Choose the best treble-refined sugar with a good grain, pound it, and
pass it through a coarse hair sieve; sift again in a lawn-sieve to take
out the finest part, as the sugar, when it is too fine, makes the drops
heavy and compact, and destroys their brilliancy and shining appearance.
Put some of the coarse grains of sugar into a small drop-pan (these
are made with a lip on the right side, so that when it is held in the
left hand the drops can be detached with the right), moisten it with
any aromatic spirit you intend to use, and a sufficient quantity of
water to make it of a consistence just to drop off the spoon or spatula
without sticking to it. Color with prepared cochineal, or any other
color, ground fine and moistened with a little water. Let the tint
which you give be as light and delicate as possible. Place the pan on
the stove fire, on a ring of the same size. Stir it occasionally until
it makes a noise, when it is near boiling, _but do not let it boil_;
then take it from the fire and stir it well with the spatula until it
is of the consistence that, when dropped, it will not spread too much,
but retain a round form on the surface. If it should be too thin, add a
little coarse sugar, which should be reserved for the purpose, and make
it of the thickness required.
Have some very smooth and even plates, made either of tin or copper,
let them be quite clean, and drop them on these, separating the sugar
from the lip of the pan with a piece of straight wire, as regularly as
possible. About two hours afterwards they may be taken off with a thin
knife. If you have not the convenience of tin or copper plates, they
may be dropped on smooth cartridge paper. Wet the back of the paper
when you want to take them off. Cover the bottom of a sieve with paper,
lay them on it, and put them in the stove for a few hours. If they
remain too long, it will destroy their fragrancy.
CATECHU DROPS.--One pound of sugar, three ounces of catechu. Make
as violet. These may also have the addition of a little musk or
ambergris--about fifteen grains.
CHOCOLATE DROPS.--One pound of sugar, one ounce of chocolate. Scrape
the chocolate to a powder, and mix it with the sugar in coarse grains,
moisten it with clean water, and proceed according to the instructions
already given, but do not mix more than can be dropped out whilst warm
at one time. If any remains in the pot, it will grease the next which
you mix, and will not attain the consistence required.
CINNAMON DROPS.--One ounce of cinnamon, one pound of sugar. Pulverize
the cinnamon, and sift it through a lawn sieve. Mix it with the sugar,
and add two or three drops of the essential oil. If the flavor is not
strong enough, moisten it with the water and proceed as before. The
flavor may be given with the essential oil only, coloring them with
bole ammoniac.
CLOVE DROPS.--Make same as cinnamon drops.
COFFEE DROPS.--One ounce of coffee, one pound of sugar. Make a strong
and clear infusion of coffee, as directed for coffee ice, and use it to
moisten the sugar. Make the drops same as chocolate.
GINGER DROPS.--Mix a sufficient quantity of the best powdered ginger to
give it the desired taste, or flavor it with the essence of ginger, and
color it with saffron. Moisten with water, and make as others.
LEMON DROPS.--Rub off the yellow rind of some lemons on a piece of
rough sugar, scrape it off, and mix it with the coarse sugar. Use
sufficient to give a good flavor, and color with saffron a light
yellow; moisten with water, as others.
ORANGE-FLOWER DROPS.--Use orange-flower water to moisten the sugar, or
flavor it with the essence of neroli and moisten with water.
ORGEAT DROPS.--Make milk of almonds, as directed under the head of
Orgeat Syrup, using a little orange-flower water; moisten the sugar
with it.
PEPPERMINT DROPS.--Moisten the sugar with peppermint water, or flavor
it with the essence of peppermint, and moisten it with water.
RASPBERRY DROPS.--Press out the juice of some ripe raspberries through
a piece of flannel or cloth, and moisten the sugar with it. All fruit
drops are made in the same way, that is, with the expressed juice,
except pineapple. When you first rub off the rind of the fruit on
sugar, pound the pulp of the fruit, and pass through a hair sieve.
Scrape off the sugar on which the rind was rubbed, and mix it with
a sufficient quantity of the pulp to give the desired flavor to the
coarse grains, and moisten it with water. The whole of these grease the
sugar, and require the same precautions as chocolate drops.
ROSE DROPS.--Moisten the sugar with rose water, and color it with
cochineal.
VANILLA DROPS.--Make as cinnamon, using a little sugar to pound the
vanilla. Use sufficient to give a good flavor; or it may be moistened
with the essence of vanilla; but this greases it as chocolate.
VIOLET DROPS.--One pound of sugar, one ounce of orris-powder. Moisten
with water, and color violet.