Candy-Making at Home

Making real candy in a home kitchen, 1915 — fondants, caramels and taffies from Mary M. Wright's classic.

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Nut Candies

MANY delicious candies may be made by adding nuts to the other ingredients and since nuts have much food value these candies are healthful and nourishing. CHOCOLATE ALMONDS Blanch a pound of almonds; this is done by pouring hot water over the almond meats and letting them stand on back of stove for about five minutes when the skins can easily be slipped off. Place on a pan in the oven and brown a nice dark brown, but be careful not to let them burn. When cool dip each almond in melted sweet chocolate.

BROWN ALMOND NOUGAT Blanch and cut one pound of sweet almonds in slices; lay them on a paper in a pan, and place in the oven until slightly brown. Take two cupfuls of granulated sugar, one-half cupful of golden corn syrup, and one teaspoonful of lemon juice. Melt to a liquid, stirring well, then add the almond and mix well with the syrup. Butter a large platter or marble slab. Pour the nougat on this and make it even with a lemon, which should be lightly dipped in oil or melted butter. Make it about an inch thick, and cut into strips or bars, or it may be used to line molds. The molds are first slightly buttered on the inside, then a thin layer of nougat is pressed against the form; this must be done while the nougat is still warm. When cool turn out of form or mold, and these may then be filled with candied fruit and whipped cream, candies or ice-cream. WHITE NOUGAT Boil two pounds of honey to the crack stage, or nearly to the crack, have the whites of four eggs beaten stiff, and add to the honey. Stir over a slow fire until it has reached the crack stage; then add two pounds of blanched almonds cut into strips and slightly browned in the oven. Mix all together and pour on platter or marble slab, or else line a nougat frame with wafer paper which can be bought at a confectionery shop, then pour the nougat into the frame, put board and weight on top.

PEANUT BRITTLE Take two cupfuls of light brown sugar, one cup of corn syrup, one-half cupful of water, one tablespoonful of butter and cook to the crack stage, then add a teaspoonful of vanilla, and two cupfuls of peanuts that have been slightly roasted, and stir until it begins to turn brown. Be careful not to let it burn, or become more than a golden brown in color. Add one tablespoonful (level) of soda, stirring it quickly, then pour over a greased platter or marble slab. As soon as it is thin enough to handle, loosen from the platter or slab with a knife, turn over and stretch out very thin. Break up into any desired shape when cold.

ALMOND TOFFEE Take two cupfuls of brown sugar, two tablespoonfuls of butter and one-half cupful of cream and boil to the hard ball stage; then add one cupful of chopped almonds and one teaspoonful of vanilla. Boil to the crack stage. Pour into buttered pans, and mark off into squares.

SOUTHERN HAZELNUT TOFFEE Melt one-half cupful of butter in a saucepan, add one cupful brown sugar and one cupful New Orleans molasses. Boil to the hard ball stage, add one cupful of chopped hazelnuts and boil to the crack stage. Pour into buttered pan, and mark off into squares.

MEXICAN PANOCHA Take two cupfuls of brown sugar, one-half cupful of corn syrup, one cupful of sweet milk, one teaspoonful of butter, and one square of chocolate. Mix the ingredients and boil to the hard ball stage, stirring the mixture constantly while on the stove. Add one cupful of pecan or any chopped nut meats, and pour into buttered pans. When cold cut into squares.

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