# The Complete Confectioner (1800)/Fruit Pastes

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Take the youngest and most pithy angelica you can get, boil it very tender, and drain and press out all the water you possibly can; then beat it in a mortar to as fine a paste as may be, and rub it through a sieve; next day dry it over a fire, and, to every pound of this paste, take one pound of fine sugar in fine powder; when your paste is hot, put in the sugar, stirring it over a gentle fire till it is well incorporated; when so done, drop it on plates, long or round, as you think proper; dust it a little, and put it into the stove to dry.
Take any quantity of apricots very ripe, peel, stone, and cut them small, put them in a deep earthen pan, then take a large and deep kettle, fill it with water, and place in it the earthen pan in which the apricots are; boil them thus, what it called balneo maria; when they have well boiled, thus, and thrown off their juice, take them off ​and pour them in a sieve to drain; when they are well drained, take a horse-hair sieve very open, strain them well, after which put them in a preserving-pan on the fire to dry them a little; when you see they begin to make a thick paste, take them off, having a pair of scales, and weigh a pound and a half of very fine sifted sugar, pound and a half of very fine sifted sugar, pounded in powder, to every pound of fruit; put the whole again into a preserving-pan, set it on the fire, keeping continually stirring, it with a spoon, till you see the sugar is well mixed with the apricots; take notice they must not boil, for then the sugar would melt too much; when that is done, put this paste in your tin moulds, and place them upon tin plates in the stove; when they have got a good crust on the top, turn them to make them take one also at bottom; then after your paste is very firm, take a little knife and pass it all round the moulds, to make them quit the paste, which then put on a sieve in the stove, to make it crust by the sides; when the crust is well formed, take them off and put them in boxes, or any thing you may think proper to keep them in for use.
Boil some apricots that are full ripe to a pulp, and rub the fine of it through a sieve; to every pound of pulp, take one pound two ounces of fine sugar, beaten to a very fine powder; heat well your paste, and by degrees put in your sugar; when all is in, give it a thorough heat over the fire, taking care not to let it boil; then take it off, and scrape it all to one side of the pan, ​let it cool a little, then lay it out on plates in what form you please; then dust them, and put them into the stove to dry.
Take the down off, which is done by making a lye, with five or six handfuls of green wood ashes, sifted and boiled, till the water is quite sleek, and smooth to the fingers; put in the apricots; let them soak till the down comes off easily; stir the ashes pretty often, to keep it from settling at bottom; take the pot off the fire to clean the fruit, and throw in fresh water as they are doing; then boil them in the fresh water as they are tender enough to sift, and boil the juice till it comes to a good consistence, stirring it continually for fear it should burn; weigh an equal quantity of fruit and sugar; and mix them well together off the fire; put them in moulds directly, and dry them as before.
Take two pounds of Morello cherries stone them, press out the juice, dry them in a pan, and mash them over a fire; then weigh them, and take their weigh in sugar beaten very fine, heat them over a fire till the sugar is well mixed, then dress them on plates or glasses; dust them when cold, and put them into a stove to dry.
Take the gooseberries when full grown, wash and put them into your preserving pan, with as much spring water as will cover them; boil them ​all to a mummy, and strew them on a hair sieve over an earthen pot or pan; then press out all the juice; to every pound of paste, take one pound two ounces of sugar, boil it till it cracks, take it from the fire, put in the paste, and mix it well over a slow fire till the sugar is incorporated with the paste, then scum it and fill your paste-pots; give them another scum, and when cold, put them into the stove; when crusted on the top, turn them and set them in the stove again; when a little dry, cut them in long pieces, set them to be quite dry, and, when so crusted that they will bear touching, turn them on sieves, dry the other side, and then put them into your box.
Note.—You may make them red or green, by putting in the colour when the sugar and paste is well mixed, giving it a warm altogether.
Wash your currants well, put them into your preserving-pan, bruise them, and with a little water boil them to a pulp; then press out the juice, and to every pound take twenty ounces of loaf sugar, boil it to crack, take it from the fire, and put in the paste; then heat it over the fire, take off the scum, put it into your paste-pots, or glasses, then dry and manage them as other pastes.
Boil one pound of the leaves of orange flowers very tender; then take two pounds and two ​ounces of double-refined sugar in fine powder, and when you have bruised the flowers to a pulp, stir in the sugar by degrees, over a slow fire, till all is in and well melted; then make little drops and dry them.
Let your quinces be full ripe, boil them till they are quite tender, drain and sift them as usual, reduce the marmalade, on the fire, to a paste consistence, stirring it continually; according to the quantity of quince marmalade, refine a pound of sugar to three quarters of quinces; mix them together on a very slow fire, without any boiling, put it into what form you please directly, and dry as usual.
To make the paste of a fine red, bake the quinces in the oven a long while, then peel and sift them in a strong hair sieve; dry the marmalade over a slow fire a little while, to about half the consistency of a paste; then to redden it the more, keep it a good while on a slow ashes-fire, stirring it some time; and to add further to its redness, put a little steeped cochineal, and reduce it on a slow fire to a thick paste; that is, when it loosens from the pan; put as much sugar as marmalade, or paste, soak it a little while on the fire, and let it cool, just enough to work it well with the hands.
Take any sort of plumbs you please, put a pan of water on the fire; when it boils put your ​plumbs in, let them soak till you see they loosen their skin; then take them off, strain them through a sieve, and put them into a pan over the fire, to make them throw off their water, keeping stirring them till you see you paste is a little thick; take them off, and proceed as directed for apricots.
Take any quantity of peaches, cut them small in an earthen pot, and do precisely as before.
Cut off the hard knobs at both ends, core them through and through, boil them in water till they are tender; take them off and put them into cold water a moment, drain them, by pressing them in a linen cloth, to get the water out, then pound and sift them; upon a quarter o a pound of marmalade, put half a pound of clarified sugar, simmer it a while together to mix, stirring it continually, add proceed as with the other.
Take what quantity of golden pippins you think proper, which boil whole in a pan of water, without paring them; when you see they are well done, take them off, and put them in a draining sieve; then take a horse-hair sieve, very open, and strain them through; when that is done, put them in the preserving-pan,, and proceed as directed for apricots.
To every pound of flour put one pound of butter, and the yolk of an egg. First take a quarter of a pound of the butter, and rub it in finely with the flour, then make a hollow in the middle of your flour, and beat the yolk of an egg very fine, or it will spot the crust, then put in as much cold water as will make it into a light paste, work it up light and roll it out, then divide the rest of the butter into five parts, take one and stick it into little bits all over, then shake a little flour all over, and lay on the middle of the roll, and roll it out again; do this four or five times, and it will make very fine puff paste.
Take a pound of flour, a pound of loaf sugar, beat fine, and a pound of butter, work it up all together, do not roll it, but beat it well with the rolling plan for half an hour, folding it up, and beating it out again, then roll little pieces, as you want for your tarts.
Take a pound of fine flour, a spoonful of sugar, three quarters of a pound of good butter, rub it all into your flour, then take the yolks of two eggs, the white of one, as much water as will wet it, beat them and pour it into the flour, and work it all together; then roll it out thin, and it will rise in baking.
Lay down a peck of flour; work it up with six pound of butter and four eggs, and make it into a stiff paste with cold water.
Take either apples, peaches, apricots, or plumbs; put them in a pan of water on the fire; and do them as before directed; then after you have strained them through a sieve, take a high clarified sugar, when done, take it off from the fire, and put your fruit in, which boil as it were for a jelly; when you see your paste thickens,, take if off, and spread it upon tin plates with a knife, as thin as you can; put those tin plates in the stove for five or six days, with a slow fire; after than time your paste will be firm, then take a knife and cut your paste as thin as you please; have little round sticks, cover them with that paste which you have cut, replace them again in the stove till the next day, then your paste will have taken the form of the sticks; take these off and keep them for use.
Boil half a pint of water a moment, with a little sugar, a quarter of a pound of butter, a little fine rasped or grated lemon peel, a little salt; put flour to it, by little and little, to mix it well, and pretty thick; turn and stir it continually on the fire, until it quits the pan; take it off, and while it is warm put eggs to it, one by one; mix it well, and put eggs, until it is come to the consistency of paste, and sticks to the fingers.
Is made after the same manner as the last, except you are to use cream instead of water; it will have a richer taste, but will not be so light.
Make a hole in the middle of the flour; put salt to it, and an equal quantity of butter and fresh hog's lard; mix it with warm water, make it pretty firm and let it rest; cut it in several pieces, and roll each as thin as possible, and rub each leaf with melted hog's lard; put all the pieces one upon another; roll them together; let it cool; cut it with a knife, and put it to what use you please.
Work some flour with a couple of eggs, and a little water; let it rest; have some rice boiled very tender, in good rich broth; when it is cold, pound it in a mortar with the ready prepared paste, and a little butter, until it is properly mixed: it will serve for any sort of cakes, as ll other paste.
To a peck of flour put six pounds of butter, lay your flour in a large dish, make a hollow in the middle, put your butter in a saucepan of water on the fire, and when the butter is all melted take it off, and put it into the flour hot, and with a wooden spoon or stick work it all together, then with your hands work your paste quick, and pull it all into little pieces, till it is ​quite cold, then work it up into a stiff paste, and form it into what shape you please, and build your walls for a standing pye.