The record-union., 1897-12-13
FRENCH BONBONS.
How to Make Them, as Taught to
American Girls in Paris.

The first thing that an American
girl does when she gets in Paris is to
| learn to make French candy. Paris is
| the home of bonbons, and the American
| girl feels that she has not done her
| duty to herself and her friends until
she masters the secret Of their manu-
| facture.
| She soon learns that the basis of all
French candies is candy dough, which
is made out of confectioner's sugar, ice
water, and the white of an egg without
a particle of flour. 1t is so easy that
she can make it in a chatting dish, but
because the French cooks always make
their candy in the kitchen, with real
stove near by, the American girl de-
scends to the realm of pots and pans
for her sweet task.
The genuine French chefs recipe for
French candy is: One pound of confec-
toner's sugar, the white of one egg,
and as much icewater as you have egg.
You preserve these proper ions through
out, no matter what you are making.
though you may have to add little
more sugar now and then.
Sugar varies just as flour does, and a
cup of moist sugar does not go nearly
as lar dS d cup u uiS SuSdi. 1oul Jou
soon learn this by experience.
The American girl who goes dabbling
in French candy finds that she must
have three good. stout wooden spoons
and three wooden cake dishes. She also
needs an egg-beater, and she needs fia-
vors, plenty of them. She must have
strawberry, raspberry, pineapple Or
ange, and lemon juice, and she must
have a big cake of chocolate and
whole cocoanut. These are only the
crude elements of French bonbons. The
more complicated ones are piStachlo,
banana, pomegranate ana celery.
These make bonbons of very delicate
flavor, but the American girl who is
taking lessons of a Frenchman is told
that she should confine her attentions
to vanilla until she gets used to using
extracts. 1t is very easy to put dash
too much flavor in the dough
The egg and the icewater are meas
ured in glasses side by side, and the
girl squints up one eye to be sure that
they are exactly even. They are then
beaten together until they are mixed,
though not frothy; then they are tum-
bled in a shallow wooden dish.
A drop of vanilla is now added and
stirred in, and it is at this point that 1T
becomes necessary to taste the mixture.
1t should be quite strong with vanilla,
yet not too strong. Let the French chef
taste it the first time If you are taking
lessons, and then you taste it after him.
1t is the only way you will ever learn
how much is needed.
When you get the proper taste you
can shovel in the sugar. Don't be stingy
of it at first, but pile it in by the cup
full, stirring all the time. Soon IT Will
be stiff. and then you will need some
one to help you stir it. You must keep
on mixing and mixing until it is so stiff
that your arms ache.
Now you have reached the molding
stage. Quickly. before the dough sets
and becomes too hard to handle. gather
it up in soft handfuls and mold into
shape. Here is a chance to show your
artistic skill Form the dough into cats
and dogs. and If you doubt how they
look bring the family pets into the
kitchen to serve as models.
When you have made your animals,
place them on oiled paper and set them
outside the window q few minutes to
harden. Now bring them in and dip in
melted sweet chocolate. Use big grain
of sugar for the eyes and strip of or
ange peel for the mouth. If you want
a very fancy bonbon, tie ribbon