The Washington herald., 1911-02-05
Art of Making Home Confections

The art of candy making Is one not to
be despised. for homemade candies are
not only better for the stomach, but are
preferred by many persons to the most
expensive CONNECTIONS. With the aid Of
a chafing dish or an ordinary alcohol
stove and few recipes the girl of to-
ray. attired in a pretty house frock and
a fancy apron, can make herself very
attractive to her masculine friends who
drop in for the evening or the girls who
like to gossip a bit in the afternoon over
the o'clock tea table. She can make a
reputation for herself in a short time
and will be surprised to see how popular
she has become.
For the benefit of the girl who would
like to learn how to make really good
candy 1 am giving the recipes of ia
nous old-time cook, whose experience
in making candies was condensed in a
little paper-covered book called Cath
crime Owens Lessons in Candy Making" !"
which was published twenty years ago.
There are very few copies to be found
anywhere to-day, as the book is out Of
Print. but these are guarded jealousy.
Ny readers may consider themselves
fortunate in having these printed so they
may be cut out and pasted in the scrap
book where the best recipes are kept
How to Make Fondant.
You will need the best sugar, granu-
lated or loaf (sugar adulterated with
glucose will give you great trouble)," says
Mrs. Owen. Your colorings and flavor
ings must be concentrated. I advise be-
ginning with one pound of sugar, and
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to be prepared to use some patience.
Sugar has ways that seem to the tyro
past finding out it is so easily affected
by the atmosphere
For fondant, take a pint of sugar and
set it to boil with small cupful Of wa
ter in smooth agate saucepan, stirring
only to mix. When it has boiled ten
minutes dip a fork in it, taking care not
to stir the sirup after it has boiled. Hold
up the, fork: probably the liquid, after it
has run OF. will only form a thickish
drop on the end: if so, you can wait a
few minutes before trying again. Then
dip the fork, let the greater part run
back into the saucepan, and if long,
silk-Iike hair hangs from the fork when
you hold ii in the air, take up a little in
a spoon and drop it in some ice cold wa
ter. If it can be gathered from the bot
tom IN a very SOIL Dali, II may De taken
from the fire and set to cool quickly in
dry spot, or it may he turned out on
large platter or marble slab. You must
be very quick while you try the candy,
for you must remember that it passes
rapidly from one degree to the other. and
while you are trying. the heat of the
saucepan is cooking il more
Take care no spoon is dipped into it
while cooling, no stirring or shaking aft
er it is removed from the fire, or it will
granulate When cool-that is, cool
enough to bear your finger in it-Stir it
with a spoon or pudding stick 1t will
soon begin TO look like cream and then
get sitter, till you find it necessary to
take your hands and work it like bread
dough. If it has been boiled rather be-
yond the right point, it may be cru-nbly,
but persevere, work quickly. pressing it
hard between the hands, and it will soon
become a smooth mass. AS the one
pound of sugar will not make much
candy, you can put more on to boil while
you work the first. and if you have sue
ceeded well with the first you can put on
double quantity. When you have learn
ed to boil sugar and to produce this
white paste from it you have mastered
the grand difficulty. So leave the cream
candy, or fondant. as it Is called, till
next day. 1t will keep for weeks in a
dry place, pressed into a jar and COW
cred with oiled or waxed paper
We now pass from the fondant and