THE MYSTERIOUS ART OF CANDY MAKING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 70, 16 December 1907, Page 3

THE MYSTERIOUS ART OF CANDY MAKING.

Tho innumerable cream candies, and in fact ■'.Imost every variety of sweets displayed in she confectioner's window, can bo traced to .i simple combination of two or inoro equally iimplo compounds.' Tho foundation ot tho J ream canities is a combination of sugar, water, and cream of tartar, which tho confectioner calls "fondant." ' This fondant rorms tho baso of all the cream candies, and tiio' combinations that can bo made with it .iro surprising. Tho ingredients winch should bo mixed in the order given are as follow: — •' . Granulated sugar, four cupfuls; hot water, two cupfuls; cream of tartar,- ono level teaspoonful. Stir over a slow firo until thoroughly dissolved, but do not allow it to boil. As soon as it is dissolved,' take a damp" cloth and wipo away any grains that appear around the sides of tho pan. Then put tho mixturo over a quick firo and lot it boil until it makes a soft ball when tried in cold water. Removo from tho firo and set aside to cool, but do not pour it out of the pan in which it was cooked. It:, is important that it.should cook evenly, therefore do not try to hasten tho cooling by putting tho pan in cold wator. . As soon as it is cool— not cold—stir energetically with a spoon until it becomes a thick, creamy mass. Yt'hon too stiff to stir, tako it in tho hands and knead. Its lightness depends upon tho amount of kneading, and therq is no danger of overdoing it.; When quite light and creamy, put it into an earthen dish, and cover with a slightly dampened cloth. If tho cloth is kept damp the fondant will keep for weeks, and it is improved by ago. It should bo allowed.to stand for at least twenty-four hours boforo using it. It somotimos happens, in spito of tho greatest care, that tho fondant "comes out. grainy after being stirred. Should this occur, do not bo discouraged, simply cover it with water and stir until it is thoroughly dissolved. Then put on tho firo and cook again. Tho grains must bo wiped from around tho sidos of the pan before it comes to a boil, and caro should bo taken not to jar the pan while it is cooking or cooling. Tho above directions aro for whito fondnnt, tho kind most used by confectioners. This may bo coloured and flavoured in a Variety of colours by following tho directions given later. There is one other kind of fondant which goes well in tho combinations to bo mado. This is mado from:— . Jj'onr cupfuls of brown sugar, two cupfuls of maple sugar, two cupfuls of hot wator, ono lovel teaspoonful of cream of tartar. Cook this in tho samo manner ns whito fondant.

COLOURING THE FONDANT. The colours for tho white fondant aro quite simple ami can bo produced at homo as cheaply as they can bo purchased at tho confectioners.- lied is made in this manner; Boil one ounce of cochineal in half a pint- of water for fivo minutes, then add ono ounco of cream of tartar, ono half onneo of po-wdored alum, and boil ten minutes longcT. While still hot add two ounces of sugar, and hottlo for use. Blue is made by rubbing indifjo in a littlo water on a plate, and yoP low is mado with gamboge in tho same man-

iicr. To ninko green, boil the loaves of spinach for a minute in a littlo water, strain ami bottle. To colour the fondant, simply work in the dosired colour, a littlo at a timo, until tho desired colour is obtained. It is flavoured by working tho flavouring extract in tho same manner. CREAM CANDIES AND NUT COMBINATIONS. Tho simplest candy is chocolate cream, a combination of fondant and chocolate. After llavouring or colouring tho fondant, roll into balls and dip into melted chocolate. Tho fondant halls should stand an hour or so before being dipped. Lcavo thorn in tho chocolate as short a time- as possible, and do not allow thorn to collect too much or tho chocolate, will spread. After dipping lay out on paraffin paper to harden. Ordinary white writing papor, well greased with butter, will serve as well as paraffin paper. Three hundred varieties can bo obtained of chocolate creams by a simple combination of the two fondants given in the foregoing with some- melted butter and a few kinds of nuts. Tho uuflavourod white fondant dipped in chocolate is one variety: maple fondant another, and by using vanilla, lemon, pineapple, orange, winter green and peppermint extracts with tho white fondants wo got six more kinds. Each of the four colours may be- used with each of tho six flavours making 24 kinds, and by pressing half an English walnut on top of the cream after it has been dipped in chocolate, another 24 varieties aro obtained. If we roll the unfavoured fondant around the following six nuts wo get six additional varieties: walnut, English walnut, almonds, Brazil nuts, pecans, and filberts. By combining tho six flavours and the maplo fondant with the six nuts wo got •42 varieties, and by using each of the four colours with oach of tho 42 kinds of nut cream, 163 additional varieties aro obtained making a total of 292 different kinds of chocolate cream. If shredded cocoanut is worked into tho unfavoured fondant and then rolled oiit and cut into small bars, wo havo still another kind of candy. Nut bars can be'madd in the same manner, and both cocoanut and nut bars can be covered with chocolate. All tho flavours and all the colours can he used with tho nut meats