Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images
generously made available by The Internet Archive)
THE
HOUSEKEEPER’s
VALUABLE PRESENT:
OR,
Lady’s Closet Companion.
BEING A
NEW AND COMPLETE
ART OF PREPARING
CONFECTS,
ACCORDING TO
MODERN PRACTICE.
Comprized under the following Parts; viz.
I. Different Methods and Degrees of boiling
and clarifying Sugar.
II. Methods of preserving various Fruits in
Syrups, &c.
III. Methods of making Marmalades, Jams,
Pastes, &c.
IV. Methods of making Syrups, Custards,
Jellies, Blanch-mange, Conserves,
Syllabubs, &c.
V. Methods of preserving various Fruits in
Brandy.
VI. Methods of making a Variety of Biscuits,
rich Cakes, &c. &c.
VII. Methods of mixing, freezing, and working
Ice Creams.
VIII. Methods of preparing Cordials and made
Wines.
With a Variety of other useful and elegant Articles.
-------------------------------------------
BY ROBERT ABBOT,
Late apprentice to Messrs. NEGRI & GUNTER,
Confectioners, in Berkeley Square.
-------------------------------------------
PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR;
And sold by C. COOKE, No. 17, Pater-noster Row;
and all other Booksellers in Town and Country.
[Price 2s. sewed, or 2s. 6d. neatly bound.]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
PREFACE.
DURING the course of my apprenticeship with Messrs. NEGRI and GUNTER, in
_Berkeley Square_, many housekeepers to noblemen and gentlemen, on
special occasions, were frequently present, in order to observe our
_peculiar method_ of preparing confects.
Since I left Messrs. NEGRI and GUNTER, I have had frequent applications
from those persons, as well as others, for receipts and information
respecting improvements and additions to this art. But being engaged in
the service of several noblemen, and thereby deprived of the opportunity
of attending to the numerous applications from respective housekeepers
for _New Receipts_, I determined to form the following Treatise, that
they might present it to their friends; and that it might supply the
place of personal application, I have comprized in it every article that
is necessary to render the reader a proficient in the art.
From the nature of my occupation, and the time necessary to acquire a
due knowledge of it, I cannot be supposed qualified to write in a
masterly stile; and am therefore inclined to hope the candid reader will
be disposed to overlook any little errors that may be observed in this
Treatise, considering it not as the production of a scholar, but the
essay of a man, who has devoted the greater part of his life to the
pursuit of the art under consideration.
I presume my having served an apprenticeship to men of such eminence in
the line of Confectionary, and such respectability in their connections
as Messrs. NEGRI & GUNTER, that it will be considered as a
recommendation of the following sheets; and as all the Treatise I have
seen contain only old and exploded Receipts, render it necessary that
something new should appear on the subject; and as the receipts I have
given are the result of my own practice and experience, I think it will
add a sanction to the present undertaking.
Upon the whole, as I have not omitted any article that can be useful to
housekeepers in particular, and families in general, I trust I have not
arrogated to myself a right to which I have no claim, in prefixing to my
work the title of
THE HOUSEKEEPER’S VALUABLE PRESENT.
_R. ABBOT._
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONTENTS.
PART I.
Page.
To clarify sugar 13
To boil sugar to the degree called 14
smooth
To boil sugar to the degree called 15
pearled
To boil sugar to the degree called blown 15
To boil sugar to the degree called 16
feathered
To boil sugar to the degree called 16
crackled
To boil sugar to the degree called 16
carmelled
PART II.
To preserve oranges or lemons whole 17
To preserve cherries without stones 18
To preserve cherries with stones 19
To preserve white pea plums 19
To preserve yellow plums commonly called 20
yellow margates
To preserve damascenes 21
To preserve mogul, or large egg plums 21
To preserve whole strawberries 22
To preserve barberries in bunches 23
To preserve red currants in bunches 23
To preserve green gage plums 24
To preserve green orange plums 25
To preserve apricots 25
To preserve green apricots 26
To preserve green gooseberries 27
To preserve angelica 28
To preserve apricot, or peach chips 28
To preserve figs 29
To preserve dried cherries 30
To preserve peaches whole 30
To preserve pine apple chips 31
To preserve pine apples whole 31
To preserve medlars 32
To preserve pears 33
To preserve green leaves 33
To preserve green grapes 34
To preserve wine sour plums 35
To preserve green limes 35
PART III.
Rasberry jam 36
Apricot jam 37
Peach jam 37
Pine apple jam 38
Barberry jam 38
Currant jam 39
Quince marmalade 39
Quince paste 39
Orange marmalade 40
Strawberry jam 40
Orange paste 41
Pippin paste knots 41
Scotch marmalade 42
Orgeat paste 42
Almond paste 42
Marshmallow paste 43
Strasbourgh paste, or lozenges 44
Black currant paste 44
PART IV.
To make capillaire 45
To make orgeat syrup 45
To make lemon syrup 46
Currant syrup 46
Marshmallow syrup 47
To make rasberry vinegar 47
To make grape essence, or syrup 48
To make orange essence 48
Pine apple syrup, or essence 49
To make currant jelly 49
To candy eringo root 50
To candy orange, or lemon peel 50
Black currant jelly 51
To make a compote of pippins 52
Compote of oranges 52
To make clear cakes of the jelly of any 53
fruit
Calves-foot jelly 53
Clear orange jelly 54
Blanch-mange 54
Ge-mange 54
To make lemonade 55
To make orgeat for present use 55
To make orangeade 56
To make orange prawlins 56
Red burnt almonds 56
Cedraty essence 57
To make a conserve of hips 58
Conserve of roses 58
Conserve of orange flowers 59
Rock candy 59
To make gum paste 60
Mulberry syrup 60
PART V.
Cherries in brandy 61
Apricots in brandy 61
Peaches in brandy 62
Mogul plums in brandy 62
Green gages in brandy 63
Pears in brandy 63
PART VI.
Savoy biscuits 64
Spunge biscuits 65
Palace royal biscuits 65
Royal heart biscuits 65
Diet bread cakes 66
Naple biscuits 66
Orange heart biscuits 66
Queen cakes 67
Champaign biscuits 67
Fine rusks 68
French rusks 68
Yarmouth cakes 68
Tunbridge water cakes 69
Cedraty biscuits 69
Italian cakes 69
Common maccaroons 70
French maccaroons 70
Ratafia biscuits 70
Orange biscuits 71
Spanish rusks 71
Merenges 71
Ginger cakes 72
Ginger bread nuts 72
Filbert biscuits 73
Sweetmeat biscuits 73
Rock almond biscuits 73
Syringe biscuits 74
Italian maccaroons 74
Milfruit biscuits 74
Marchpane biscuits 75
Biscuit drops 75
To make a savoy cake 75
To make a spunge cake 76
To make a plum cake 76
To make a rice cake 76
To make an almond cake 77
To make a ratafia cake 77
To make anniseed cakes 77
Cinnamon drop biscuits 78
PART VII.
Freezing of ice 79
To prepare the cochineal for colouring 81
different sorts of ice
Ice creams, or rasberry ice 81
Strawberry jam 81
Apricot ice 82
Pine apple ice 82
Barberry ice 82
Biscuit ice 82
Pistachia ice 83
Fresh gooseberry ice 83
Chocolate ice 83
Fresh rasberry ice 84
Fresh strawberry ice 84
Royal cream 84
Lemon cream 85
Orange cream 85
Burnt cream 85
Plain ice 85
Coffee ice 86
Tea ice 86
Ratafia ice 86
Vernella ice 86
Orange ice 87
Lemon ice 87
Cedraty ice 87
Grape ice 87
Rasberry water 88
Currant water 88
Cherry ice 88
Punch ice 89
Pear ice 89
PART VIII.
To make raisin alder wine 90
Orange wine 91
Damascene wine 91
Gooseberry wine 92
Cowslip wine 92
Birch wine 93
Rasberry wine 94
Blackberry wine 94
Cherry wine 94
Currant wine 95
To make raisin wine 95
To make sage wine 96
To make clear wine 96
To make mead 96
To make white mead 97
To make milk punch 97
To make citron water 97
Ratafia cordial 98
Orange flower brandy 98
Surfeit water 99
Cinnamon water 99
Nutmeg water 100
Mint water 100
Lemon water 100
[Illustration]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Illustration]
THE
COMPLETE
CONFECTIONER.
-------
PART I.
DIFFERENT METHODS AND DEGREES OF BOILING SUGAR.
_To clarify Sugar._
TAKE a pan proportioned in size to the quantity of sugar you intend to
clarify: to thirty pounds of sugar, put two gallons of water: whisk the
white of an egg in the water, and set the pan on the fire; when the
sugar begins to boil, add half a pint of water, to prevent its boiling
over, and also to raise the scum. Having skimmed the sugar till there
remains only a small white scum, totally different from the other, which
is foul and black, take it off, and strain it into the pan in which you
intend to keep it for use.
N.B. A particular attention to these rules, respecting the clarifying of
sugar, will greatly conduce to the effect of the directions, which will
be laid down hereafter.
_To boil Sugar to the Degree called_ SMOOTH.
HAVING first clarified, put the quantity of sugar required into the
preserving pan, and let it boil over the fire. You will ascertain its
having boiled to the degree called _smooth_, by the following
experiment: Dip your finger into the sugar; then put that finger and
your thumb together. If in opening them you see a small thread drawn,
which breaking immediately leaves a drop on the finger, you may conclude
the sugar is boiled to the degree called _smooth_.
_To boil Sugar to the Degree called_ PEARLED.
THIS method of boiling sugar is thus ascertained: Take a little of the
sugar when boiling, between your finger and thumb, and if on separation
a string adheres to both, it is boiled to the degree called _pearled_.
_To boil Sugar to the Degree called_ BLOWN.
LET the sugar boil longer than on the former occasion, and make the
following experiment: Dip the skimmer into the sugar; take it out
immediately; and if on blowing strongly through the holes of the
skimmer, little bladders appear, the sugar is boiled to the degree
called _blown_.
_To boil Sugar to the Degree called_ FEATHERED.
THIS is a higher degree of boiling sugar than either of the former. It
is proved thus: Having dipped the skimmer into the sugar, and shaken it
over the pan, give it a sudden flirt behind you, when, if it flies from
the skimmer in particles resembling feathers, it is boiled to this
degree.
_To boil Sugar to the Degree called_ CRACKLED.
THIS degree is ascertained in the following manner: The sugar having
boiled somewhat longer than on the former process; dip a skewer into it,
and immediately after into cold water; if on drawing the sugar from the
skewer it snaps like glass, it is boiled to the degree called
_crackled_.
_To boil Sugar to the Degree called_ CARMELLED.
THIS degree is thus ascertained: Having boiled the sugar longer still,
dip a skewer into it, and immediately after into cold water. If the
sugar be boiled to the degree called _carmelled_, it will snap the very
instant it touches the cold water, and must be taken off directly, to
prevent burning and discolouration.
------------------------------------------------------------------------