Fruits and nuts
2 c. granulated sugar
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
3/4 c. water
1 tsp. vanilla
Prepare the nuts by shelling them and, if necessary, roasting them, and
the fruits by cutting them into small strips or cubes. Mix the sugar and
cream of tartar and add the water. Cook until it will form a very
brittle ball in water, will spin hair-like threads when drops of it fall
from the spoon, or registers 290 degrees on the thermometer. Remove from
the fire and put in a convenient place for the dipping of the fruit and
nuts. Drop these into the hot sirup, one at a time, with a coating fork
or an ordinary table fork. When entirely covered with the sirup, remove
and drop on greased plates or pans.
84. PEANUT BRITTLE.--Peanuts are often used in confection making and are
very much liked by the majority of persons. They come in two general
varieties, which may be roasted before use or used unroasted, and it is
well for the housewife to understand the difference between them. One
variety is the large, oblong peanut generally sold at peanut stands and
used for the salted peanuts sold in confectionery stores. The other is
the variety known as Spanish peanuts, which are small and round. For
some candies, it is necessary that the peanuts be roasted and the skins
removed, while for others unroasted peanuts with the skins on are
desirable. To remove the skins from unroasted peanuts, they must be
blanched by immersing them in boiling water until the skins will slip
off easily, but in the case of roasted peanuts, the skins may be removed
without blanching.
85. Peanut brittle is one of the candies in which peanuts are used. As
its name implies, it is very thin and brittle and it usually contains a
great many peanuts. Two recipes for candy of this kind are here given,
one requiring peanuts that are roasted and blanched and the other,
peanuts that are unroasted and not blanched.