slab. When completely worked, it will not be so hard as fondant. Make it up at once into small, round centers, and as they are made place them on pieces of oiled paper to become dry. Chopped nuts may be added to the filling if desired before it is made up. As soon as it is possible to handle the centers, coat them with chocolate in the usual way. Be careful to cover the entire surface with chocolate, for otherwise the quality of the center will deteriorate. A good plan is to wrap candies of this kind in waxed paper, especially if they are to be packed in boxes, for then they will not be so likely to crush.

[Illustration: FIG. 16]

113. UNCOOKED FONDANT.--A fairly satisfactory substitute for fondant can be made by moistening confectioner's sugar with egg white or sweet cream. A very fine sugar must be secured for this purpose or the candy will be granular, and even then the result will not be so satisfactory as in the case of cooked fondant properly made. Uncooked fondant, too, is more limited in its uses than cooked fondant, for it cannot be melted and used for bonbons.

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