Presents:
Confectionery Recipes - an insert from
Practical Housekeeping
Printed 1881 |
CONFECTIONERY.
There are very few modern kitchens in which
some cooking utensil may not be found
convenient for making candy. A sauce-pan of
tinned iron, with a handle and flaring sides,
and a lip to facilitate the pouring of the
contents, will be found best adapted to such
use; or a small iron or brass kettle will do if
kept quite clean.
Dissolve four pounds white sugar in one
quart water; place this in a porcelain kettle
over a slow fire for half an hour, pour into it
a small quantity of gelatine and gum-arabic
dissolved together; all the impurities which
rise to the surface skim off at once. Instead of
gelatine and gum-arabic, the white of an egg
may be used as a substitute with good
results. To make the clarifying process still
more perfect, strain through a flannel bag. To
make rock candy, boil this syrup a few
moments, allow to cool, and crystallization
takes place on the sides of the vessel. To
make other candies, bring the syrup very
carefully to such a degree of heat that the
"threads," which drop from the spoon when
raised into the colder air, will snap like glass.
When this stage is reached, add a teaspoon of
vinegar or cream tartar to prevent "graining"
and pour into pans as directed in the recipes
which follow. To make round stick candies,
pull, and roll into "shape with well-floured
hands as soon as cool enough to be handled.
In pulling candy, some grease the hands,
others flour them slightly. Colored candies
are often injurious, and sometimes even
poisonous, and should be avoided.
In baking macaroons and kisses, use washed
butter for greasing the tins, as lard or salt
butter gives an unpleasant taste. Bake in a
moderate oven, or let dry in a cool oven for
two hours. After buttering, sprinkling lightly
with flour and then shaking it off, is an
excellent way to prepare the pan. .When
powdered almonds are to be used, they
should be thoroughly dried in an open oven,
after blanching, and they will pulverize more
easily. In making macaroons or drops, or
pulling butter-scotch or taffy, grease hands
lightly with butter to prevent sticking.
Flouring the hands is apt to give an
unpleasant taste to candy.