Delicious Home-Made Candies
All children love to make candy, and the home-made kinds are much purer
and better--besides being much cheaper--than those usually sold at the
small confectionery stores. Every mother will do well to help her little
daughter master this branch of cookery, for it will not only enable her
to make wholesome sweets for the family when desired, but also to
prepare a dainty box when she wishes to make an inexpensive present.
NUT CANDY
For fine nut candy, have the child first pick out half a cupful of nut
meats. Put on in a small saucepan two level cupfuls of light-brown
sugar, one-half cupful of water, a level teaspoonful of butter and a
tablespoonful of vinegar, and boil without stirring until the candy
crackles when dropped in cold water. Pour into a well-buttered pie-pan
that has been sprinkled with the nuts, and as soon as cool, mark into
squares.
[Illustration: HOME-MADE CHOCOLATE CREAMS AND FUDGE]
MAPLE FUDGE
For delicious maple fudge, take one and one-half cupfuls of light-brown
sugar, one cupful of maple sirup, half a cupful of milk, and a level
teaspoonful of butter. Boil slowly until it makes a soft ball when
rolled between the fingers in cold water, then set aside until cool.
Then beat with a fork until a creamy, sugary mass, turn quickly on to a
buttered plate and mark into squares. If the little cook finds it is
soft from having been taken off a moment too soon, she will have to let
it stand longer to turn to sugar, but the fudge that stands overnight
will be particularly smooth.
CREAM CANDY
Cream candy is made by boiling two cupfuls of granulated sugar, _without
stirring_, with three-fourths cupful water, two tablespoonfuls vinegar
and a teaspoonful of butter until brittle when dropped in cold water.
Pour on to a buttered pan, but do not scrape the sugared edge of the
kettle, and pull as soon as cool. If a little care is exercised in
handling at first, it will not stick to the fingers. The butter or flour
sometimes put on the hands to prevent this only spoils the candy. When
pulled perfectly white, cut with scissors into small cubes. The longer
this stands, the more delicious it becomes, and if flavored with a few
drops of essence of peppermint when first put on (so it can be well
stirred through) and then put away when done in a glass jar for a couple
of weeks, it will make delicate "after-dinner mint."
CHOCOLATE CREAMS
Easy chocolate creams require two cupfuls of confectioner's sugar, with
a few teaspoonfuls of milk to moisten enough to work like dough, and a
quarter teaspoonful of vanilla. Knead well, and work out into small
balls. Melt one square of unsweetened chocolate by first grating and
then setting in a pan of hot water, and drop in the creams, one at a
time. Roll around quickly with a fork, and lift on to a sheet of
buttered paper. Put in a cool place to harden. Different flavorings can
be used instead of all vanilla, and half an English walnut stuck on the
top of each cream before the chocolate hardens will add to the
attractiveness. Or, instead of dipping all the creams in the chocolate,
they can be cut in half and wrapped around with figs or seeded dates.
They will grow more creamy if allowed to stand a day or two.
FUDGE
Particularly smooth fudge is made in a way that seems strange until you
try it. Take two cups of sugar, half a cup of milk, one tablespoonful of
butter, a few drops of vanilla, and four tablespoonfuls of cocoa. Mix,
and boil without stirring until it makes a soft ball when dropped in
cold water. Remove from the fire, set aside until cool, then pour on to
a buttered platter and beat with a silver fork until creamy. When you
see it beginning to harden, quickly smooth out and mark in squares.
MOLASSES TAFFY
All little children like this, and it is easily made. To two cups of
molasses, add one cup of sugar, two tablespoons of butter, and boil
until brittle when dropped in cold water. Add then one-fourth
teaspoonful of soda, stir through and pour on buttered tins. When cool
enough to handle pull to a light color, cut in sticks, and lay on oiled
paper to harden. This is good flavored with a few drops of peppermint,
but do not get in too much.
STUFFED DATES
Stuffed dates are a most wholesome sweet, and quickly made, too. The
dates must first be picked apart, washed in warm water and dried in an
old napkin. Remove the seed from each with a sharp knife, slip a nut in
its place, press together, and sift over with granulated sugar. Leave
standing a while on oiled paper to become firm. They are nice served at
the end of a dinner, with the dessert and coffee.
SALTED NUTS
Salted nuts, used so much, are usually placed on the table when it is
set, and passed during the meal. They are very expensive if bought ready
for use, but quite inexpensive made at home. Either almonds or peanuts
can be used, but the almonds must first be dropped in boiling water long
enough to loosen the skins, which will slip off easily in a cloth. Melt
half a teaspoonful of butter in a pie-pan, pour in a cup of nut meats,
stir enough to cover with the oil, and brown in the oven. Remove, and
rub dry with a soft cloth, and sprinkle with fine salt.