The Alaska citizen., 1915-12-20

 gives greater pleasure t. bo,u SI.,.' and recipient than box nj 'edil, fine homemade candy. The maF ing of such candy is not ocly plea sant but it may be mdie very pro fitable. In order to be | success iul maker of candy one nut know at least little about xo k.ns with sugar, and this knowledge must come through the actual handling os the sugar and a keen appreciation Of tna changes made in sirur by varia- ,ion5 of temperature and also by manipulation.
 Working ir sugar calls fo: the very incest judgment, but 1t is well worth ones while to try for per feet on. lll the first place there w.rd which to work. Just anythin, must be established standard to will not do. Cream can1y must be creamy and without Il trace of grains CT crystals, however small It is no uncommon thing to near cX. travagant praise of someon" who makes perfectly delicious fudge when in reality the fudge s little more than moist sugar stuck to- gether sctuehow. ard actually grit. ty. Besides being creamy tne Gan- dy must be colored delicately an'i favored i'll the same way Only
 >,.etabie colol'iug-Mat,er snouli D.. used
 These Rules Are Arbitrary.
 A few general rules need to be kept in mind. One is, that rapi.l boiling will cause crystals to .orm in spite of any desire for the con trary Another way to cause crys- ,als to form is to stir the candy while it is cooking. and the niaE, fest thing is to refrain from stir ring. These remarks apply to the making of cream candies. Frequent ly recipe calls for cream Of tar tar and this is put in to prevent the formation of crystals. It is sb- so,utely necessary if called for. If you are making cream candy and it has cooked rapidly enough to spatter up against the sides 0! the pan take damp cloth or sponge and, wrapping it around a Skewer, wipe down tile sides of the vessel. Successful makers of fon- dant will not allow even the slight est jar of the vessel while the sirup is cooking, Another thing tha, helps to make the candy creamy is to cool it be'ore beating.
 The tests must be observed ex- actly, and while the test is being made the candy should be drawn to one side. In taking the candy the pan It is not necessary to ;,, t,,l,, for threads, and the various signs that appear as the sirup cooks. Lifting tue spoon vertically, tip dow Ii is the best way to make these pre- liminary tests. In making the mo lasses candies SO much care is not necessary because the molasses will not grain or crystalline like sugar A mixture of sugar and mo- las3ea seems best in most recipes, No matter what kind of candy is being made 1t must be taken off at exactly the right time. A marble slab is ideal for pouring candies, but a platter very slightly oiled or buttered answers very well. If the candy is to be beaten, the closest attention must be given or the mass will suddenly crystalline and there is absolutely nothing to do but add little water and cook 1t all over from the start.
 The flavoring is usually added while beating or pulling the candy for the reason that cooking causes the alcohol and tlavoring oils to evaporate and no benefit comes from their use In the case of such flavoring as chocolate, it is cooke with the candy. Nuts should be added after the candy comes from the fire, as the heat draws out the oil and destroys their delicate fla vOr.
 Some Simple Tests.
 One of the most common tests used in candy making is the thread or hair stage This Is also the test in cooked icing. Holding the spoon as described, tho sirup runs off at first and at the last drops off after it has stretched little and hung from he spoon. When the drop falls the remaining sirup flies into a t0 the length of time it has cooked. This thread is what Is known as 215 or PIT degrees by the thermome- ter.
 Another test is known as the soft ball. This is the first test of the real candy stages. The sirup dropped into cold water can be rolled be- tween the fingers into soft ball Just a trifle more cooking will give another stage known as the hard ball. In this the sirup can be rolled into harder ball between the fin gers.
 Further cooking gives the crack st"ges Here the sirup cools in the water into a mass which cracks It may have gone so far that |. crackles when it is chewed Tn" color of the sirup changes here to light straw Great care must be exercised at this stage for it is perilously near to burning.
 Foundation of Most Candies.
 Most Christmas candies are made from tondant or the creamy fudge mixture. For instance, make the fudge of grarulated sugar and omit the chocolate. Add candied cherries and other preserved fruits and have a beautiful white fruit fudge Or use light brown sugar omit the chocolate and make a little caramel to flavor and color, and add chopped nuts. That will give three dainty candies.
 A few perfect nut meats can be covered with plain sirup cooked to the hard crack and will make q pleasing contrast to the candies.