The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-12-16
Christmas BOnbOns.


bountiful supply of bonbons is about as
girls-as a Christmas dinner without
roast turkey and cranberry sauce. And
as boys and girls are both happier
and better for contributing something
to the pleasures of the day, it is nice
plan to let them provide, or at least
make, the confections. The founda-
ton of nearly all delicious candies
which come under the general head of
"cream Candles" is the same, and is
called fonddnt, or foundation cream.
To make this peri city is really the
most difficult part of the operation; but
when once the art is mastered, deli
cious BOZ bons of many varieties can be
made at one-half the price charged by
the confectioner.
FOUNDATION CREAM.-Put two tea
cupfuls of graduated sugar and one of
water into porceain-lined or granite
kettle, and stand it on the back of the
range where it will dissolve slowly
Bring the kettle to the front, add one
fourth of teas poonful of cream tartar
and boil rapidly for nine or ten min
utes, shaking the kettle occasionally,
but never stirring, for this would surely
cause it to grain. Test the syrup by
allowing it to drip from the end of a
spoon; if this is in elongated drops, and
at last fine thread floats from tt end
of the spoon, remove it from the fire.
Whe n lukewarm, stir it thoroughly with
wooden paddle; do not allow it to ad-
here TO the sides of the kettle, keep the
whole mass moving and stir always in
one direction. When it bccom es thick
enough TO handle, take it out and knead
as you would bread until the entire
mass becomes creamy and soft. BY
covering with damp napkin it may be
The art of making this foundation
cream lies in using pure sugar; in not
stirring it While cooking; in having it
just the proper consistency; in partially
cooling it before working, and in doing
the latter operation vigorously. If the
|ondant is cooked too long it will grain
if not enough, it cannot be kneaded. A
marble slab is better than table for
kneading it on, and shallow dripping
pan butered is good to pour the candy
for caramels ard the like in to cool.
Para fine paper should be used to wrap
them in, though that used by grocers
for butter will answer.
FIG OR DATE STRIPS. Chop the fruit
fine and cook to paste with very
little water and sugar. Make sheet OF
tondant and spread it with the colo
paste. Place another sheet of fonddn
on the top, press well together, and cut
in strips one inch by two, or in inch
10 10 . al, ~, \
hickory nuts and English walnuts are
delicious in creams. Press one into
the center of small ball or con e-shapet
piece of fondo1t. Another variety o.
creams is made by mixing cocoanut
chopped walnut meats, almonds or fill
bers in fondant, then moulding into OBJ
long pieces and coating them with choc
olate. Still another way is to max,
different kinds of balls, cut each il
half, press the fiat sides together, ant
roll in graduated sugar.
CHOCOLATE CREAMs.-Flavor guam
tity Of fonddnt with lemon or vanilla
dust little corn starch on the mould
ing board and make into small balls
Spread on paraffine paper to harder
until next day. Break up cake o
another basin of boiling water Whel
the chocolate melts, add bit of butte
half as large as walnut and piece O
paraffine the same size. Stir thor
oughly and flavor with vanilla. /
coarse darning-need!e or hat pin is con
venient to hold the creams ON Will
coating them in the chocolate. Plac
again on paraffine paper to harden.
TAFFY.-Take three cupfuls of gran
ulated sugar, half one of vinegar, an
an equal amount of water, and boil
After boiling ten minutes add pic C
of butter the size of walnut and sti
only enough to combine the ingredients
After few minutes test the candy b
dropping little into cold water, and
it snaps remove from the fire immt d
ately. Pour into a dish to cool an
flavor as desired. When sufficient
cooled, pull, cut in short lengths an
place on buttered dishes or paper.
FRUIT RoLL.-Chop an equal quar-
tity of seeded raisins, dates and fig
and knead them into small amount {
fondant. Dust the board with yer
little -four and make the fruit fonda,
into a roll an inch thick. Make stri
of plain fondant half an inch thick, an
wide enough to entirely cover the fru
roll. The next day dip in chocolat
and lay on parafline paper to harder
The day after cut in crosswise slice
one-foul tn of an inch thick.
WALNUT TAFFY BALLs.-To or
cupful of brown sugar add half cupf'
of New Orleans molasses and fouri
of cupful composed of equal parts
vinegar and water. Cook and test {
for taffy, and when done remove fro
the stove and add cupful of poundt
walnut m eats and stir until nearly coll
when it should be cut in small bi
and formed into balls or oblong piece
Wrap in paraffine paper.
WINTERGREEN DRoPs.-Boil slow
together a cupful of graduated sugi
and fourth of n cupfill of water,