I.—THE CANDY COUSIN'S FIRST DAY IN LONDON.

Otago Witness, Issue 2676, 28 June 1905, Page 69

I.— THE CANDY COUSIN'S FIRST DAY IN LONDON.

How to Make Chocolate Fudge. Nut i Fudge, Molasses Trifles, and Molasses^ Nuts. i "To arrive in London in a belated fog 1" The three looked at one another in frank dismay as Bee voiced her thoughts. "What shall we do with herJ" The door opened as Edith spoke, and a wiry, • brown-faced child appeared. She wore a plaid frock, and her hair was cropped just below the ears in the favourite American fashion; her front locks were tied on the top of her head with a vivid scarlet bow. She, was on roller skates and slid across to the window on one foot. " It's as bad as ever," volunteered the younger girl. Edna pressed her little short nose to the pane and looked out into the thick yellow atmosphere. Her face showed her j unucomplimentary thought's. Edith, feel- | ing the honour =of her country was at j stake, _cast about desperately for some- ! thing with which to- amuse this active American cousin. For themselves the fog v would not have mattered. With books, and games, and dolls' they were content ■; but Edna had tired of them all 'on. the after-., noon of the previous day — her first in England. "It's not always like this, really,", said Hal. the only boy, and the smallest of the- party. Edna shrugged her thin '. shoulders. , " I gness I'm glad I don't live here," \ ehe remarked, "for* l call this slow— How what can" we" do?" "If it- were' only fine," said Edith, "we could do' lots ; • there are the parks, p and the Tower and the Horse Guards, and the House of Parliament — heaps of things you \ ought to see." ! Edna pushed up the window and let ] in a whiff of the damp yellow fog. "But < it isn't fine," she said shortly, "and I j reckon we might walk over the -edge of England, in this — it looks kind of small in my geography I Oh, Hal, haven't you any candies to help us along?" "There are only four sweets left," said Edith, hastily passing a chocolate box. "Let's jnake some then," said .Edna, dropping one into her mouth and handing , them on. s ".Can you make sweets?" cried Hal j with interest. ) " Sure !"• responded Edna — real elegant t ones too — but I call them 'candies'." "What shall we need?" asked the practical Edith, seizing on the idea, with" eagerness. ■" Bee, go and ask Sarah to let us have the little round gas stove she uses to heat her irons. We can fix it on to the gas jet by the rubber tube and cook herej it will be better than the fire. Now Edna, Hell me what you will want/ "Have you any maple" sugar?" Edna ft'sked... Hal's face Ml as Edith shook her head. •"Maple syrup Y "No." "Peanuts?" " No." Well, what have you got?" the little Westerner asked with audible scorn in her voice for the limitations of an English pantry. t"There's sure to be brown sugar and white sugar, and butter, and — and — " hesitated Edith. "Molasses?" interrupted Edna. "Treacle," nodded Edith. Hal's hopes rose. "And- nuts," he cried, v "nuts of some kind for certain. Walnuts and almonds most likely, and, oh, I have some monkey nuts." "And Vanilla essence and baking soda?" "Yes, yes." ''Then we'll make fudge," said Edna promptly— " that- is if you have_ any chocolate. Cocoa would do, but it is not so good. We could try some molasses nuts and taffy at the same time." "And to-morrow we can get maple syrup and sugar from Harrod's stores — or that place in Piccadilly — and see what, we can do then,"' said Edith, springing up. what quantities and weapons of war?" Edna was tugging at* the straps of her skates, but she answered- promptly — "A kettle." " A Jcettle !" echoed Ler cousin. ' "Oh, I guess you call it something else !" criel Edna 'impatiently. " I mean A thing to cook in — porcelain !" "An agate saucepan," translated Edith. "A pitcher of milk," said Edna. "A jug!" laughed Edith. "And a cup or measure holding half §, pound/ continued Ednsu lotting; off

IJier requirements on her fingers. "Nuts, nutcrackers, white and brown sugar, and ; the molasses can. A chafing dish -with a ~ spirit lamp would be better than that," I she added, referring to the little stove Sarah and Bee had brought up, " but that Trill do. Butter the size of an egg — a small egg." "A bantam's egg," suggested Bee. "Well, I guess the size of a good large walnufe would be nearer," said Edna, thoughtfully. "We shall want that much for every candy we make. I should like to do four this morning. Oh, and we shall want the vinegar bottle and the unsweetened chocolate, and the nutmeggrater." The four sped off to collect the materials and shortly returned with a loaded tray. "We will make the fudge first," said Edna. " Now, I'm head cook and you three are my assistants," the little Ameri- ! can went on. " Edith, you brought a [ large spoon, and a_ teaspoon and knife, j and glass or cufll Eight. It's lucky ( running water is in this playroom of yours. Now, Bee, light the gas; Edith, put on the saucepan ; Hal. open those cans and pass me the tin cup full of white sugar. That holds hall a pound about, doesnt it,. Edith? ISovr the butter. Bee, do you ' think that is the size of a walnut? I think you are putting in a cocoanut ! There, that's better. Now, Hal, just grate down that chocolate ; we will want four I tablespoons full. Edith, put that pitcher, I of milk into the saucepan along with the ] sugar and butter. It holds just the same quantity as the cup we measured the sugar in, does it not?" "Yes, but you put two lots of sugar." *' Right. Stir it carefully, Bee, or it will burn. We had better put the as- ' bestos mat under the saucepan as soon as 1 it comes to the boil." ] "How long must it cook?" asked Hal, j eager to taste this American dainty, j "I guess about fifteen or twenty mm!- ! utes," said Edna. " Just fill that glass [ with water and bring it to me, will you. j Now, when we think it is done — when it I begins to harden on the sides of the sauce- ; pan — we drop a little into this glass of j water. If it melts away it is not done. | If you can touch it and roll it round quite firmly in jour fingers, and it feels brittle { and. breakable, it is done. Let me stir itI for a jnoment and try." I Edna took the spoon and dropped a j very small quantity into the glass Hal held, then dived for it with her little brown, fingers. " See, it's not cooked yet," for, as she tried to 'catch the stuff, it melted away and discoloured the water. "Pour that away and get fresh, Hal. Edith, give me the spoon. Fudge, unlflke most candies, should be stirred all the time, even while cooking. You and Bee shell the nuts, all the kinds you have, then chop them fine ; it will save time for the next thing. Water — water — quick ! I believe it is done." Again she let the few drops fall into the glass, and this time she could gather it between her finger and thumb. Each of the children tried in order that they might know "for next time." "Butter a plate or tin dish, quickly, Edith," Edna cried. "We ought to have done that before." She turned out the gas and carried the saucepan carefully across the room, stqod it in a basin of cold water and stirred vigorously. As it began to cool she called for a t-easpoonful of Vanilla essence, and Edith poured it in. "You must stir until it becomes creamy and stiffish," she informed them, as she laboured, valiantly. There, feel" how it goes Edith; now, Bee; now, Hal. No.no! It is too hot to eat yet. Pass the buttered dish;" and with a triumphal final stir she turned the contents of her saucepan on to the prepared pan. " Now when it is nearly cold we must cut it into squares with a knife," "Do we do anything to the knife first?" questioned Edith. "Butter it," suggested Bee. " No, it won't stick," said Edna. "Hal, don't you want to scrape out that scaucepan now? Warm fudge is good." Each child caught up a spoon, and for the moment the only sound heard was the scraping of their spoons against the sides of the pan. "It is first-rate!" the three exclaimed. "Lefc us make some more," said Bee promptly, "this won't last any time. Oh, what did you want the nuts and treacle for, Edna?" "To make molasses nuts, and molasses candy," the little Westerner answered, pleased with their praises of her one accomplishment, "5Te will do these nowj

but first, do you know the ingredients of this fudge ?"

" Two cups of white sugar,"' said Edith promptly. " One cup of milk." said Bee. "Butter the size of a large walnut," interjected Hal in a hurry. ,"Four tablespooufuls of grated, unsweetened chocolate and one teaspoonful of Vanilla essence," said Bee.

" The sugar, milk, butter and chocolate all put in at once," said Edith, " and the Vanilla added when the fudge is beginning to cool in the basin."'

Edna nodded, well pleased: " Some candy-makers say it is best to put in the butter just before you think it is done, but I was afraid of forgetting it altogether if we waited. I know one other fudge : — Three cups of brown sugar, one cup of milk, a very little butter — about a teaspoonfuul only — also a teaspoonful of baking powder, the Vanilla the same as the one we have just made (a teaspoonful). and a cup of crushed nuts added when you are beating it up to cool in the basin of cold water.

" This mixture we have just made is real elegant with nuts as well as chocolate. Now for the molasses nuts. A clean saucepan. Oh, let's wash this one, fudge comes off easily, if we are quick, and Hal has not left much!" A cup of molasses and one of brown sugar, a walnut sized or tablespoonful of butter and a tablespoonful of vinegar, a teaspoonful of baking soda and a cup of crushed nxits.

" Light the gas, Edith. Don't stir this too much, Bee ; just enough to keep it from burning. Now, Hal, you may crush the lumps out of this teaspoonful of baking soda. We must not put it in until the very last moment though, and when we do, the candy will'look like a sponge, all fluffy and funny. This takes about twenty minutes to cook." "Do we test it in water, just the same?" asked Edith.

"Yes, and we wait until it is quite brittle — real hard — when Me cool a few drops in the cup of water. Try now. Let's hold it under the tap ; it will cool quicker. Now the circus begins! If we over-do it, it will all go sugary. If we under-do it, it will remain sticky, and refuse to harden. No, not enough yet; another minute will do, I guess. Try again. Bother! Not yet. More cold water. Hal. No! Yes! I think this will do. Feel, it is quite hard when I roll it round. Taste that, Hal. Fine? Have you buttered the dish, Bee? See how it rose up when I put the soda in. Stir — stir ! Edith ! Now it is going down. Drop in the nuts — one cupful of those we have crushed. Stir hard. Now take it off and stand it in the basin of cold water. Now stir real good and hard ! See, it is beginning to cool. Turn it out on to the plate you buttered, Edith. If we like to make the same mixture over again it is awfully good plain, without the nuts, only then it is best to put twice as much sugar as molasses, and we can pull it until it comes quite white. Oh, no, it won't burn your fingers ; you butter them or flour them, you know, and do not. touch it until it begins to cool down some. Oh, good, the fudge is cold .enough to eat, and oh, rah ! rah ! the fog has lifted — we can go oat and you must take me to explore London." . " And to-morrow," said Edith, "we will see what -can be done with maple sugar." "Unless it is fine," laughed Edna. But we must do some more some time—caramels, barley sugar, nougat, Overton toffee, butter scotch, peanut - brittle, pink and white candies, and cream 'dates, and walnuts and almonds, and stuffed figs 1" "Candy Cousin, Candy Cousin !" shouted Hal. And that was how Edna earned the name she kept through the ensuing months.