These comprehend all articles in sugar-boiling which eat short and
crisp. They are used for all sorts of ornamental sugar-work. The rules
and observations laid down under this head must be particularly noted,
especially those for greasing the sugar so as to prevent its graining.
ACID DROPS AND STICKS.--Boil clarified sugar to the crack, and pour it
on an oiled marble-stone; pound some tartaric or citric-acid to a fine
powder, and strew over it about half or three-quarters of an ounce of
the former, according to its quality, and less of the latter, to seven
pounds of sugar; turn the edges over into the middle, and mix the acid
by folding it over, or by working it in a similar manner as dough is
molded, but do not pull it; put it in a tin rubbed over with oil or
butter, and place it under the stove to keep warm; then cut off a small
piece at a time, and roll it into a round pipe; cut them off in small
pieces the size of drops, with shears, and let your assistant roll them
round under his hand, and flatten them. Mix them with powdered sugar,
sift them from it, and keep them in boxes or glasses.
When flavored with lemon, they are called lemon-acid drops; with otto
of roses, rose-acid drops. The sticks are made in the same manner as
the drops, without being cut into small pieces.
ALMOND HARDBAKE.--Oil a square or round tin with low edges; split some
almonds in half, put them in rows over the bottom, with the split side
downward, until the surface is covered; boil some raw sugar to the
crack, and pour it over them so as to cover the whole with a thin sheet
of sugar. Cocoanut (cut in thin slices), currant, and other similar
candies, are made as the hardbake, except that the sugar is grained
before it is poured over.
ALMOND ROCK.--This is a similar production to nogat, and is made with
raw sugar, which is boiled to the crack. Pour it on an oiled stone,
and fill it with sweet almonds, either blanched or not; the almonds
are mixed with the sugar by working them into it with the hands, in a
similar manner as you would mix anything into a piece of dough. If they
were stirred into the sugar in the pan it would grain, which is the
reason why it is melted for nogat. Form the rock into a ball or roll,
and make it into a sheet about two inches thick, by rolling it with a
rolling-pin. The top may be divided into diamonds or squares by means
of a long knife or piece of iron; when it is nearly cold cut it into
long narrow pieces with a strong knife and hammer.
BARLEY SUGAR.--Boil some clarified loaf sugar to the crack or caramel
degree, using a little acid to prevent its graining; pour it out on a
marble slab, which has been previously oiled or buttered. Four pieces
of iron, or small square bars, are usually employed to form a sort of
bay to prevent the sugar running off the stone, which is necessary in
large casts. When the edges get set a little, remove the bars, and turn
them over into the center. This is occasionally flavored with lemons.
When it is required, pour a few drops of the essential oil of lemons in
the center, before the edges are folded over, then cut it into narrow
strips with a large pair of scissors or sheep shears. When nearly cold,
twist them, put them into glasses or tin boxes, and keep them closed to
prevent the access of air. It is seldom boiled higher than the crack,
and saffron is used to make it the color of caramel.
This derives the name of barley sugar from its being originally made
with a decoction of barley, as a demulcent in coughs, for which it is
now most generally used.
BARLEY SUGAR DROPS.--Boil some sugar as for the preceding. Spread some
finely powdered and sifted loaf sugar on a table or tea-tray, with a
piece of stick, round at the end similar to the half of a ball; make
several holes, into which you run the sugar from a lipped pan, or it
may be dropped on an oiled marble slab with a funnel, letting only one
drop fall at a time; or from the lip pan, separating each drop with a
small knife, or a straight piece of small wire; take them off the stone
with a knife, mix them with powdered loaf sugar, sift them from it, and
keep in glasses or tin boxes.
BARLEY SUGAR TABLETS OR KISSES.--Spread some sugar, as for the last.
Have a piece of wood about an inch and a half thick, with the surface
divided into small squares, each being about an inch in breadth and
half an inch in depth; with this form the impressions in the sugar, and
fill them with sugar boiled as for drops, flavoring it with essence of
lemon; or instead of this, it may be poured out in a sheet on an oiled
marble slab, as for barley sugar, and when nearly cold divide it into
pieces with a tin frame, having small square divisions, when the whole
sheet may be divided at once by pressing hard on it so as to cut it
nearly through. When cold, separate them and mix them with powdered
sugar, take them out and fold them separately in fancy or colored
papers, with a motto on each.
They are also occasionally made into balls, thus: First cast the sugar
in a sheet on an oiled marble slab; when the edges are set, fold them
in the middle, then oil a small square tin with edges to it, put the
sugar in this, and place it under the fire-place of the stove so as to
keep warm; cut off a piece and roll it into a pipe, then cut it into
small pieces with a pair of shears, and let your assistant roll it into
small balls under his hand on a sandstone; marble is too smooth for
this purpose. Many lads who are used to it can turn eight or ten under
each hand at one time. When they are finished, pat them into powdered
sugar, wrap them in fancy papers, fringed at the ends, put a motto
in each, and fasten them with small bands of gold paper. Sometimes a
cracker is folded up in each, which is made with two narrow strips of
stiff paper, a small piece of sand or glass paper is pasted on the end
of each, and these are placed over each other with a little fulminating
powder between, a piece of thin paper is bound round it, and pasted
to keep them together; when these are pulled asunder, the two rough
surfaces meeting cause the powder to explode, and out flies the ball of
sugar with the motto. This innocent amusement often causes much mirth
in a company.
BRANDY BALLS, ETC.--These are made from loaf sugar boiled to the crack,
and colored either with cochineal or saffron, and finished in the same
way as acidulated drops, without being flattened.
CLOVE, GINGER, OR PEPPERMINT CANDY.--These are all made in the same way
as raspberry, using the essential oil of each for flavor. For clove,
the mixture, whilst boiling, is colored with cochineal; ginger with
saffron; but the peppermint must be kept perfectly white, except the
stripes, which is done by cutting off as many pieces from the bulk as
you have colors, which should be in powder; put a sufficiency in each
piece to give the desired tint, and keep them warm. When the remaining
portion of the sugar is pulled, lay them over the surface in narrow
stripes, double the roll together, and the face each way will be alike.
Pull them out into long sticks and twist them; make them round by
rolling them under the hand, or they may be cut into small pieces with
a pair of shears or scissors.
NOGAT.--Two pounds of sweet almonds, one pound of sugar, one pound of
water. Blanch the almonds, and cut them in slices, dry them at the
mouth of a cool oven, and if slightly browned, the better; powder the
sugar, and put it into a stew-pan, with the water; place it on the fire
to melt, stirring it with a spatula until it becomes a fine brown, then
mix in the almonds, and let them be well covered with the sugar; pour
it out on an oiled marble-stone. It may be made into a thick or thin
sheet, and cut with a knife into small pieces, such as dice, diamonds,
etc. The surface may be strewed with currants, fillets of pistachios or
coarse sugar, and cut into different forms with tin cutters.
It may also be formed into baskets, vases, etc. Oil the interior of
a mold, and spread the nogat over it, whilst warm, as thin and even
as possible. To save the fingers from being burned, it may be spread
with a lemon. Detach it from the mold when warm, and let it remain
until cold, that it may retain its shape perfectly, then fasten the
different parts together with caramel sugar. For baskets, a handle of
spun sugar may be placed over it, or ornamented with it according to
fancy. These may be filled with whipped or other creams when required
to be served.
RASPBERRY CANDY.--This may either be made from raw or refined sugar.
Boil it to the crack, and color it with cochineal; pour it on a stone
rubbed over with a little oil or butter, cut off a small piece, and
keep it warm to stripe or case the other part, when finished; to the
remainder add a little tartaric acid (not so much as for drops),
and some raspberry paste, sufficient to flavor it. The residue of
raspberries used for making vinegar, and preserved with an equal
quantity of sugar, or even less, as for raspberry cakes, does very well
for this purpose. Fold the edges over into the center, and attach it to
a hook fixed against the wall; pull it towards you, throwing it on the
hook each time after having pulled it out; continue doing this until it
gets rather white and shining, then make it into a compact long roll,
and either stripe it with the piece you cut off, or roll it out in a
sheet with a rolling-pin, and wrap it round it so as to form a sort of
case; then pull it into long narrow sticks, and cut them the required
length.
TO EXTRACT THE ACID FROM CANDIED DROPS, ETC.--All the articles which
have acid mixed with them are extremely liable to grain, when they are
useless except to sell for broken pieces, as they cannot be boiled
again unless the acid is extracted. The method of doing this is at
present not generally known in the trade, and it is kept by many that
are in possession of it as a great secret. Five dollars is often paid
for this recipe alone. However great the secret may be considered, it
is only returning to the first principles in the manufacture of sugar.
When the juice is expressed from the canes, it contains a considerable
quantity of oxalic acid, which must be destroyed before it will
granulate into sugar; for this purpose lime is employed, which has the
desired effect; so will it also in this case, but chalk or whitening is
most generally used. First dissolve your acid sugar in water; when this
is thoroughly accomplished, mix in a sufficient quantity of either of
these alkalies in powder to cause a strong effervescence; after it has
subsided, pass it through a flannel bag, according to the directions
for clarifying sugar. The filtered syrup will be fit to use for any
purpose, and may be boiled again to the crack or caramel degree as well
as if no acid had ever been mixed with it. Let the pan it is dissolved
in be capable of containing as much again as there is in it, or the
effervescence will flow over.