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Sugar: a Great Source of Heat and Energy: Caramels

MAPLE CARAMELS Use maple sugar instead of granulated sugar, or use two cups and one-third of maple syrup and one cup and a fourth of white sugar, keeping the other ingredients the same as in "Best Caramels." For chocolate caramels add three or four squares of chocolate at the same time as the vanilla. For nut caramels add one cup or one cup and a half of nuts just before turning the candy into the pans.

GOOD WALNUT CARAMELS 2 1/2 cups of sugar 2 1/2 cups of whole milk (un- 3/4 cup of glucose skimmed) 1/2 cup of butter 1 teaspoonful of vanilla 1/3 teaspoonful of cream of tar- 1 cup of English walnut meats tar Put the first four ingredients and one cup of the milk over the fire to cook; stir constantly and, after the mixture has boiled a few moments, gradually stir in the rest of the milk; add only a little at a time, as thus added the milk is less liable to curdle. Stir often and cook to the hard ball degree or about 248 deg F.; add the nuts and vanilla and turn into two pans. Cut in cubes when nearly cold. Wrap the cubes in waxed paper.

CHOICE CARAMELS 1 pound of sugar (2 cups) 1/2 pound of butter (1 cup) 1 pound of glucose (3/4 cup) 1 pint of cream Put the sugar, glucose, butter and half of the cream over the fire and stir until the mass boils throughout. Then stir in gradually - so as not to stop the boiling - a second cup of cream. Put in the sugar thermometer, and let the mixture boil, stirring every three or four minutes, until the thermometer registers 250 deg F. Then stir in a teaspoonful of vanilla, and turn the candy into two brick-shaped bread-pans, nicely buttered, or onto an oiled marble between steel bars, to make a sheet three-fourths an inch thick. When nearly cold, cut in cubes. Roll these at once in waxed paper or let stand twenty-four hours to dry off. Without a thermometer boil the mass to a pretty firm hard ball. No better caramels can be made. The time of boiling varies, but often an hour is required. In summer the caramels will hold their shape better if boiled from two to four degrees higher.

PECAN PRALINES 3 cups of granulated sugar 1 cup of sugar cooked to the 1 cup of cream caramel degree 3 cups of pecan nut meats Stir the sugar and cream over the fire until the sugar is melted, then let boil to the soft ball degree or to 235 deg F. Have ready the cup of sugar, cooked to the caramel degree, and pour the first mixture onto the caramel; let boil up once, then remove from the fire and beat until it begins to thicken. Add the nuts and drop by spoonfuls onto marble or waxed paper. ORANGE-FLAVORED TURKISH PASTE 3 level tablespoonfuls of granu- 2 tablespoonfuls of lemon juice lated gelatine 4 tablespoonfuls of Curacoa 2/3 cup of orange juice 1/2 cup of candied cherries, 2 cups of granulated sugar chopped fine 1/2 cup of cold water Let the gelatine stand in the orange juice until it has absorbed the liquid. Stir the sugar and water over a slack fire until the sugar is dissolved, then add the softened gelatine and heat to the boiling point; let boil twenty minutes after boiling begins; remove from the fire and let cool a little, then add the lemon juice, wine and fruit, and turn into an unbuttered bread-pan. Let stand in a cool place overnight. To unmold sift XXXX, or confectioner's, sugar over the top of the paste; with a sharp-pointed knife, loosen the candy at the edge, where it adheres to the pan, then gently and slowly pull the past, in a compact sheet, from the pan and dispose on a board dredged with confectioner's sugar. Cut the paste into strips and then in cubes with a sharp knife. This may be done easily, if sugar be kept between the knife and the paste. Roll each piece in the sugar. This candy is at its best after a few days. Grated rind of orange may be used in place of the wine. TURKISH PASTE, RASPBERRY FLAVORED 3 level tablespoonfuls of granu- 2 cups of sugar lated gelatine 2/3 cup of raspberry juice 1/2 cup of raspberry juice 2 tablespoonfuls of lemon juice Prepare in the same manner as the orange-flavored paste. TURKISH PASTE, MINT FLAVORED 1/2 cup of cold water 2 tablespoonfuls of lemon juice 3 tablespoonfuls of granulated 4 tablespoonfuls of creme-de- gelatine menthe cordial 2 cups of granulated sugar Green color-paste to tint very 1/2 cup of cold water delicately Prepare as the orange-flavored paste. These candies may be stirred gently, if it seems necessary.

FONDANT: CANDY OF SMOOTH TEXTURE 4 cups of granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoonful of vinegar or 1 1/2 cups of cold water 1/2 teaspoonful of cornstarch 3 drops of acetic acid or Stir the sugar and water in a saucepan, set on a comparatively cool part of the range, until the sugar is melted; then draw the saucepan to a hotter place and continue stirring until the syrup boils; remove the spoon and, with a cloth or the fingers wet in cold water, wash down the sides of the saucepan, to remove grains of sugar that may have been thrown there in the cooking; now add the acid, vinegar or cornstarch, and cover the dish; the steam will melt grains of sugar, if there be any on the saucepan. After three or four minutes remove the cover and, if a thermometer is to be used, set it into the syrup. Let the syrup boil to 240 deg F. In the meantime wet the hand in cold water and with it dampen a marble slab or a large platter, then, without jarring the syrup, turn it onto the receptacle prepared for it. Do not scrape out the saucepan or allow the last of the syrup to drip from it (use the saucepan in making a dish of apple or other sauce), as sugary portions will cause the fondant to be "grainy." When the syrup is cold, with a scraper (such as is used in removing wall paper) or a wooden spatula, turn the edges of the mass towards the center; continue this until it begins to thicken and grow white, then work it up into a ball, scraping the marble clean. When all is collected and worked into a compact mass, lay over it a damp cloth, tucking it in closely; let stand in this way for an hour or more to ripen. Now cut into pieces and pack these closely in an earthen bowl; cover the top of the bowl with a damp cloth and then with heavy paper; the cloth must not touch the fondant. This may be used at once or may be kept, in cold weather, several weeks, if the cloth be wrung out of cold water and returned about once a week. It may be used as a frosting for small cakes, for "centers" of bonbons or for coating centers.