In speaking of confectionary, it should be remarked that many
preparations come under that head; for the various fruits, flowers,
herbs, roots, and juices, which, when boiled with sugar, were
formerly employed in pharmacy as well as for sweetmeats, were called
_confections_, from the Latin word _conficere_, ‘to make up;’ but
the term confectionary embraces a very large class indeed of sweet
food, many kinds of which should not be attempted in the ordinary
cuisine. The thousand and one ornamental dishes that adorn the tables
of the wealthy should be purchased from the confectioner: they cannot
profitably be made at home. Apart from these, cakes, biscuits, and
tarts, &c., the class of sweetmeats called confections may be thus
classified:—1. Liquid confects, or fruits either whole or in pieces,
preserved by being immersed in a fluid transparent syrup; as the liquid
confects of apricots, green citrons, and many foreign fruits. 2. Dry
confects are those which, after having been boiled in the syrup, are
taken out and put to dry in an oven, as citron and orange-peel, &c.
3. Marmalade, jams, and pastes, a kind of soft compounds made of the
pulp of fruits or other vegetable substances, beat up with sugar or
honey; such as oranges, apricots, pears, &c. 4. Jellies are the juices
of fruits boiled with sugar to a pretty thick consistency, so as, upon
cooling, to form a trembling jelly; as currant, gooseberry, apple
jelly, &c. 5. Conserves are a kind of dry confects, made by beating up
flowers, fruits, &c., with sugar, not dissolved. 6. Candies are fruits
candied over with sugar after having been boiled in the syrup.
COW-HEEL, Fried.
_Ingredients._—Ox-feet, the yolk of 1 egg, bread-crumbs, parsley,
salt and cayenne to taste, boiling butter. _Mode._—Wash, scald, and
thoroughly clean the feet, and cut them into pieces about 2 inches
long; have ready some fine bread-crumbs mixed with a little minced
parsley, cayenne, and salt; dip the pieces of heel into the yolk of
egg, sprinkle them with the bread-crumbs, and fry them until of a nice
brown in boiling butter. _Time._—¼ hour. _Average cost_, 6_d._ each.
_Seasonable_ at any time.
_Note._—Ox-feet maybe dressed in various ways, stewed in gravy or
plainly boiled and served with melted butter. When plainly boiled, the
liquor will answer for making sweet or relishing jellies, and also to
give richness to soups or gravies.
COW-HEEL STOCK, for Jellies (More Economical than Calf’s-Feet).
_Ingredients._—2 cow-heels, 3 quarts of water. _Mode._—Procure 2 heels
that have only been scalded, and not boiled; split them in two, and
remove the fat between the claws; wash them well in warm water, and put
them into a saucepan with the above proportion of cold water; bring
it gradually to boil, remove all the scum as it rises, and simmer
the heels gently from 7 to 8 hours, or until the liquor is reduced
one-half; then strain it into a basin, measuring the quantity, and
put it in a cool place. Clarify it in the same manner as calf’s-feet
stock, using, with the other ingredients, about ½ oz. of isinglass to
each quart. This stock should be made the day before it is required for
use. Two dozen shank-bones of mutton, boiled for 6 or 7 hours, yield a
quart of strong firm stock. They should be put on in 2 quarts of water,
which should be reduced one-half. Make this also the day before it is
required. _Time._—7 to 8 hours to boil the cow-heels, 6 to 7 hours
to boil the shank-bones. _Average cost_, from 4_d._ to 6_d._ each.
_Sufficient._—2 cow-heels should make 3 pints of stock. _Seasonable_ at
any time.