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Pastry and Confectionery

GOOSEBERRY PIES. -Mix one pint sugar with one of berries, adding just enough water to prevent burning; cook until it begins to jell, cool and spread over shapes of rich puff paste, already baked. Nice spread with a meringue.

VIRGINIA POTATOE PASTE. -Pare and boil mealy potatoes quite soft, while hot rub through a sive, put oven fire in stew pan with water enough to make thick mush, remove and mix one quart flour with this into a paste, knead until light, roll out thin, fill with any kind of fresh fruit, boil in cloths or cook in steamer for one and a half hours and serve with butter and sugar or wine sauce; apple, blackberries, or stoned cherries are best for these puddings. The sheets of paste can be spread with the fruit and rolled like jelly cake; rhubarb is nice used this way eaten with a very sweet sauce. Potato paste baked is excellent for meat pies. - Mrs. John Martin, Richmond, Va.

SILVER PIE.---Peel and grate one large white Irish potato, add the grated rind and juice of a lemon, the beaten white of an egg, one teacup white sugar and one of cold water; bake in pie tin lined with nice paste, spread top with a meringue, set in oven and brown, then dot with small bits of jelly or jam before serving.

VIRGINIA SWEET POTATOE PIE, (Virginia method.) - Pare, steam or boil, then slice and put in a syrup of sugar and water seasoned with whole cloves or allspice to suit taste, scald and set aside until nearly cool, line a deep pie plate with paste, cover bottom with slices of potato laid in evenly, pour in syrup enough to cover potato, add a tablespoon of butter in bits to each pie, and if liked a wine glass of Maderia wine. Mrs. R. F. M, Fredericksburg.

FRENCH CANDY. - This recipe is used by all confectioners. The whites of two eggs placed in a tumbler; measure with your finger how high it comes up in the glass, pour it out in a large bowl, pour in the tumbler as much cold water as will be equal to amount of the eggs; mix it with them and beat very well; add a desert spoon of vanilla and about two pounds confectioners' sugar if you can get it (it has the appearance of flour) -or powdered sugar well sifted; beat well and the foundation of all your candy is ready; take one half pound dates, remove the stones, put in a piece of the candy dough, roll each one in granulated sugar; split one half pound figs and place a layer of the dough on a board, sprinkled well with powder. ed sugar to prevent its adhereing, and then a layer of figs; again a layer of dough, cut in squares, and that kind is ready. Nuts of any kind may be made up into the candy Almonds put inside and then rolled in coarse sugar; set each kind out in a cool place to harden. For chocolate creams, roll any number of balls from the dough, and when they are hardened, dip with a fork into chocolate melted on the stove; be careful not to allow it to boil; use baker's chocolate. Cocoanut can be made by rolling out another portion of dough on the board, sprinkle cocoanut over it and roll a few times with the roller, then cut in squares. A mixture of cocoanut and particles of nuts chopped fine makes a very delicious candy. The English walnut makes a handsome addition if you are to give boxes of this candy as presents to friends. Split the walnuts, shape some of the dough into round flat balls, and place a leaf on each side; press together firmly. This candy is now being made in society circles a great deal, as there is no cooking to be done and it is very easy and clean work. A dollar's worth of all these ingredients together, will make many pounds of candy.--Mrs. PEANUT TAFFY. - Put a pound of brown sugar and a quarter pound butter with two tablespoons water in a skillet; let boil until taffy becomes a clear, dark color; then stir in a quart of peanuts (toasted light brown), boil fifteen minutes and drop by tablespoonfuls on a marble slab or griddle. POP-CORN.-Drop corn into a kettle containing a little boiling lard, cover until popped, when done have ready a rich syrup flavored with orange or lemon juice; when it simmers pour slowly over corn; take corn up in large lumps and mould in balls or squares and slice like cake, salting corn while hot before adding syrup, is liked by many; some melt a little gum arabic in the syrup. --Sally Powers, New Orleans.