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Title: The Complete Confectioner, Pastry-Cook, and Baker...
Author: Parkinson
Publisher: Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott & Co.

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> THE CONFECTIONER.

> SECTION I.--CONFECTIONARY.

AS SUGAR is the basis or ground-work of the confectioner's art, it is essentially necessary that the practitioner should carefully study and observe the difference in its qualities, the changes which it undergoes or effects when combined with other articles in the process of manufacture, and also the different forms which it assumes by itself at various stages. Without this knowledge, a man will never become a thorough and efficient workman, and it can only be acquired by practice and experience.

The first process which it undergoes in the hands of the confectioner, is that of clarification. It is conducted on the same principle as the refining of sugar, although not carried out in every particular.

Clarification of Raw Sugar. --For every six pounds of sugar required to be clarified, take one quart of water, the white of an egg, and about half a teacupful of bullock's blood. Less than a pint will be sufficient for 112 pounds; but if a very fine, transparent, and colourless syrup is required, use either charcoal, finely powdered, or ivory black, instead of the blood. Put the white of the egg in the water and whisk it to a froth, then add either of the other articles mentioned, and the sugar, place the pan containing the ingredients on the stove-fire, and stir them well with a spatula, until the sugar is dissolved, and is nearly boiling. When the ebullition commences, throw in a little cold water to check it; this causes the coarser parts to separate more freely, by which means the whole of the impurities attach themselves to the clarifying matter used; continue this for about five minutes, using about one pint of water to every six pounds of sugar, or more, until you consider the whole of the dross is discharged, and there remains a fine clear syrup. Then place it by the side of the stove, and carefully remove with a skimmer the scum which has formed on the top: it may also be taken off as it rises, but I find the best method is to let it remain a short time after it is clarified before it is removed, otherwise, if you take it off as it rises, part of the syrup is also taken with it. When either charcoal or black is used, it must be passed through a filtering-bag made of thick flannel, in the shape of a cone, having a hoop fastened round the top to keep it extended, and to which strings are sewn that it may be tied or suspended in any convenient manner: what runs out at first will be


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quite black; return this again into the bag, and continue doing so until it runs fine and clear.

If a little lime, about a spoonful, or any other alkali is added to the sugar with the water, &c., it will neutralize the acid which all raw sugars contain, and they will be found to stand much better after they have been manufactured, by not taking the damp so soon. This is not generally done by the trade, but it will be found beneficial if practised.

To clarify Loaf Sugar. --This is clarified by mixing the whites of eggs with water, without any other assistance, for having been previously refined, it does not require those auxiliaries again to separate the coarser parts, unless it is of an inferior quality, or an extra fine syrup, as for bon-bons and other fancy articles, is required.
When it is necessary to have a very fine sparkling grain, in that case break your lump into small pieces and put it in a preserving-pan, with a sufficient quantity of water to dissolve it, in which has been mixed the white of an egg and powdered charcoal,* as for raw sugar, following those instructions already given. After the sugar has been drained from the bag, pass some water through to take off any which may be left in the charcoal, which you use for dissolving more sugar.

The scum should always be reserved, when charcoal or black is not used, to mix with the articles of inferior quality.

The best refined loaf sugar should be white, dry, fine, of a brilliant sparkling appearance when broken, and as close in texture as possible. The best sort of brown has a bright, sparkling, and gravelly look. East India sugars appear finer, but to not contain so much saccharine matter, yet they are much used for manufacturing the best sort of common sweetmeats, when clarified, instead of loaf sugar.

[Editorial note: The following note appears at the bottom of page 14 in the original text.]

*Charcoal varies in its qualities, according to the wood from which it is prepared. That made from porous woods, such as the willow, alder, &c., is the best for clarifying liquids; animal charcoal, or bone black, is also equally good, on account of its light and porous nature; that made from hard woods is only fit for fuel, as it does not possess the clarifying and decolouring properties like that made from the more soft and porous woods. When newly prepared, or if it has been kept free from air, it has the property of absorbing all putrid gases; "it is also capable of destroying the smell and taste of a variety of animal and vegetable substances, especially of mucilages, oils, and of matter in which extractive abounds; and some articles are said to be even deprived of their characteristic odour, by remaining in contact with it, as valerian, galbanum, balsam of Peru, and musk. The use of charring the interior of water-casks, and of wrapping charcoal in cloths that have acquired a bad smell, depend upon this property. None of the fluid menstrua with which we are acquainted have any action whatever, as solvents, upon carbon."--Paris's Pharmacologia.

Degrees of boiling Sugar.--This is the principal point to which the confectioner has to direct his attention; for if he is not expert in this particular, all his other labour and knowledge will be useless: it is


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the foundation on which he must build to acquire success in his undertakings.

There are seven essential points or degrees in boiling sugar; some authors give thirteen, but many of these are useless, and serve only to show a critical precision in the art, without its being required in practice; however, for exactness, we will admit of nine, viz.--1. Small thread. 2. Large thread. 3. Little pearl. 4. Large pearl. 5. The blow. 6. The feather. 7. Ball. 8. Crack. 9. Caramel. This last degree derives its name from "a Count Albufage Caramel, of Nismes, who discovered this method of boiling sugar."--Gunter's Confectioner.

In describing the process, I shall proceed in a different manner to other writers on the subject, by classing it under different heads, according to the uses to which it is applied.

> SYRUP.

Under this head are comprised the degrees from the small thread to the large pearl; for at these points the sugar is kept in a divided state, and remains a fluid of an oily consistency. A bottle which holds three ounces of water will contain four ounces of syrup. The method of ascertaining those degrees, according to the usages of the trade, is as follows:--

Small Thread. --Having placed the clarified syrup on the fire, let it boil a little, then dip the top of your finger in the boiling syrup, and on taking it out apply it to the top of your thumb, when, if it has attained the degree, on separating them a small ring will be drawn out a little distance, about as fine as a hair, which will break and resolve itself into a drop on the thumb and finger.

Large Thread. --Continue the boiling a little longer, repeat the same operation as before, and a larger string will be drawn.

Little Pearl. --To ascertain this degree, separate the finger from the thumb as before, and a large string may be drawn, which will extend to nearly the distance the fingers may be opened.

Large Pearl. --The finger may now be separated from the thumb to the greatest extent before the thread will break.

> CRYSTALLIZATION.

This takes the degrees of the blow and feather. The particles of the sugar being now brought together within the sphere of their activity, the attraction of cohesion commences, whereby they attach themselves together and form quadrilateral pyramids with oblong and rectangular bases. This is generally, but improperly, termed candy, thereby confounding it with the degrees at which it grains, also termed candy. This certainly seems "confusion worse confounded;" but if things are called by their proper names, many of those seeming difficulties and technicalities may be avoided which tend only to confuse and embarrass the young practitioner, without gaining any


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desired end or purpose. If it were generally classed into the degrees of crystallization, the true meaning and use would at once be explained and understood by the greatest novice.

The nature and principle of this operation are these. First, as in the case of syrup (the first four degrees), when the water has absorbed as much sugar as it is capable of containing in a cold state, by continuing the boiling, a further portion of the solvent (water) is evaporated, and sugar remains in excess, which, when exposed to a less degree of heat, separates itself, and forms crystals on the surface and sides of the vessel in which it is contained, and also on anything placed or suspended in it. But if it is exposed too suddenly to the cold, or disturbed in its action by being shaken, or if the boiling has been continued too long, the crystals will form irregularly by the particles being brought in too close contact, and run too hastily together, forming a mass or lump.

To obtain this part in perfection, the boiling should be gradual, and continued no longer than till a few drops let fall on a cold surface show a crystalline appearance, or after being removed from the fire a thin skin will form on the surface. It should then be taken from the fire and placed in a less hot but not cold place, and covered or put into a stove or hot closet to prevent the access of cold air. A few drops of spirits of wine, added when the sugar has attained the proper degree, will conduce to a more perfect crystalline form, scarcely attainable by any other means, as it has a great affinity with the water, thereby causing the sugar to separate itself more freely. It must be used with caution, as too much will cause it to grain.

To ascertain the Degree of the Blow.--Continue the boiling of the sugar, dip a skimmer in it and shake it over the pan, then blow through the holes, and if small bubbles or air-bladders are seen on the other side, it has acquired this degree.

The Feather.--Dip the skimmer again into the sugar, and blow through the holes as before, and the bubbles will appear larger and stronger. Or if you give the skimmer a sudden jerk, so as to throw the sugar from you, when it has acquired the degree, it will appear hanging from the skimmer in fine long strings.

> CANDY.

Sugar, after it has passed the degree of the feather, is of itself naturally inclined to grain, that is to candy, and will form a powder if agitated or stirred: for as the boiling is continued, so is the water evaporated until there is nothing left to hold it in solution: therefore that body being destroyed by heat, which first changed its original form to those we have already enumerated, as this no longer exists with it, it naturally returns to the same state as it was before the solvent was added, which is that of minute crystals or grains, being held together by the attraction of cohesion, unless, as before stated, they are separated by stirring, &c.

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The sugar being evaporated by boiling from the last degree, leaves a thin crust of crystals round the sides of the pan, which shows it has attained the candy height; and this crust must be carefully removed, as it forms, with a damp cloth or sponge, or the whole mass will candy if suffered to remain. To prevent this is the chief desideratum, all further proceedings for which specific rules will be given in their proper places.

The remaining degrees can be ascertained after the following manner:--

The Ball. --Provide a jug of clean cold water, and a piece of round stick. First dip in the water, then in the sugar, and again in the water;* take off the sugar which has adhered to it, and endeavour to roll it into a ball between the finger and thumb in the water: when this can be done, it has attained the desired degree. If it forms a large hard ball which will bite hard and adhere to the teeth when eaten, it is then termed the large ball, et contra.

The Crack. --Follow the directions given for the ball. Slip the sugar off from the stick, still holding it in the water, then press it between the finger and thumb; if it breaks short and crisp, with a slight noise, it is at the crack.

Caramel. --To obtain this degree it requires care and attention, and also to be frequently tried, as it passes speedily from the crack to the caramel. Try it as before directed, and let the water be quite cold, or you will be deceived. If on taking it off the stick it snaps like glass, with a loud noise, it has attained the proper degree; it will also, when it arrives at this point, assume a beautiful yellow colour; after this it will speedily burn, taking all the hues from a brown to a black; therefore, to prevent this, dip the bottom of the pan into a pail of cold water as soon as it comes to caramel, as the heat which is contained in the pan and sugar is sufficient to advance it one degree; also be careful that the flame of the fire does not ascend round the sides of the pan, which will burn it.

In boiling sugar, keep the top of the pan partially covered from the time it commences boiling until it has attained the ball or crack: the steam which rises, being again thrown on the sides, prevents the formation of the crust or crystals.

[Editorial note: The following note appears at the bottom of page 14 in the original text.]

*This should be performed as speedily as possible.

To prevent its graining, add a little of any sort of acid when it is at the crack--a table-spoonful of common vinegar, four or five drops of lemon-juice, or two or three drops of pyroligneous acid: any of these will have the desired effect; this is termed greasing it: but remember that too much acid will also grain it, neither can it be boiled to caramel if there is too much. A little butter added when it first commences boiling will keep it from rising over the pan, and also prevent its graining. About as much cream of tartar as may be laid on a sixpence, and added to seven pounds of sugar with the water, or equal quantities of cream of tartar and alum in powder, added when


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it boils, will also keep it from candying. If sugar is poured on a slab that is too hot it is very apt to grain; this is frequently the case after several casts have been worked off in rotation; therefore, when you find it inclined to turn, remove it to a cooler spot, if possible, and not handle it any more than is necessary.

Sugar that has been often boiled or warmed is soon acted upon by the atmosphere, whereby it becomes clammy and soon runs, as it is weakened by the action of the fire. Acid causes the same effect.

If it has passed the degree you intended to boil it at, add a little water, and give it another boil.

> SECTION II.--SYRUPS.

THESE are either the juices of fruits, or a decoction or infusion of the leaves, flowers, or roots of vegetables, impregnated with a sufficient quantity of sugar for their preservation and retaining them in a liquid state.

A great portion of this class comes more under the notice of the apothecary than the confectioner; but it may now be considered, with lozenges, as a branch of pharmacy in the hands of the latter, the most agreeable of which are now manufactured by him to supply the place of fresh fruits, &c., when out of season, for the making of cooling drinks, ices, &c., for balls and routs.

General Rules and Observations.--Two things are essentially necessary to be observed, which are:--the proper methods of making decoctions and infusions. These require some knowledge of the nature and properties of vegetable matter.

The virtues of most plants are extracted by infusion, and this is generally the case with aromatic plants, and those whose properties depend on an essential oil; for, in boiling, the whole of the aroma of the plant is dispersed, and the syrup loses that delicate flavour for which it is prized.

Aromatic herbs, and the leaves of plants in general, yield their virtues most perfectly when moderately dried. Cold water extracts from these in a few hours, the lighter, more fragrant and agreeable parts, and then begins to take up the more ungrateful and grosser. By pouring the same liquor on fresh parcels of the herb, it becomes stronger, richer, thicker, and balsamic.

Those only should be decocted whose principles consist of mucilage, gum, or resin, and require boiling to extract them.

The compact resinous woods, roots and barks, yield their virtues most freely while fresh. Dry, they yield little to cold or moderately warm water, and require it to be boiling. By this process the grosser, more fixed saline and mucilaginous parts are dissolved, the resinous melted out, and the volatile dissipated.

Infusions. --"These are watery solutions of vegetable matter obtained by maceration, either in hot or cold water, with the assistance


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of ebullition. In selecting and conducting the operation, the following general rules should be observed:--

"1st. Infusion should always be preferred before decoction, where the virtues of the vegetable substance reside in volatile oil, or in principles which are easily soluble; whereas, if they depend upon resino-mucilaginous particles, decoction is an indispensible operation.

"2nd. The temperature employed must be varied according to the circumstances of each case, and infusion made with cold is in general more grateful but less active than one made with heat.

"3rd. The duration of the process must likewise be regulated by the nature of the substances; for the infusion will differ according to the time in which the water has been digested on the materials; thus the aroma of the plant is first taken up, then in succession the colouring, astringent, and gummy parts.

Decoctions. --"These are solutions of the active principles of vegetables, obtained by boiling them in water.

"1st. Those principles only should be decocted whose virtues reside in principles which are soluble in water.

"2nd. If the active principle be volatile, decoction must be an injurious process; and if it consists of extractive matter, long boiling, by favouring its oxidizement, will render it insipid, insoluble, and inert.

"3rd. The substances to be decocted should be previously bruised or sliced, so as to expose an extended surface to the action of the water.

"4th. The substances should be completely covered with water, and the vessel slightly closed, in order to prevent as much as possible the access of air; the boiling should be continued without interruption, and gently.

"5th. In compound decoctions, it is sometimes convenient not to put in all the ingredients from the beginning, but in succession, according to their hardness, and the difficulty with which their virtues are extracted; and if any aromatic or other substances containing volatile principles, or oxidizable matter, enter into the composition, the boiling decoction should be simply poured upon them, and covered up until cold.

"6th. The relative proportions of different vegetable substances to the water must be regulated by their nature. The following general rule may be admitted. Of roots, barks, or dried woods, from two drachms to six to every pint of water: of herbs, or flowers, half that quantity will suffice.

"7th. The decoction ought to be filtered through linen while hot, as important portions of the dissolved matter are frequently deposited on cooling; care must also be taken that the filter is not too fine, for it frequently happens that the virtues of a decoction depend upon the presence of particles in a minutely divided state."--Paris's Pharmacologia.

All acid syrups ought to have their full quantity of sugar, so as to


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bring them to a consistence without boiling, because the very action of much heat destroys their acidity, and makes them liable to candy and this more particularly holds good where the infusion or juice, &c. has any fragrancy in flavour, because the volatile oil is dissipated by boiling. The same observation is also applicable to those infusions of flowers which give out their colour, and which is necessary to be retained, such as violets, pinks, &c., as boiling injures them.

Those syrups which are made from decoctions, and do not take a sufficient quantity of sugar to bring them to a due consistence without boiling, require to be clarified so as to render them transparent; but this is often an injury, as the whites of eggs take off some of their chief properties with the scum; therefore, the decoction should first be rendered clear by settling or filtering, and the sugar should be clarified and boiled to the height of the feather or ball before the decoction is added, when it must be reduced to the proper degree.

The best and most general method of making syrups is to add a sufficient quantity of the finest loaf-sugar, in powder, with the juice or infusion, &c., stirring it well until a small portion settles at the bottom, then place the pan in a larger one containing water; this is termed the bain-marie; put it on the fire, and the heat of the water as it boils will dissolve the sugar; when this has been thoroughly effected, take it off and let it cool; if more sugar is added than the quantity above named, it will separate in crystals, and not leave sufficient remaining in the syrup for its preservation. (See observations on Sugar-boiling). When cold, put it into small bottles, fill them, cork closely, and keep in a dry cool place. Be particularly careful that no tinned articles are used in the making of syrups from the juice of red fruits, as it will act on the tin and change the colour to a dead blue.

Raspberry Syrup. --One pint of juice, two pounds of sugar. Choose the fruit either red or white, mash it in a pan, and put it in a warm place for two or three days, or until the fermentation has commenced. All mucilaginous fruits require this, or else it would jelly after it is bottled. Filter the juice through a flannel bag, add the sugar in powder, place in the bain-marie, and stir it until dissolved; take it off, let it get cold, take off the scum, and bottle it.

[Pine-apple Syrup. --Take one and a half pints of syrup boiled to the ball, add to this, one pint of the juice of the best Havanna pine-apples; let it then come to a boil, remove the scum, and bottle when cool.]

Raspberry Vinegar Syrup. --One pint of juice, two pints of apple vinegar, four pounds and a half of sugar. Prepare the juice as before, adding the vinegar with it, using white vinegar with white raspberries; strain the juice and boil to the pearl.

Three pounds of raspberries, two pints of vinegar, three pounds of sugar. Put the raspberries into the vinegar without mashing them, cover the pan close, and let it remain in a cellar for seven or eight days: then filter the infusion, add the sugar in powder, and finish in


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the bain-marie. This is superior to the first, as the beautiful aroma of the fruit is lost in the boiling, as may be well known by its scenting the place where it is done, or even the whole house; the fruit may also be afterwards used with more for raspberry cakes.

[Strawberry Syrup. --Make as pine-apple; taking care to strain carefully at least twice, through a fine flannel bag, so as to remove entirely all sediment, and the small seed of the fruit.]

Currant Syrup. --One pint of juice, two pounds of sugar. Mix together three pounds of currants, half white and half red, one pound of raspberries, and one pound of cherries, without the stones; mash the fruit and let it stand in a warm place for three or four days, keeping it covered with a coarse cloth, or piece of paper with holes pricked in it to keep out any dust or dirt. Filter the juice, add the sugar in powder, finish in the bain-marie, and skim it. When cold, put it into bottles, fill them, and cork well.

Morello Cherry Syrup. --Take the stones out of the cherries, mash them, and press out the juice in an earthen pan; let it stand in a cool place for two days, then filter; add two pounds of sugar to one pint of juice, finish in the bain-marie, or stir it well on the fire, and give it one or two boils.

Mulberry Syrup. --One pint of juice, one pound twelve ounces of sugar. Press out the juice and finish as cherry syrup.

Gooseberry Syrup. --One pint of juice, one pound twelve ounces of sugar. To twelve pounds of ripe gooseberries add two pounds of cherries without stones, squeeze out the juice, and finish as others.

Lemon Syrup. --One pint and a quarter of juice, two pounds of sugar. Let the juice stand in a cool place to settle. When a thin skin is formed on the top, pour it off and filter, add the sugar, and finish in the bain-marie. If the flavour of the peel is preferred with it, grate off the yellow rind of the lemons and mix it with the juice to infuse, or rub it off on part of the sugar and add it with the remainder when you finish it.

Orange Syrup. --As lemon syrup.

Orange-Flower Syrup. --Picked orange flowers one pound, sugar three pounds. Take one half of the sugar and make a syrup, which boil to the large pearl, put the flowers in a basin or jar, and pour the syrup on them boiling hot, cover the jar or basin quite close and let them infuse in it for five or six hours, then drain off the syrup, boil the remaining portion of sugar, and pour over them as before; when cold, strain and bottle.

Sirop de Capillaire.--Syrup of Maidenhair. --There are several sorts of Maidenhair, but the best is that of Canada, which has a pleasant smell joined to its pectoral qualities. The true Maidenhair--Capillus Veneris--is a native of Italy and of the southern parts of France. It has an agreeable but very weak smell. Common or English Maidenhair--Trichomanes--is usually substituted for the true, and occasionally for the Canadian. Its leaves consist of small round divisions, growing as it were in pairs. It grows on rocks, old


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walls, and shady banks, and should be gathered in September Black Maidenhair--Adianthum Nigrum--has smooth and shining leaves, the middle rib being black, and the seeds are all spread on the back of the leaf. It grows on shady banks, and on the roots of trees. White Maidenhair--Wall Rue--Tent Wort--Ruta Murana Salvia Vitæ.--The leaves of this are shaped something like rue, and covered all over the back with a small seed-like dust. Golden Maidenhair--Muscus Capillaris--grows in moist places, and the pedicle arises from the top of the stalk. I have given these particulars, because I find they are often substituted one for the other by persons who are not aware that there is any difference. Although all of them have nearly the same qualities, only two have a volatile oil, but they are all mucilaginous.

Canada capillaire two ounces, sugar two pounds. Chop the capillaire into small bits, and make as orange-flower syrup. By this method the oil is not allowed to escape, which being exceedingly odoriferous and volatile, is soon dissipated if boiled; or make a cold infusion (See Infusions) of the plant by putting one quart of water to four ounces of capillaire, add four pounds of sugar, and finish in the bain-marie, adding one ounce of orange-flower water.* [This is a fashionable and delicate syrup, but is rarely obtained genuine.]

Simple syrup, flavoured with orange-flower water, is usually substituted for it.

Syrup of Liquorice. --Liquorice-root two ounces, white maidenhair one ounce, hyssop half an ounce, boiling water three pints; slice the root and cut the herbs small, infuse in the water for twenty-four hours, strain and add sufficient sugar, or part sugar and honey, to make a syrup; boil to the large pearl. An excellent pectoral.

Syrup of Violets. --One pound of violet flowers, one quart of water, four pounds of sugar. Put the flowers cleared from their stalks and calx, into a glazed earthen pan; pour on the water boiling hot, and stop the pan quite close; let it remain in a warm place for a day, then strain off the infusion through a thin cloth; add the sugar, and place in the bain-marie: stir it well and heat it until you can scarcely bear your finger in it; then take it off, and when cold, bottle. A laxative.
This syrup is often adulterated by being made with the flowers of hearts-ease, or columbine scented with orrice-root, and coloured.

[Editorial note: The following note appears at the bottom of page 22 in the original text.]

*The pectoral quality of this syrup--for it is often sold for such purposes in shops--would be much improved if made with the addition of liquorice-root, as ordered by the Pharmacopœias--"Five ounces of capillaire, two ounces of liquorice-root, six pints of water; white sugar a sufficient quantity; two ounces of orange-flower water"

Syrup of Pinks. --Clove pinks, one pound eight ounces, water two pints and a half, sugar, three pounds. Let the flowers be fresh gathered, cut off the white points of the petals and weigh them. Finish as syrup of violets. This syrup may be made with a cold infusion


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of the flowers, first pounding them with a little water in a marble mortar. Finish as before.
If the flowers of the clove pink cannot be obtained, use other pinks, adding a few cloves to infuse with them, so as to give the flavour.

Syrup of Roses. --The dried leaves of Provence roses eight ounces double rose leaves six ounces, water one quart, sugar four pounds. Pour the water on the leaves when nearly boiling, into a glazed earthen vessel, cover it quite close, and let it remain in a warm place for a day; then strain and finish as violets.
The leaves of the damask rose are purgative.

Syrup of Wormwood. --There are three sorts of wormwood most generally known,--the common, sea, and Roman. The first may be distinguished by its broad leaves which are divided into roundish segments, of a dull green colour above, and whitish underneath; its taste is an intense and disagreeable bitter. The sea wormwood has smaller leaves and hoary both above and underneath; it grows in salt marshes, and about the sea coasts; the smell and taste are not so strong and disagreeable as the common. The Roman differs from the others by the plant being smaller in all its parts; the leaves are divided into fine filaments and hoary all over, the stalk being either entirely or in part of a purple colour. Its smell is pleasant, and the bitterness not disagreeable: it is cultivated in gardens. The sea wormwood is generally substituted for it.

The tops of Roman wormwood two ounces, water one pint, sugar two pounds. Make an infusion of the leaves in warm water, strain, add the sugar to the infusion, and boil to a pearl.
If the common wormwood only can be obtained, put the tops into three times the above quantity of water, and boil it over a strong fire until reduced to a pint. This will deprive it of part of its bitterness and disagreeable smell.

Syrup of Marshmallows--Sirop de Guimauve. --Fresh mallow roots eight ounces, water one quart, sugar three pounds. Cleanse the roots, and slice them; make a decoction (See Decoctions) boiling it a quarter of an hour, so as to obtain the mucilage of the root; strain, and finish as wormwood.
One ounce of liquorice-root and one ounce of white maidenhair, with a few stoned raisins, may be added.

[Syrup of Sarsaparilla. --Half a pound of bruised sarsaparilla root, two ounces of ground orange peel, one ounce liquorice-root, sassafras bark bruised, two ounces, one gallon of water; boil to half a gallon, strain; to each pint of liquor add one pound of sugar; put on the fire till it boils, and take off the scum which arises.]

Syrup of Coltsfoot. --Fresh Coltsfoot flowers one pound eight ounces, water one quart, sugar three pounds. Pick the flowers about February, and make an infusion of them with hot water; strain, and finish as wormwood syrup. Two or three handfuls of the leaves may be pounded and infused instead of the flowers.

Syrup of Ginger. --Ginger two ounces, water one pint, sugar two pounds.

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Slice the root if fresh, or bruise it if dried; pour the water on it boiling, and let it macerate in a warm place for a day, then strain, and boil to the pearl.

[Another.--A better flavoured and a richer ginger syrup is made in the following manner.--Take any quantity of scraped, white, Jamaica ginger and infuse for several days in good spirits of wine; decant the clear liquor when sufficiently saturated with the ginger, and add to the hot sugar, previously boiled to the ball or feather, a sufficient quantity of the liquor to impart to the syrup the agreeable aroma of the ginger root.

The spirit will be rapidly driven off when it is poured into the boiling syrup, and a bland and beautiful syrup will be the result; let it cool, and bottle immediately.]

Syrup of Almonds--Sirop de Orgeat. --One pound of sweet almonds, four ounces of bitter ones, one pint and a half of water, sugar three pounds, orange-flower water two ounces.

Blanch the almonds, and as they are blanched throw them into cold water; when they are finished, take them out and pound them in a marble mortar, sprinkling them with a little orange-flower water to prevent their oiling, or use water with the juice of a lemon; add sufficient in the pounding to reduce them to a paste, and when quite fine add half a pint more water; mix, and strain through a tamis cloth twisted tight by two persons: receive the milk which comes from the almonds into a basin; what is left in the cloth must be pounded again with some of the water, and strained. Continue this until the whole of the milk is obtained, and the water, is consumed; then clarify, and boil the sugar to the crack; add the milk of almonds, and reduce it to the pearl; then strain it again, add the orange-flower water, and stir it well until nearly cold; when cold, bottle; shake the bottles well for several succeeding days, if you see it at all inclined to separate, which will prevent it.

Sirop de Pistache is made in the same manner, colouring it green with a little spinach.

Syrup of Coffee. --Fresh roasted Mocha coffee two pounds, water one quart, sugar three pounds eight ounces. Grind the coffee in mill, and make a cold infusion with the water in a close vessel; let it stand for a day, then filter it through blotting paper; add the sugar, and finish in the bain-marie.

Syrup of Rum Punch. --Jamaica rum one quart, the juice of twelve or fourteen lemons, sugar four pounds. Rub off the yellow rind of half of the lemons on a piece of the sugar, and scrape it off with a knife into a basin as it imbibes the oil; clarify and boil the remaining portion to the crack; strain the juice into the rum, and add to it the sugar with that on which the peels were rubbed; mix together, and give it one boil. The yellow rind of the peels may be cut off very thin, and infused in the spirit for some days before the syrup is made.

Brandy and Wine Syrups may be made in the same manner.

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> SECTION II.--CRYSTALLIZED SUGAR, AND ARTICLES CRYSTALLIZED, COMMONLY CALLED CANDIES.

Crystallized or Candied Sugar. --Provide a round mould, smaller at the bottom than the top, of any size you may think proper, made either of tin or copper, with holes pierced round the sides about three inches asunder, so as to fasten strings across in regular rows from the top to the bottom, leaving sufficient room for the sugar to crystallize on each string without touching, or it will form a complete mass; paste paper round the outside to prevent the syrup from running through the holes. Have the mould prepared, and let it be clean and dry; take sufficient clarified syrup to fill the mould, and boil it to the degree of crystallization or the feather, and add a little spirit of wine; remove it from the fire, and let it rest until a thin skin is formed on the surface, which you must carefully remove with a skimmer; then pour it into the mould, and place it in the hot closet, where you let it remain undisturbed for eight or nine days, at 90 degrees of heat, or half that time at 100; then make a hole, and drain off the superfluous sugar into a pan placed below to receive it; let it drain quite dry, which will take about twelve hours; then wash off the paper from the mould with warm water, place it near the fire, and keep turning it to warm it equally all round; then turn it up and strike the mould rather hard upon the table, when the sugar will relieve itself and come out: put it on a stand or sieve in the closet, raise the heat to 120 degrees, and let it remain until perfectly dry. Particular attention should be paid to the heat of the closet, which must be kept regular and constant, and this can easily be accomplished at a small expense with many of the patent stoves which are now in general use, and also without causing any dust. A Fahrenheit's or Reaumur's thermometer should be so placed that the heat may at all times be ascertained.

This may be coloured with prepared cochineal, or other liquid colour, or by grinding any particular colour with the spirits of wine, and adding it to the syrup before it comes to the feather.

Fruits to Crystallize. --Have a square or round tin box, smaller at the bottom than the top, with wire gratings made to fit at convenient distances, and having a hole with a tube or pipe to admit a cork, and drain off the syrup. Take any of the preserved fruits wet (which see), drain from them the syrup, and dip them in lukewarm water to take off any syrup which may adhere to them; dry them in the closet; when dried, place them in layers on the gratings, side by side, so as not to touch each other; continue in this manner with any sort of fruit until the box is full; then fix the whole with a weight, to keep it steady. Boil a sufficiency of clarified sugar to fill the box to the degree of crystallization or the blow, add a little spirit of wine, and remove it from the fire. When a thin skin has formed on the top, remove it carefully with a skimmer, and pour the sugar into the


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mould; place it in the closet at 90 degrees of heat, and let it remain for twelve hours, then drain off the syrup into a pan from the tube at bottom, and let it remain in the closet until quite dry; then turn them out by striking the box hard upon the table, separate them carefully, and put them in boxes with paper between each layer.
When different fruits, paste, knots, &c., are mixed together indiscriminately, it is termed mille-fruit candy. Any sort of fruit or gum pastes, when thoroughly dried, may be crystallized in the same manner. When the syrup is drained off, if you find the size of the crystals is not large enough, another lot of syrup may be prepared and poured over it; let it remain in the closet for seven or eight hours, then drain and finish as before.

If small pieces of stick are pushed down at each corner, or in any other vacancy, when you fill the mould, one of these may be withdrawn at any time you may wish to ascertain the size of the crystals, which will save the trouble of giving a second charge of sugar.

Crystallized Chocolate. --Prepare some sugar, as in the preceding articles, and pour it into the box. When a thin crust is formed on the top, make a hole on one side, and push the articles previously shaped with chocolate, as for drops, gently under with your finger; put them in the stove to crystallize, as other articles. After the syrup is drained off, and the articles dried, they must remain until quite cold before being turned out, as the chocolate continues soft for some time.

Liqueur Rings, Drops, and other Devices. --These are all made after the same manner. A square box is necessary, which you fill with very dry starch powder. Sugar, powdered very fine and dried, will answer the same purpose. The depth of the box should be suited to the articles intended to be made. Shake the box, or pass a knife repeatedly through the powder, that it may be solid; smooth the surface with a straight piece of wood; have a thin piece of flat board, on which is fastened a number of little devices, about an inch asunder, and to suit the width of the box; these may be made either of lead, plaster, or wood, in the form of rings, diamonds, stars, bottles, scissors, harps, shoes, or any other form your fancy may suggest; make the impressions in the powder in regular rows, until the box is full; then prepare some sugar as for the preceding articles, boiling it to the blow, and flavouring it with any sort of spirit or liqueur, such as brandy, rum, noyau, Maraschino, cinnamon, rosolis, &c., colouring the syrup accordingly. It should be prepared in a pan with a lip to it. When a thin skin has formed on the top, place a cork in the lip of the pan, but not to close it, allowing a space for the sugar to run out, the cork being merely to keep back the skin; then fill the impressions you made in the powder and place them in the stove at 90 degrees; let them remain a day, then take them out, and their surfaces will be found quite hard and solid; brush the powder from them with a light brush, when they may either be painted, crystallized, or piped. Many of these bon-bons are beautifully piped and coloured to


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represent dogs, horses, costumes, and theatrical characters; the fur on the robes is imitated with white or coloured sugar in coarse grains, and lace-work is done by means of a pin.

Liqueur drops are made with the impression of half a ball to any required size, or other forms. If the flat parts of two are moistened, put together, and dried in the stove, they will form drops perfectly round.

To form a Chain with Liqueur Rings. --Have some moulds to form the impressions in powder, as in the preceding, in the shape of the links of a chain; fill them with syrup at the blow, as before, and put them in the stove for a day; when they are hard and fit to be taken out, place them on their ends in the powder; have another mould of a link in two halves, and with this form the impression between each of the others so as to make it complete; then fill them, and finish as before.

> SECTION IV.--CANDY--BONBON--CONSERVE.

THE articles that come under this head are made by the sugar being brought to the ball, when it is grained by rubbing it against the sides of the pan. From this all fancy articles are made, such as fruit eggs, cups, vases, &c.

Ginger Candy. --Take clarified syrup and boil it to the ball; flavour it either with the essence of ginger or the root in powder; then with a spoon or spatula rub some of it against the side of the pan until you perceive it turn white; pour it into small square tins with edges, or paper cases, which have been oiled or buttered, and put it in a warm place, or on a hot stone, that it may become dappled. The syrup should be coloured yellow, while boiling, with a little saffron.

Peppermint, Lemon and Rose Candy are made after the same manner, colouring the lemon with saffron, and the rose with cochineal.

Coltsfoot or Horehound Candy. --Make a strong infusion of the herbs, (See Infusions under the head of Syrups,) and use it for dissolving the sugar, instead of taking syrup; raw sugar is mostly used for those candies. Boil it to the ball, grain it and finish as ginger candy.

Artificial Fruit, Eggs, &c. --Prepare moulds with plaster of Paris from the natural objects you wish to represent; make them in two, three, or more pieces, so as to relieve freely, and have a hole at one end into which the sugar may be poured; let them be made so as each part may be fitted together exactly; and for this purpose make two or three round or square indentions on the edge of one part, so that the corresponding piece when cast, will form the counterpart, which may at all times be fitted with precision. Let the object you would take the cast from be placed in a frame made either of wood or of stiff paper, embed a part of it in fine sand, soft pipe-clay, or


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modelling wax, leaving as much of the mould exposed as you wish to form at one time, and oil it with sweet oil; mix some of the prepared plaster with water, to the consistency of thick cream, and pour over it; when this is set, proceed with the other portions in the same manner until it is complete. Let them dry and harden for use.

Take a sufficient quantity of syrup, (clarified with charcoal or animal black) to fill the mould, and boil it to the small ball; rub some of it against the side to grain it; when it turns white, pour it into the moulds: take them out when set, and put them into the stove at a moderate heat to dry. The moulds must be soaked for an hour or two in cold water previously to their being used, which will be found better than oiling them, as it keeps the sugar delicately white, which oil does not. Colour your articles according to nature with liquid colours (see Colours) and camel's-hair pencils, or the usual pigments sold in boxes may be used. If a gloss is required, the colours should be mixed with a strong solution of gum Arabic or isinglass, to the desired tint. Eggs and fruit may be made as light and apparently as perfect as nature, by having moulds to open in two, without any orifice for filling them. Fill one half with the grained sugar, immediately close the mould, and turn it round briskly that it may be covered all over equally. To accomplish this, it is necessary to have an assistant that it may be done as speedily as possible.

Burnt Almonds. --Take some fine Valencia or Jordan almonds, and sift all the dust from them; put a pint of clarified syrup into the pan for each pound of almonds, and place it with the almonds on the fire; boil to the ball, then take it off and stir the mixture well with a spatula that the sugar may grain and become almost a powder, whilst each almond has a coating. Put them into a coarse wire or cane sieve, and sift all the loose sugar from them, and also separate those which stick together. When cold, boil some more clarified syrup to the feather, put in the almonds, give them two or three boils in it, take them from the fire, and stir them with the spatula as before, until the sugar grains; sift and separate them, and keep them in glasses or boxes. A third coat may be given them in the same manner as the second, if they are required large.

Burnt Almonds--Red. --The same as the last, using prepared cochineal to colour the syrup whilst it is boiling.

Filberts and Pistachios. --These are done the same as burnt almonds, but they are usually denominated prawlings, the nuts being only put into the sugar for two or three minutes before it is taken from the fire, and stirred.

Common Burnt Almonds. --These are made with raw sugar and skimmings, if you have any. Put some water with the sugar to dissolve it; when it is near boiling, add the almonds, and let them boil in it until it comes to the small ball; or when the almonds crack, take them from the fire, and stir them with a spatula until the sugar grains and becomes nearly a powder; put them into a sieve, and separate the lumps.

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Orange Prawlings. --Take four or five Havanna oranges, and cut off the peel in quarters, or small lengths; take off all the pith or white part of the peel, leaving only the yellow rinds, and cut in small pieces, about an inch long, and the size of pins. Have about a pint of clarified sugar boiling on the fire; when it comes to the blow, put in the pieces of peel, and let them boil until the sugar attains the small ball; take them off, and stir them with the spatula until the sugar grains and hangs about them; sift off the loose sugar; when cold, separate and keep them in a dry place.

Lemon Prawlings. --As orange.

> SECTION V.--CRACK AND CARAMEL.

THESE comprehend all articles in sugar-boiling which eat short and crisp. They are used for all sorts of ornamental sugar-work. The rules and observations already laid down under this head must be particularly noted, especially those for greasing the sugar so as to prevent its graining.

Barley Sugar. --Boil some clarified loaf sugar to the crack or caramel degree, using a little acid to prevent its graining: pour it out on a marble slab, which has been previously oiled or buttered. Four pieces of iron, or small square bars, are usually employed to form a sort of bay to prevent the sugar running off the stone, which is necessary in large casts. When the edges get set a little, remove the bars, and turn them over into the centre. This is occasionally flavoured with lemons. When it is required, pour a few drops of the essential oil of lemons in the centre, before the edges are folded over, then cut it into narrow strips with a large pair of scissors or sheepshears. When nearly cold, twist them, put them into glasses or tin boxes, and keep them closed to prevent the access of air. It is seldom boiled higher than the crack, and saffron is used to make it the colour of caramel.

This derives the name of barley sugar from its being originally made with a decoction of barley, as a demulcent in coughs, for which it is now most generally used.

Barley Sugar Drops. --Boil some sugar as for the preceding. Spread some finely powdered and sifted loaf sugar on a table or tea-tray, with a piece of stick, round at the end similar to the half of a ball; make several holes, into which you run the sugar from a lipped pan, or it may be dropped on an oiled marble slab with a funnel, letting only one drop fall at a time; or from the lip pan, separating each drop with a small knife, or a straight piece of small wire; take them off the stone with a knife, mix them with powdered loaf sugar, sift them from it, and keep in glasses or tin boxes.

Barley Sugar Tablets or Kisses. --Spread some sugar, as for the last have a piece of wood about an inch and a half thick, with the


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surface divided into small squares, each being about an inch, and half an inch in depth; with this form the impressions in the sugar, and fill them with sugar boiled as for drops, flavouring it with essence of lemon; or instead of this it may be poured out in a sheet on an oiled marble slab, as for barley sugar, and when nearly cold divide it into pieces with a tin frame, having small square divisions, when the whole sheet may be divided at once by pressing hard on it so as to cut it nearly through. When cold, separate them and mix them with powdered sugar, take them out and fold them separately in fancy or coloured papers, with a motto on each.
They are also occasionally made into balls thus:--First cast the sugar in a sheet on an oiled marble slab; when the edges are set, fold them in the middle, then oil a small square tin with edges to it, put the sugar in this, and place it under the fire-place of the stove so as to keep warm; cut off a piece and roll it into a pipe, then cut it into small pieces with a pair of shears, and let your assistant roll it into small balls under his hand on a sand-stone; marble is too smooth for this purpose. Many lads who are used to it can turn eight or ten under each hand at one time. When they are finished, put them into powdered sugar, wrap them in fancy papers, fringed at the ends, put a motto in each, and fasten them with small bands of gold paper.
Sometimes a cracker is folded up in each, which is made with two narrow strips of stiff paper, a small piece of sand or glass paper is pasted on the end of each, and these are placed over each other with a little fulminating powder between, a piece of thin paper is bound round it, and pasted to keep them together; when these are pulled asunder, the two rough surfaces meeting cause the powder to explode, and out flies the ball of sugar with the motto. This innocent amusement often causes much mirth in a company.

Acid Drops and Sticks. --Boil clarified sugar to the crack, and pour it on an oiled marble stone: pound some tartaric or citric acid to a fine powder, and strew over it about a half or three quarters of an ounce of the former, according to its quality, and less of the latter, to seven pounds of sugar; turn the edges over into the middle, and mix the acid by folding it over, or by working it in a similar manner as dough is moulded, but do not pull it; put it in a tin rubbed over with oil or butter, and place it under the stove to keep warm; then cut off a small piece at a time, and roll it into a round pipe; cut them off in small pieces the size of drops, with shears, and le your assistant roll them round under his hand, and flatten them. Mix them with powdered sugar, sift them from it, and keep them in boxes or glasses.

When flavoured with lemon, they are called lemon-acid drops, --
with otto of roses, rose-acid drops. The sticks are made in the same manner as the drops, without being cut into small pieces.

To extract the Acid from Candied Drops, &c. --All the articles which have acid mixed with them are extremely liable to grain, when they are useless for any purpose whatever, except to sell for broken


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pieces, as they cannot be boiled again unless the acid is extracted. The method of doing this is at present not generally known in the trade, and it is kept by many that are in possession of it as a great secret. A sovereign is often paid for this recipe alone. However great the secret may be considered, it is only returning to the first principle in the manufacture of sugar. When the juice is expressed from the canes, it contains a considerable quantity of oxalic acid, which must be destroyed before it will granulate into sugar: for this purpose lime is employed, which has the desired effect; so will it also in this case, but chalk or whitening is most generally used. First dissolve your acid sugar in water; when this is thoroughly accomplished, mix in a sufficient quantity of either of these alkalies in powder to cause a strong effervescence; after it has subsided, pass it through a flannel bag, according to the directions for clarifying sugar. The filtered syrup will be fit to use for any purpose, and may be boiled again to the crack or caramel degrees as well as if no acid had ever been mixed with it. Let the pan it is dissolved in be capable of containing as much again as there is in it, or the effervescence will flow over.

Raspberry Candy. --This may either be made from raw or refined sugar. Boil it to the crack, and colour it with cochineal; pour it on a stone rubbed over with a little oil or butter, cut off a small piece, and keep it warm to stripe or case the other part, when finished; to the remainder add a little tartaric acid (not so much as for drops), and some raspberry-paste, sufficient to flavour it. The residue of raspberries used for making vinegar, and preserved with an equal quantity of sugar, or even less, as for raspberry cakes, does very well for this purpose. Fold the edges over into the centre, and attach it to a hook fixed against the wall: pull it towards you, throwing it on the hook each time after having pulled it out; continue doing this until it gets rather white and shining, then make it into a compact long roll, and either stripe it with the piece you cut off, or roll it out in a sheet with a rolling-pin, and wrap it round it so as to form a sort of case; then pull it into long narrow sticks, and cut them the required length.

Clove, Ginger, or Peppermint Candy. --These are all made in the same way as raspberry, using the essential oil of each for flavour. For clove, the mixture, whilst boiling, is coloured with cochineal; ginger with saffron; but the peppermint must be kept perfectly white, except the stripes, which is done by cutting off as many pieces from the bulk as you have colours, which should be in powder; put a sufficiency in each piece to give the desired tint, and keep them warm. When the remaining portion of the sugar is pulled, lay them over the surface in narrow stripes, double the roll together, and the face each way will be alike. Pull them out into long sticks, and twist them; make them round by rolling them under the hand, or they may be cut into small pieces with a pair of shears or scissors.

Brandy Balls, &c. --These are made from loaf sugar, boiled to the


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crack and coloured either with cochineal or saffron, and finished in the same way as acidulated drops, without being flattened.

Nogat. --Two pounds of sweet almonds, one pound of sugar, one pound of water. Blanch the almonds, and cut them in slices, dry them at the mouth of a cool oven, and if slightly browned the better; powder the sugar, and put it into a stewpan, with the water; place it on the fire to melt, stirring it with a spatula until it becomes a fine brown, then mix in the almonds, and let them be well covered with the sugar; pour it out on an oiled marble stone. It may be made into a thick or thin sheet, and cut with a knife into small pieces, such as dice, diamonds, &c. The surface may be strewed with currants, fillets of pistachios, or coarse sugar, and cut into different forms with tin cutters. It may also be formed into baskets, vases, &c. Oil the interior of a mould, and spread the nogat over it, whilst warm, as thin and even as possible. To save the fingers from being burnt, it may be spread with a lemon. Detach it from the mould when warm, and let it remain until cold that it may retain its shape perfectly, then fasten the different parts together with caramel sugar. For baskets, a handle of spun sugar may be placed over it, or ornamented with it according to fancy. These may be filled with whipped or other creams when required to be served.

Almond Rock. --This is a similar production to nogat, and is made with raw sugar, which is boiled to the crack. Pour it on an oiled stone, and fill it with sweet almonds, either blanched or not; the almonds are mixed with the sugar by working them into it with the hands, in a similar manner as you would mix anything into a piece of dough. If they were stirred into the sugar in the pan it would grain, which is the reason why it is melted for nogat. Form the rock into a ball or roll, and make it into a sheet, about two inches thick, by rolling it with a rolling-pin. The top may be divided into diamonds or squares by means of a long knife or piece of iron: when it is nearly cold cut it into long narrow pieces with a strong knife and hammer.

Almond Hardbake. --Oil a square or round tin with low edges; split some almonds in half, put them in rows over the bottom, with the split side downward, until the surface is covered; boil some raw sugar to the crack, and pour it over them so as to cover the whole with a thin sheet of sugar. Cocoa nut, cut in thin slices, currant, and other similar candies, are made as the hardbake, except that the sugar is grained before it is poured over.

> ON SUGAR-SPINNING.

To attain proficiency in this part, it requires much practice, and also a good taste for design, and to be expert in the boiling of sugar, taking particular care to avoid its graining. Baskets, temples, vases, fountains, &c., are made by these means. It may almost be termed the climax of the art. The moulds for this purpose may be made


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either of copper or tin, so as to deliver well. Let them be slightly rubbed all over, on the part you intend to spin the sugar, with butter or oil.

Boil clarified syrup to the degree of caramel, taking care to keep the sides of the pad free from sugar. The moment it is at the crack, add a little acid to grease it (see Sugar Boiling). When it has attained the required degree, dip the bottom of the pan into cold water, take it out, and let it cool a little; then take a common table-spoon, dip it in the sugar, holding the mould in your left hand, and from the spoon run the sugar over the mould, either inside or out, with the threads which flow from it, which may be either fine or coarse, according to the state of the sugar; if they are required very coarse, pass the hand over them two or three times; for when it is hot it flows in finer strings than it will when cooler; form it on the mould into a sort of trellis-work; loosen it from the mould carefully, and let it remain until quite cold before it is taken off, that it may retain its shape. When the sugar gets too cold to flow from the spoon, place it by the side of the stove or fire to melt. Young beginners had better draw their designs for handles of baskets, &c., on a stone with a pencil before it is oiled, and then spin the sugar over them.

To make a Silver Web. --Boil clarified syrup to the crack, using the same precautions as before observed, giving it a few boils after the acid is added; dip the bottom of the pan in water and let the sugar cool a little; then take the handle of a spoon, or two forks tied together, dip it into the sugar, and form it either on the inside or outside of a mould, with very fine strings, by passing the hand quickly backwards and forwards, taking care that it does not fall in drops, which would spoil the appearance of the work. With this may be represented the hair of a helmet, the water of a fountain, &c. Take a fork, or an iron skewer, and hold it in your left hand as high as you can, dip the spoon in the sugar, and with the right hand throw it over the skewer, when it will hang from it in very fine threads of considerable length.

To make a Gold Web. --Boil syrup to caramel height, colouring it with saffron, and form it as directed for the last. It can be folded up to form bands or rings, &c. Fasten it to the other decorations with caramel.

If any of the strings or threads of sugar should pass over those parts where they are not required, so as to spoil the other decorations in the making of baskets or other ornaments, it may be removed with a hot knife without breaking or injuring the piece.

Chantilly Baskets. --Prepare some ratafias, let them be rather small, and as near of a size as possible; boil some sugar to the caramel degree, rub over the inside of a mould slightly with oil, dip the edge of the ratafias in sugar, and stick them together, the face of the ratafias being towards the mould, except the last two rows on the top, which should be reversed, remembering always to place their faces


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to meet the eye when the sugar is cold; take it out, and join the bottom and top together with the same sugar; make a handle of spun sugar, and place over it. Some sugar may be spun over the inside of the basket, to strengthen it, as directed for webs. Line the inside with pieces of Savoy or sponge cakes, and fill it with custard or whipped cream, or the slices of cake may be spread with raspberry jam. Half fill it with boiled custard, then put in a few Savoy or almond cakes, soaked in wine, and cover the top with whipped cream; or it may be filled with fancy pastry, or meringues. All sorts of fancy cakes may be made into baskets or ratafias.

Grape, Orange, or Cherry Baskets. --These are made similar to the last; the oranges are carefully peeled and divided into small pieces, taking off the pith. Insert a small piece of stick or whisk in the end of each, dip them in caramel, and form them on the inside of an oiled mould. Cherries and grapes may be used either fresh, or preserved wet, and dried. Dip them in caramel, and form them as oranges. Each of these, or any other fruit, after being dipped in caramel, may be laid on an oiled marble slab separately, and served on plates in a pyramid, with fancy papers, flowers, &c. The baskets are finished as Chantilly with spun sugar.

Almond Baskets. --Blanch some fine Jordan almonds, and cut them into thin slices, and colour them in a small copper pan over the fire with prepared liquid colour (see Colours). Put them into the pan, and pour in colour sufficient to give the desired tint; rub them about in the pan with your hand until they are quite dry: form them as for a Chantilly basket, or else form them on an oiled marble slab, and spin sugar over them on each side. Afterwards arrange them in a mould, or build them to any design, first having a pattern cut out in paper, and form them on the stone from it.

Spanish Candy. --Oil a quart of clarified syrup to the crack. Have some icing previously prepared as for cakes, or mix some fine powdered loaf sugar with the white of an egg to a thick consistency as for icing; take the sugar from the fire, and as soon as the boiling has gone down stir in a spoonful of this or the icing, which must be done very quickly, without stopping. Let it rise once and fall; the second time it rises, pour it out in a mould or paper case, and cover it with the pan to prevent its falling. Some persons pour it out the first time it rises, and immediately cover it as before. It may be made good both ways. If it is required coloured, add the colouring to the syrup whilst it is boiling, or with the icing, adding more sugar to give it the same stiffness as before.

Vases or Baskets, &c., in Spanish Candy. --Prepare some plaster moulds, as for grained sugar; soak them in water before you use them; prepare some sugar as for the last, and fill the moulds. When finished they may be ornamented with gum-paste, piping, or gold-paper borders. Fill them with flowers, meringues, fancy pastry, caramel, fruits, &c. They may also be made in copper or tin moulds by first oiling them before they are filled.

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> SECTION VI.--CHOCOLATE.

Cacao Nuts.--The cocoa or cacao nut, of which chocolate is made, is the seed of the fruit of a tree common in South America and the West Indies. The seeds of the nuts, which are nearly of the shape of an almond, are found to the number of from thirty to forty in a pod. The pods are oval, resembling a cucumber in shape. The different sorts are distinguished by name, according to the places which produce them, thus,--the cacao of Cayenne, Caraccas, Berbice, and the islands of St. Magdalen and Domingo. These all differ in the size of their almonds or seed, quality and taste. The most esteemed is the large Caraccas, the almond of which, though somewhat flat, resembles the shape of a large bean. The next are those of St. Magdalen and Berbice. The seeds of these are less flat than those of the Caraccas kind, and the skin is covered with a fine ash-coloured dust. The others are very crude and oily, and only fit to make the butter of cacao. The kernels, when fresh, are bitter, and are deprived of this by being buried in the ground for thirty or forty days. Good nuts should have a thin brittle skin, of a dark black colour; and the kernel, when the skin is taken off, should appear full and shining, of a dusky colour, with a reddish shade. Choose the freshest, not worm-eaten, or mouldy on the inside, which it is subject to be.

Equal parts of the cacao of Caraccas, St. Magdalen, and Berbice, mixed together, make a chocolate of first-rate quality; and these proportions give to it that rich and oily taste which it ought to have. That made from the cacao of Caraccas only is too dry, and that from the islands too fat and crude.

Roasting. --Take a sufficient quantity of nuts to cover the bottom of an iron pot two or three inches deep, place them on the fire to roast, stirring them constantly with the spatula that the heat may be imparted to them equally. A coffee-roasting machine would answer for this purpose admirably, taking care not to torrefy them too much, as the oil of the nut suffers thereby, and it becomes a dark brown or black, grows bitter, and spoils the colour of the chocolate. Musty or mouldy nuts must be roasted more than the others, so as to deprive them of their bad taste and smell. It is only necessary to heat them until the skin will separate from the kernel on being pressed between the fingers. Remove them from the fire, and separate the skins. If you have a large quantity, this may be accomplished by putting them in a sieve which has the holes rather large, but not so much as to allow the nuts to pass through; then squeeze or press them in your hands, and the skins will pass through the meshes of the sieve; or, after being separated from the nuts, they may be got rid of by winnowing or fanning them in a similar manner to corn. When they are separated, put them again in the fire, as before directed, stirring them constantly until warmed through, without browning. You may know when they are heated enough by the outside appearing shiny


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again winnow, to separate any burnt skin which may have escaped the first time.

The Making of Chocolate. --An iron pestle and mortar is requisite for this purpose, also a stone of the closest grain and texture which can be procured, and a rolling-pin made of the same material, or of iron. The stone must be fixed in such a manner that it may be heated from below with a pot of burning charcoal, or something similar.

Warm the mortar and pestle by placing them on a stove, or by means of charcoal, until they are so hot that you can scarcely bear your hand against them. Wipe the mortar out clean, and put any convenient quantity of your prepared nuts in it, which you pound until they are reduced to an oily paste into which the pestle will sink by its own weight. If it is required sweet, add about one-half, or two-thirds of its weight of loaf sugar in powder; again pound it so as to mix it well together, then put it in a pan, and place it in the stove to keep warm. Take a portion of it and roll or grind it well on the slab with the roller (both being previously heated like the mortar) until it is reduced to a smooth impalpable paste, which will melt in the mouth like butter. When this is accomplished, put it in another pan, and keep it warm until the whole is similarly disposed of; then place it again on the stone, which must not be quite so warm as previously, work it over again, and divide it into pieces of two, four, eight, or sixteen ounces each, which you put in moulds. Give it a shake, and the chocolate will become flat. When cold it will easily turn out.

The moulds for chocolate may either be made of tin or copper, and of different devices, such as men, animals, fish, culinary or other utensils, &c.; also some square ones for half-pound cakes, having divisions on the bottom which are relievoed. These cause the hollow impressions on the cakes.

The Bayonne or Spanish chocolate is in general the most esteemed. The reason of its superior quality is attributed by some to the hardness of the Pyrenean stone which they employ in making it, which does not absorb the oil from the nuts. They do not use any pestle and mortar, but levigate their nuts on the stone, which is fixed on a slope; and in the second pounding or rolling the paste is pressed closely on the stone, so as to extract the oil, which runs into a pan containing the quantity of sugar intended to be used, and is placed underneath to receive it; the oil of the cacao and sugar are then well mixed together with a spatula, again mixed with the paste on the stone, and finished.

Vanilla Chocolate. --Ten pounds of prepared nuts, ten pounds of sugar, vanilla two ounces and a half, cinnamon one ounce, one drachm of mace, and two drachms of cloves, or the vanilla may be used solely.

Prepare your nuts according to the directions already given. Cut


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the vanilla in small bits, pound it fine with part of the sugar, and mix it with the paste; boil about one-half of the sugar to the blow before you mix it to the chocolate, otherwise it will eat hard. Proceed as before, and either put it in small moulds or divide it in tablets, which you wrap in tinfoil. This is in general termed eatable chocolate.

Cinnamon, Mace or Clove Chocolate. --These are made in the same manner as the last, using about an ounce and a half or two ounces of either sort of spice, in powder, to that quantity, or add a sufficiency of either of these essential oils to flavour.

Stomachic Chocolate. --Four ounces of chocolate prepared without sugar, vanilla one ounce, cinnamon in powder one ounce, ambergris forty-eight grains, sugar three ounces; warm your paste by pounding in the heated mortar, or on the stone, add your aromatics in powder to the sugar, and mix it well with the paste; keep it close in tin boxes. About a dozen grains of this is to be put into the chocolate pot when it is made, which gives it an agreeable and delightful flavour, and renders it highly stomachic. It may also be used for flavouring the chocolate tablets.

Chocolate Harlequin Pistachios. --Warm some sweet chocolate by pounding it in a hot mortar; when it is reduced to a malleable paste, take a little of it and wrap round a blanched pistachio nut, roll it in the hand to form it as neat as you can, throw it in some nonpareils of various colours; let it be covered all over. Dispose of the whole in the same manner; fold them in coloured or fancy papers, with mottoes, the ends should be cut like fringe.
Almonds may be done the same way, using vanilla chocolate, if preferred.

Chocolate Drops, with Nonpareils. --Have some warm chocolate, as for pistachios; some add a little butter or oil to it to make it work more free; make it into balls about the size of a small marble, by rolling a little in the hand, or else put some of the paste on a flat piece of wood, on which you form, and take them off with a knife. Place them on sheets of white paper about an inch apart. When the sheet is covered, take it by the corners and lift it up and down, letting it touch the table each time, which will flatten them. Cover the surface entirely with white nonpareils, and shake off the surplus ones. When the drops are cold they can be taken off the paper easily. The bottom of the drops should be about as broad as a sixpence. Some of them may be left quite plain.

Good chocolate should be of a clear red brown. As the colour is paler or darker, so is the article the more or less good. The surface should be smooth and shining. If this gloss comes off by touching, it indicates an inferior quality, and is probably adulterated. When broken, it ought to be compact and close, and not appear crumbly. It should melt gently in the mouth when eaten, leaving no roughness or astringency, but rather a cooling sensation on the tongue. The latter is a certain sign of its being genuine.

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> SECTION VII.--LOZENGES.

THESE are composed of loaf sugar in fine powder, and other substances, either liquid or in powder, which are mixed together and made into a paste with dissolved gum, rolled out into thin sheets, and formed with tin cutters into little cakes, either oval, square, or round, and dried.

One ounce of gum tragacanth, and one pint of water. Let it soak in a warm place twenty-four hours; put it in a coarse towel or cloth, and let two persons continue twisting it until the whole of the gum is squeezed through the interstices of the cloth. One ounce of this dissolved gum is sufficient for four or five pounds of sugar; one ounce of dissolved gum Arabic to twelve ounces of sugar.

Either of these gums may be used separately, or in the proportion of one ounce of gum dragon to three ounces of Arabic mixed together. These are generally used for medicated lozenges; but gum Arabic alone is considered to make the best peppermint.

Peppermint Lozenges, No. 1. --Take double-refined loaf sugar, pound and sift it through a lawn sieve; make a bay with the sugar on a marble slab, into which pour some dissolved gum, and mix it into a paste as you would dough, flavouring the mass with oil of peppermint. One ounce of this is sufficient for forty pounds of lozenges. Some persons prefer mixing their gum and sugar together at first in a mortar; but as it is indifferent which way is pursued, that may be followed which is most convenient. Roll out the paste on a marble slab until it is about the eighth of an inch in thickness, using starch powder to dust it with, to prevent its sticking to the slab and pin. Before cutting them out, strew or dust over the surface with powder mixed with lawned sugar, and rub it over with the heel of your hand, which gives it a smooth face. This operation is termed "facing up." Brush this off, and again dust the surface with starch powder, cut them out, and place in wooden trays. Put them in the hot closet to dry. Note.--All lozenges are finished in the same manner.

Peppermint Lozenges, No. 2. --These are made as No. 1, adding a little starch-powder or prepared plaster as for gum paste to the paste, instead of using all sugar.

Peppermint Lozenges, Nos. 3 and 4. --Proceed in the same manner as for No. 2, using for each, more starch powder in proportion. Use smaller cutters, and let the paste be rolled thicker.

Transparent Mint Lozenges, No. 5. --These are made from loaf sugar in coarse powder, the finest having been taken out by sifting it through a lawn sieve. Mix it into a paste with dissolved gum Arabic and a little lemon juice. Flavour with oil of peppermint. Finish as for No. 1.

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Superfine Transparent Mint Lozenges. --The sugar for these must be in coarser grains. Pass the sugar through a coarse hair sieve. Separate the finest by sifting it through a moderately fine hair sieve. Mix and flavour as the others.

Note.--The coarser the grains of sugar, the more transparent the lozenges. The finer particles of sugar being mixed with it, destroy their transparency. The solution of gum should be thicker in proportion as the sugar is coarse.

Rose Lozenges. --Make your paste as No. 1, using the essential oil or otto of roses to flavour them; or the gum may be dissolved in rose water, and a little essential oil may be added to give additional flavour, if required. Colour the paste with carmine or rose pink.

Cinnamon Lozenges. --Gum tragacanth, dissolved, two ounces, lawned sugar eight pounds, cinnamon in powder one ounce, essential oil ten drops.

Mix into a paste, and colour with bole ammoniac. A stomachic.

Clove Lozenges. --Sugar eight pounds, cloves three ounces, gum tragacanth two ounces.

Each lozenge should contain two grains of cloves. A restorative and stomachic.

Lavender Lozenges. --Make as rose lozenges, using the oil of lavender instead of rose.

Ginger Lozenges. --Eight pounds of sugar and eight ounces of the best ground ginger. Mix into a paste with dissolved gum. Essence may be used instead of the powder, colouring it with saffron. A stimulant and stomachic.

Nutmeg Lozenges. --Sugar eight pounds, oil of nutmegs one ounce, dissolved gum sufficient to mix into a paste. A stimulant and stomachic.

Rhubarb Lozenges. --Sugar four pounds, best Turkey rhubarb, in powder, ten ounces.

Sulphur Lozenges. --Four pounds of sugar, eight ounces of sublimed sulphur, gum sufficient to make a paste. For asthma and the piles.

Tolu Lozenges. --Sugar four pounds, balsam of tolu three drachms, or the tincture of the balsam one fluid ounce, cream of tartar six ounces, or tartaric acid one drachm, dissolved gum sufficient to make a paste. These may also be flavoured by adding a quarter of an ounce of vanilla, and sixty drops of the essence of amber. The articles must be reduced to a fine powder with the sugar. A pectoral and balsamic.

Ipecacuanha Lozenges. --Sugar four pounds, ipecacuanha one ounce, apothecaries' weight, dissolved gum sufficient to make a paste. Make 960 lozenges, each containing half a grain of ipecacuanha. An expectorant and stomachic, used in coughs.

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Saffron Lozenges. --Saffron dried and powdered, four ounces, sugar four pounds, dissolved gum sufficient. An anodyne, pectoral, emmenagogue.

Yellow Pectoral Lozenges. --Sugar one pound, Florence orris-root powder twelve drachms, liquorice-root, six drachms, almonds one ounce, saffron in powder four scruples, dissolved gum sufficient to make a paste. Make a decoction of the liquorice to moisten the gum with.

Lozenges for the Heartburn. --Prepared chalk four ounces, crab's eyes prepared two ounces, bole ammoniac one ounce, nutmeg one scruple, or cinnamon half an ounce. Make into a paste with dissolved gum Arabic.

Steel Lozenges. --Pure iron filings or rust of iron one pound, cinnamon in powder, four ounces, fine sugar seven pounds, dissolved gum a sufficient quantity to make a paste. A stomachic and tonic.

Magnesia Lozenges. --Calcined magnesia eight ounces, sugar four ounces, ginger in powder two scruples, dissolved gum Arabic sufficient to form a paste.

Magnesia two ounces, sugar eight ounces, sufficient gum Arabic to make a paste, dissolved in orange-flower water.

Nitre Lozenges. --Sugar four pounds, sal-nitre one pound, dissolved gum tragacanth, sufficient to make a paste. A diuretic internally; held in the mouth it removes incipient sore throats.

Marshmallow Lozenges. --Marshmallow roots in powder one pound, or slice the root and make a strong decoction, in which you dissolve the gum, fine sugar four pounds. Mix into a paste. If six drops of laudanum be added, with two ounces of liquorice, the pectoral quality of these lozenges will be improved. Good for obstinate coughs.

Vanilla Lozenges. --Sugar four pounds, vanilla in powder, six ounces, or sufficient to give a strong flavour. Make into a paste with dissolved gum.

Catechu Lozenges. --Sugar four pounds, catechu twelve ounces. Make into a paste with dissolved gum.

Catechu à l'Ambergris. --To the paste for catechu lozenges add sixteen grains of ambergris.

Catechu with Musk. --The same as for catechu, adding sixteen grains of musk.

Catechu with Orange-flowers. --As before, adding twelve drops of essence of neroli.

Catechu with Violets. --As before, adding Florence orris-root in powder, three drachms. These are all used to fasten the teeth, and disguise an offensive breath.

Ching's Yellow Worm Lozenges. --Fine sugar twenty-eight pounds, calomel washed in spirits of wine one pound, saffron four drachms, dissolved gum tragacanth sufficient to make a paste. Make a decoction


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of the saffron in one pint of water, strain, and mix with it. Each lozenge should contain one grain of mercury.

Ching's Brown Worm Lozenges. --Calomel washed in spirits of wine (termed white panacea of mercury), seven ounces, resin of jalap three pounds eight ounces, fine sugar nine pounds, dissolved gum sufficient quantity to make a paste. Each lozenge should contain half a grain of mercury.

Panacea, one ounce, resin of jalap two ounces, sugar two pounds. Dissolve a sufficient quantity of gum in rose-water to make a paste. Make 2520 lozenges, weighing eight grains each, and containing a quarter of a grain of calomel and a half a grain of jalap.

These lozenges should be kept very dry after they are finished, as the damp, acting on the sugar and mercury, generates an acid in them.

Note.--In mixing these, as well as all other medicated lozenges, the different powders should be well mixed with the sugar, in order that each lozenge may have its due portion. If this is not attended to, the perfect distribution of the component parts cannot be depended on, and one lozenge may contain double or treble the quantity of medicated matter it ought to have, whilst others contain comparatively none; therefore those that have the greatest portion may often prove injurious by acting contrary to what was intended.

Bath Pipe. --Eight pounds of sugar, twelve ounces of liquorice. Warm the liquorice and cut it in thin slices, dissolve it in one quart of boiling water, stir it well to assist the solution; let it settle, when dissolved, to allow any impurities or bits of copper which are often found in it to fall down; pour it off free from the sediment; dissolve the gum in the clear part, and mix into a paste as for lozenges. Roll out a piece with your hand in a round form; finish rolling it with a long flat piece of wood, until it is about the size of the largest end of the stem of a tobacco-pipe. Dry them in the stove as lozenges. These may be also flavoured with anise-seed by adding a few drops of the oil, or with catechu or violets by adding the powders of orris-root or catechu.

Peppermint or other Pipes. --Any of the pastes for lozenges may be formed into pipes by rolling it out as directed for Bath pipes. They are occasionally striped with blue green, and yellow, by making strips with liquid colour on the paste and twisting before you roll it out with the board.

Brilliants. --Take either of the pastes for peppermint lozenges from No. 1 to 4, and cut it into small fancy devices, such as hearts, diamonds, spades, triangles, squares, &c.

Refined Liquorice. --Four pounds of the best Spanish juice, and two pounds of gum Arabic. Dissolve the gum in warm water, as for Bath pipe. Strain and dissolve the gum in the solution of liquorice. Place it over a gentle fire, in a broad pan, and let it boil gradually, stirring it continually (or it will burn) until it is reduced to a paste. Roll it into pipes or cylinders of convenient lengths, and polish by


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putting them in a box and rolling them together, or by rubbing them with the hand, or a cloth. This is often adulterated by using glue instead of gum, and by dipping the pipes in a thin solution, which gives them a beautiful gloss when dry. In establishments where this is manufactured on a large scale, the liquorice is dissolved in a large bain-marie, and stirred with spatulas which are worked by a steam-engine.

> SECTION VIII.--PASTILE DROPS.

CHOOSE the best treble-refined sugar with a good grain, pound it, and pass it through a coarse hair sieve; sift again in a lawn sieve to take out the finest part, as the sugar, when it is too fine, makes the drops heavy and compact, and destroys their brilliancy and shining appearance.

Put some of the coarse grains of sugar into a small drop pan (these are made with a lip on the right side, so that when it is held in the left hand the drops can be detached with the right), moisten it with any aromatic spirit you intend to use, and a sufficient quantity of water to make it of a consistence just to drop off the spoon or spatula without sticking to it. Colour with prepared cochineal, or any other colour, ground fine and moistened with a little water. Let the tint which you give be as light and delicate as possible. Place the pan on the stove fire, on a ring of the same size. Stir it occasionally until it makes a noise, when it is near boiling, but do not let it boil; then take it from the fire, and stir it well with the spatula until it is of the consistence that when dropped it will not spread too much, but retain a round form on the surface. If it should be too thin, add a little coarse sugar, which should be reserved for the purpose, and make it of the thickness required. Have some very smooth and even plates, made either of tin or copper; let them be quite clean, and drop them on these, separating the sugar from the lip of the pan with a piece of straight wire, as regularly as possible. About two hours afterwards they may be taken off with a thin knife. If you have not the convenience of tin or copper plates, they may be dropped on smooth cartridge paper. Wet the back of the paper when you want to take them off. Cover the bottom of a sieve with paper, lay them on it, and put them in the stove for a few hours. If they remain too long, it will destroy their fragrancy.

Chocolate Drops. --One pound of sugar, one ounce of chocolate. Scrape the chocolate to a powder, and mix it with the sugar in coarse grains, moisten it with clean water, and proceed according to the instructions already given, but do not mix more than can be dropped out whilst warm at one time. If any remains in the pot, it will grease the next which you mix, and will not attain the consistence required.

Coffee Drops. --One ounce of coffee, one pound of sugar. Make a


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strong and clear infusion of coffee, as directed for coffee ice, and use it to moisten the sugar. Make the drops as above.

Cinnamon Drops. --One ounce of cinnamon, one pound of sugar. Pulverize the cinnamon, and sift it through a lawn sieve. Mix it with the sugar, and add two or three drops of the essential oil. If the flavour is not strong enough, moisten it with the water and proceed as before. The flavour may be given with the essential oil only colouring them with bole ammoniac.

Clove Drops. --Make as cinnamon.

Vanilla Drops. --Make as cinnamon, using a little sugar to pound the vanilla. Use sufficient to give a good flavour; or it may be moistened with the essence of vanilla; but this greases it as chocolate.

Violet Drops. --One pound of sugar, one ounce of orris-powder. Moisten with water, and colour violet.

Catechu Drops. --One pound of sugar, three ounces of catechu. Make as violet. These may also have the addition of a little musk or ambergris--about fifteen grains.

Ginger Drops. --Mix a sufficient quantity of the best powdered ginger to give it the desired taste, or flavour it with the essence of ginger, and colour it with saffron. Moisten with water, and make as others.

Lemon Drops. --Rub off the yellow rind of some lemons on a piece of rough sugar, scrape it off, and mix it with the coarse sugar. Use sufficient to give a good flavour, and colour with saffron a light yellow; moisten with water, as others.

Rose Drops. --Moisten the sugar with rose water, and colour it with cochineal.

Peppermint Drops. --Moisten the sugar with peppermint water, or flavour it with the essence of peppermint, and moisten it with water.

Orange-flower Drops. --Use orange-flower water to moisten the sugar, or flavour it with the essence of neroli and moisten with water.

Orgeat Drops. --Make milk of almonds, as directed under the head of Orgeat Syrup, using a little orange-flower water; moisten the sugar with it.

Raspberry Drops. --Press out the juice of some ripe raspberries through a piece of flannel or cloth, and moisten the sugar with it.
All fruit drops are made in the same way,--that is, with the expressed juice,--except pine-apple. When you first rub off the rind of the fruit on sugar, pound the pulp of the fruit, and pass through a hair sieve. Scrape off the sugar on which the rind was rubbed, and mix it with a sufficient quantity of the pulp to give the desired flavour to the coarse grains, and moisten it with water. The whole of these


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grease the sugar, and require the same precautions as chocolate drops.

> SECTION IX.--COMFITS.

A COPPER comfit-pan is requisite for this purpose. A bar, having chains at each end, with a hook and swivel in the centre, is attached to it, by which it is suspended from the ceiling or a beam, so as to hang about as high as the breast over a stove or charcoal fire, that the pan may be kept at a moderate heat and at such a distance as to allow it to be swung backwards and forwards without touching the fire or stove. A preserving-pan, containing clarified syrup, must be placed by the side of the stove, or over another fire, that it may be kept hot, but not boiling; also a ladle for throwing the syrup into the pan, and a pearling cot. This last somewhat resembles a funnel, without the pipe or tube, and having a small hole in the centre with a pointed piece of stick or spigot fitted into it, which, being drawn out a little, allows the syrup when placed in it to run out in a small stream. A piece of string tied several times across the centre of the top of the cot, and twisted with the spigot, allows it to be drawn out and regulated at pleasure.

Scotch Caraway Comfits. --Sift two pounds of seeds in a hair sieve to free them from dust, put them into the comfit-pan, and rub them well about the bottom with your hand until they are quite warm; have some clarified loaf sugar in syrup and boiled to the small thread; give them a charge by pouring over them about two table-spoonfuls to commence with; rub and shake them well about the pan, that they may take the sugar equally, until they are quite dry. Be careful in not making them too wet in the first charges by using too much syrup, or they will lie of a lump and get doubled, and you will have difficulty in parting them. It will prevent their sticking together if the hand is passed through them between every swing of the pan, and also add to their smoothness. Do not let the heat under the pan be too strong, or it will spoil their whiteness. Give them four or five charges, increasing the quantity of syrup a little each time, and let each charge be well dried before another is given, dusting them at the last charge with flour. Sift them in a hair sieve, and clean the pan. Put them in again, and give them four or five charges more, with a dust of flour at the last; then sift them and clean the pan. Proceed in this manner until they are one-third of the required size. Put them into the stove or sun to dry until the next day, then clarify and boil some sugar to the large thread, keep it warm as before, divide the comfits, and put part of them in the pan, so as not to have too many at one time, for as they increase in size you must divide them into convenient portions, so that you may be enabled to work them properly without encumbering the pan. Give them four or five charges of syrup, proceeding in the same manner as before, until they


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are two-thirds or more of the required size, and stove them until the next day. Continue in this manner with each portion alternately, until they are all done. On the third day, boil the syrup to the small pearl, and give eight or ten charges as before, without using flour, so as to finish them, lessening the quantity of syrup each time. Swing the pan gently, and dry each charge well. Put them in the stove for half an hour or an hour after each charge, and proceed alternately with each portion until they are finished, when they should be about the size of peas. Put them in the stove for a day, then smooth them with the whitest loaf sugar in syrup, boiled to the small thread; add two or three table-spoonfuls of dissolved gum Arabic with it to give them a gloss. Give three or four charges with a very gentle heat, the syrup being cold and the pan scarcely warm. Work and dry each charge well before another is added: when finished, dry them in a moderate heat. It is the best way, if possible, to dry comfits in the sun, as it bleaches them. If the stove is at a greater heat than the sun in a moderately warm day, which is from 70 to 80 degrees of Fahrenheit, it will spoil their whiteness.

Bath Caraways. --These are made in the same way, but only half the size.

Common Caraways. --Sift the seeds, and warm them in the pan, as for Scotch caraways. Have some gum Arabic dissolved, throw in a ladleful, and rub them well about the pan with the hand until dry, dusting them with flour. Give them three or four coatings in this manner, and then a charge of sugar, until they are about one half the required size. Dry them for a day, give them two or three coatings of gum and flour, finish them by giving three or four charges of sugar, and dry them. These are made about the size of Bath caraways. Colour parts of them different colours, leaving the greatest portion white.

Cinnamon Comfits. --Cinnamon is the bark of a tree, of which there are two sorts. The inferior quality is that usually sold for cinnamon, and is otherwise known as cassia, or cassia lignea. This breaks short, and has a slimy mucilaginous taste, is thicker, and of a darker colour than the cinnamon, which is the inner bark. This breaks shivery, and has a warm aromatic taste, and is of a reddish colour.

Take one pound of cinnamon bark, and steep it in water for a few hours to soften it; cut it into small pieces about half an inch long, and the size of a large needle. Dry it in the stove. Put your pieces, when dry, into the comfit-pan, and pour on them a little syrup, as for Scotch caraways, proceeding in the same way until they are one-third the required size. You must not use your hand for these as you would for caraways, as they are liable to break in two. Dry them in the stove, then suspend the pearling pot or cot from the bar of the pan or ceiling, so as to hang over the centre of the pan; boil some clarified loaf sugar to the large pearl, and fill the cot; put some of the prepared comfits in the pan, but not too many at a time, as it


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is difficult to get them to pearl alike. Keep the syrup at the boiling point: open the spigot of the cot so as to allow it to run in a very small stream, or more like a continued dropping; swing the pan backwards and forwards gently, and keep a stronger fire under the pan than otherwise. Be careful that the syrup does not run too fast, and wet them too much, but so that it dries as soon as dropped, which causes them to appear rough. If one cot full of sugar is not enough, put in more until they are the required size. When one lot is finished put in sieves to dry, and proceed to another; but do not let them lie in the pan after you have finished shaking them. They will be whiter and better if partly pearled one day and finished the next. Use the best clarified sugar to finish them.

Coriander Comfits. --Proceed with these as for Scotch caraways, working them up to about the same size. The next day pearl them to a good size, as for cinnamon.

Celery Comfits. --Put one pound of celery seed into the pan, and proceed as for Scotch caraway comfits, working them up to the size of a large pin's head. Dry and pearl them as cinnamon.

Caraway Comfits, pearled. --When the comfits are about the size of Bath caraways, dry and pearl them as cinnamon.

Almond Comfits. --Sift some Valencia almonds in a cane or wicker sieve, pick out any pieces of shell which may be amongst them, and also any of the almonds which are either very small or very large, using those which are as near of a size as possible; take about four pounds, put them in the comfit-pan, and proceed in precisely the same way as for Scotch caraways; or, they may first have a coating of dissolved gum Arabic; rub them well about the pan with the hand, and give them a dust of flour; then pour on a little syrup at the small thread, work and dry them well, then give them three or four more charges, and a charge of gum with a dust of flour. Proceed in this way until they are one-third the required size, then dry them for a day, and proceed and finish as for caraway comfits. For the cheaper or more common comfits, more gum and flour are used in making them.

Cardamom Comfits. --The seeds should be kept in their husks until they are required to be used, as they lose much of their flavour and virtues when deprived of them. They are often mixed with grains of paradise, but these have not the aromatic taste of the cardamom, and are more hot and spicy. Break the husks of the cardamoms by rolling them with a pin; separate the skins from the seeds, put two pounds into the comfit-pan, and proceed as for Scotch caraways. Make them a good size, and quite smooth.

Barberry Comfits. --Pick the barberries from the stalks, and dry them in a hot stove on sieves; when dry, put about two pounds into the comfit-pan, and proceed as for almond comfits, giving them first a charge of gum and flour, and finish as others. Make them of a good size and quite smooth; finish with very white loaf sugar with syrup.

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Cherry Comfits. --These are made from preserved cherries, dried. Roll them in your hand to make them quite round, dust them with powdered loaf sugar, and dry them again; then proceed as for barberry comfits.
Any other preserved fruits may be made into comfits after the same manner.

Comfits flavoured with Liqueurs. --Blanch some bitter almonds, or the kernels of apricots or peaches; let them soak in hot water for an hour, then drain them, and put them into any sort of liqueur or spirit you may desire. Lower the strength of the spirit water, that the kernels may imbibe it the better, cork the jug or bottle close, and let them infuse in it until the spirit has fully penetrated them, which will be about fourteen or fifteen days; then take them out, drain and dry them in a moderate heat; when dry, proceed as for almond comfits.

Orange Comfits. --Take some preserved orange-peel, and cut it into small thin strips; dry them in the stove, and make as cinnamon comfits.

Lemon Peel or Angelica may be made into comfits after the same manner. Let the strips of peel be about the size of the pieces of cinnamon, and thoroughly dried before working them in the pan.

Nonpareils. --Pound some loaf sugar, and sift it through a fine wire sieve; sift what has passed through again in a lawn sieve, to take out the finest particles, so that you have only the fine grain of sugar left without dust. Put about two pounds of this into the comfit-pan, and proceed as for Scotch caraways, working them well with the hand until they are about the size of pins' heads.

To colour Nonpareils or Comfits. --Put some of your comfits or nonpareils into the comfit-pan, shake or rub them about until warm, then add a sufficient quantity of prepared liquid colour (see Colours) to give the desired tint; be careful not to make them too wet, nor of too dark a colour, but rather light than otherwise; shake or rub them well about, that they may be coloured equally; dry them a little over the fire, then put them in sieves, and finish drying them in the stove. Clean the pan for every separate colour.

> COMFITS IN GUM PASTE.

Raspberry Comfits. --Prepare some gum paste made with sugar, or the scrapings of the comfit-pan pounded and sifted through a lawn sieve. It may be flavoured with raspberry jam, by mixing some with the paste. Colour it with prepared cochineal; mould it into the form of raspberries, and dry them in the stove; when they are perfectly dry and hard, pearl them as for cinnamon comfits, working them until the size of natural raspberries. Colour them when dry with cochineal, as comfits.

Ginger Comfits. --Flavour gum paste with powdered ginger, make it


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into small balls about the size of coriander seeds, or peas; dry, and proceed as for Scotch caraways. Colour them yellow when finished.

Clove Comfits. --Flavour sugar gum paste with the oil of cloves, and mould it in the form of cloves. Dry and finish as others.

Any flavour may be given to this sort of comfits, and they are moulded to form the article of which it bears the name, or cut into any device with small cutters. Dried, and finished as other comfits.

To colour Loaf-Sugar Dust. --Pound some sugar, and sift it through a coarse hair sieve; sift this again through a lawn sieve, to take out the finer portions. Put the coarse grains into a preserving pan, and warm them over the stove fire, stirring it continually with the hand; pour in some liquid colour to give the desired tint, and continue to work it about the pan until it is dry.

> SECTION X.--FRUIT JELLIES.

THESE are the juices of mucilaginous fruits, rendered clear by filtering them through a flannel bag, and adding an equal weight of sugar; boil to the consistence of a jelly. If the boiling is continued too long they will become ropy, or more like treacle.

Apple Jelly. --Take either russet pippins, or any good baking apples; pare and core them, cut them in slices into a preserving pan containing sufficient water to cover them; then put them on the fire, and boil them until they are reduced to a mash. Put it into a hair sieve, that the water may drain off, which you receive in a basin or pan; then filter it through a flannel bag. To every pint of filtered juice add one pound of loaf sugar, clarify, and boil it to the ball. Mix the juice with it, and boil until it jellies; stir it with a spatula or wooden spoon, from the bottom, to prevent burning. When it is boiled enough, if you try it with your finger and thumb, as directed in sugar-boiling, a string may be drawn similar to the small pearl: it may also be known by its adhering to the spatula or spoon, or a little may be dropped on a cold plate; if it soon sets, it is done. Take off the scum which rises on the top. This is in general used for pouring over preserved wet fruits. This jelly may be coloured red with prepared cochineal.

Quince Jelly. --This is made as apple jelly. The seed of the quince is very mucilaginous. An ounce of bruised seed will make three pints of water as thick as the white of an egg.

Red Currant Jelly. --Take three quarts of fine ripe red currants, and four of white; put them into a jar, tie paper over the top, and put them into a cool oven for three or four hours, or else into a pan of boiling water; when they are done, pour them into a jelly bag; what runs out at first put back again; do this until it runs fine and clear. To each pint of filtered juice add one pound of loaf sugar clarified and boiled to the ball: mix the filtered juice with it, and


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reduce it to a jelly, stirring it well from the bottom with a spatula. What scum forms on the top take off with a skimmer, put it into pots or glasses, and when cold cut some pieces of paper to the size of the tops, steep it in brandy, and put over it; then wet some pieces of bladder, put it over the top of the pot or glass, and tie it down.

White and Black Currant Jelly. --These are made in the same way, using part red currants with the black ones.

Violet-coloured Currant Jelly. --This is made as red currant jelly, mixing two pounds of black currants with ten of red.

Cherry Jelly. --Pick off the stalks and take out the stones of some fine ripe Morello cherries, and to every four pounds of cherries add one pound of red currants; proceed as for currant jelly.

Barberry Jelly. --Take some very ripe barberries, pick them from their stalks, and weigh them. To every pound of fruit take three-quarters of a pound of loaf sugar, add sufficient water to make it into a syrup, put in the barberries, and boil them until the syrup comes to the pearl, taking off any scum which may rise. Then throw them into a fine hair or lawn sieve, and press the berries with a spoon to extract as much juice as possible from them. Receive the syrup and juice in a pan, put it again on the fire, and finish as apple jelly.

Any of these jellies may be made without fire on the same principle as clear cakes. Get the fruit ripe and fresh gathered, obtain the juice by expression, and filter it through a flannel bag; add an equal weight of sugar to that of filtered juice, stir it well together until the sugar is dissolved, and place it in a warm place or the sun for a few days, when it will be a fine jelly. Those made in this manner retain the natural flavour of the fruit.

Raspberry Jelly. --Take one and a half gallons of ripe raspberries and a half gallon of ripe currants, press out the juice and filter it; to a pint of juice add one pound of loaf sugar, and finish as other jellies.

Gooseberry Jelly. --Make as currant jelly; or it may be made of green gooseberries, as apple jelly.

[Blackberry Jelly. --Make as currant jelly--using half a gallon of raspberries to one gallon of black currants; finish as usual.]

> SECTION XI.--MARMALADES OR JAMS.

MARMALADE is generally a term applied to a preserve made either of oranges, lemons, apples, pears, quinces, or plums; but I know no difference between marmalades and jams, as they are each of them the pulp of fruits reduced to a consistence, with sugar, by being boiled. If it contains too much sugar it will crystallize, or what is termed candy. The top and sides of the vessel which contains it will be covered with a thin coating of sugar; and if there is not enough in it, or it is not sufficiently boiled, it will soon ferment. Keep them in a cool dry place.

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Apple Marmalade. --Pare and core some good apples; cut them in pieces into a preserving pan, with sufficient water to cover them; put them on the fire, and boil until they are reduced to a mash, then pass the whole through a colander; to each pound of pulp add twelve ounces of sugar; put it on the fire, and boil it until it will jelly; try it as directed for apple jelly; put it into pots when cold, and cover the top with paper dipped in brandy, or pour over it melted mutton suet, and tie it over with paper or bladder.

Quince Marmalade. --Make as apple, colouring it with prepared cochineal, if required red; let the fruit be quite ripe.

Green Apricot Marmalade or Jam. --Prepare the fruit by blanching and greening (as for green apricots, wet). When they are green, pulp them by rubbing them through a coarse hair sieve or colander; for each pound of pulp clarify and boil to the blow one pound of loaf sugar; mix it with the pulp and boil it until it will jelly; take off any scum which may arise with a skimmer. This jam is of an excellent green colour, and is very useful for ornamenting and piping almond bread, &c.

Cherry Marmalade or Jam. --Take out the stones and stalks from some fine cherries and pulp them through a cane sieve; to every three pounds of pulp add half a pint of currant juice, and three-quarters of a pound of sugar to each pound of fruit; mix together and boil until it will jelly. Put it into pots or glasses.

Currants, raspberries, plums, and gooseberries are all made in the same manner. Pulp the fruit through a cane sieve, the meshes of which are not large enough to admit a currant to pass through whole. To each pound of pulp add one pound of loaf sugar, broken small, and boil to the consistence of a jelly.

Orange Marmalade. --Take the same weight of sugar as of oranges; cut the oranges in half, squeeze out the juice, and strain it; boil the peel in water until they are quite tender, and a strong straw may be passed through them; then drain them from the water, scoop out the pulp, leaving the rind rather thin; cut it into thin fillets; boil the juice of the oranges with the sugar, and skim it when it is nearly done; add the peels, and finish as others. Part of the peels may be pounded and mixed with the marmalade, instead of the whole being cut in fillets; but then it is not so clear, and is a practice which is now almost abandoned, except by a few private persons.
Lemon marmalade is made in the same way.

[Grape Marmalade. --Put green grapes into a preserving pan, with sufficient water to cover them. Put them on the fire and boil until reduced to a mash; put the pulp through a sieve the meshes of which are not sufficiently large to admit the seed to pass through; to each pound of pulp add two pounds of the best loaf sugar and boil to the consistence of a jelly.]

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> SECTION XII.--OF FRUIT AND OTHER PASTES.

Fruit Pastes and Cakes.--These are the pulp of fruits, reduced by heat to a kind of marmalade, with the addition of from half a pound to a pound, and in some cases, double the weight of sugar to each pound of pulp, which is evaporated to the required consistence. They can be formed into rings, knots, &c., and either crystallized or candied.

Apple or Pippin Paste. --Take any quantity of good dressing apples, pare, core and put them into a preserving pan with a little water, or just sufficient to cover them. Boil until they are reduced to a marmalade, stirring them to prevent burning. To every pound of reduced pulp add half or three-quarters of a pound of loaf sugar, clarified and boiled to the blow; pass the pulp through a hair sieve before you mix the sugar with it; put it on the fire and let it boil for three or four minutes, keeping it constantly stirred from the bottom, when it will be sufficiently evaporated. If it be required coloured, add liquid colour sufficient to give the desired tint when you mix the sugar. Spread the paste on small tin or pewter sheets (these should be about a foot wide, by a foot and a-half long, and perfectly level) with a thin knife, about the eighth of an inch in thickness; put them in the stove for a day; take them out, and cut the paste into long narrow strips, about a quarter of an inch in width; if the paste is dry enough, the strips can be easily pulled off; form them into rings or knots, or cut into diamonds to form leaves, or any other device your fancy may suggest. Put them in boxes with a sheet of paper between each layer. This paste is occasionally flavoured with lemon, and is principally used for ornamenting the tops of twelfth cakes.

Apple Cheese. --Pare, quarter, and core your apples as for paste; put them into a jar, and cover the top with the parings; tie paper over the top, and bake them in a moderate oven until they are quite done; take off the parings, and pass the apples through a hair-sieve into a preserving pan. To each pound of pulp add half a pound of loaf sugar clarified and boiled to the blow; place it over a slow fire, stirring it constantly from the bottom until reduced to a stiff paste, which will not stick to the hand; put it into small moulds, hoops, or glasses. Dry in a moderately warm stove for a few days; take them out of the moulds, turn them, and place them again in the stove to finish drying. Keep in boxes as paste-knots, or cover the glasses with brandy papers.

Apricot Paste. --Take ripe apricots, put them in a preserving pan with as much water as will cover them; let them simmer on the fire for two or three minutes, or scald until they are tender; drain the water from them, and pass the pulp through a hair sieve; to each pound of pulp take three-quarters of a pound of sugar, which you clarify and boil to the blow; put the apricots on the fire, and let


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them simmer, stirring them constantly until reduced to a thick marmalade; then add the sugar; mix it well with the paste, and let it boil a minute or two longer; take it from the fire, and put into moulds, pots, or crimped paper cases; or it may be spread on small plates, as for apple paste, and formed into rings or knots. Place in the stove until dry. If put in paper cases, the paper must be wetted to get out the paste. Take it out of the moulds, turn it, and put it again into the stove to finish drying.

Green Apricot Paste. --Take apricots before they are ripe, scald as the last, and green them. (See Greening Fruit.) Pass the pulp through a sieve, and reduce it; to each pound of reduced pulp add one pound of loaf sugar clarified and boiled to the blow. Finish as ripe apricot paste.

Currant Paste. --Put any quantity of ripe currants, either red or white, or a part of each mixed, into a hair sieve, press out their juice into a preserving pan; put it on the fire, and keep it constantly stirred until evaporated to a thick consistence. To each pound of reduced pulp add three-quarters of a pound or a pound of loaf sugar clarified and boiled to the blow. Let it boil a minute or two, and finish as others.

Black Currant Paste is made the same as the last. These currants, not being so juicy as the others, may be put into a jar, tied over, and baked in a moderate oven, or put into a kettle of boiling water for a few hours, to extract the juice from them.

Raspberry Paste. --As currant paste.

Cherry Paste. --Take ripe cherries, deprive them of their stalks and stones, put them in a preserving pan, and boil them a little; then pass them through a hair sieve, reduce the pulp, and weigh it. To each pound add a pound of loaf sugar; add it to the paste, and finish as apricot.

Peach Paste. --Choose some very fine and ripe peaches, take off the skin, and cut them in small pieces into a preserving pan; put them on the fire, and reduce to a thick consistence, stirring it continually. For each pound of reduced pulp take half or three-quarters of a pound of sugar; clarify and boil it to the blow; add it to the pulp; put it again on the fire, and let it boil a few minutes. Finish as other pastes.

Plum Paste. --Plums of any kind are preserved in the same manner, whether green-gages, magnum-bonums, Orleans, damsons, &c. Take out their stones, and boil the fruit in a little water, as for apricot paste; pass them through a sieve, and for each pound of reduced pulp take a pound of sugar; clarify and boil it to the blow; mix it with the paste, and evaporate to the required consistence.

Damson Cheese. --Pick the stalks from the damsons, put them in a jar, tie it over, and bake in a cool oven; when done, pass them through a sieve into a preserving pan; put it on the fire to reduce.


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For each pound of pulp take half a pound of sugar, boiled to the blow; mix with the paste, and finish as for apple cheese. This, as well as all the pastes, may be evaporated to the required consistence by means of a water bath, which is done by placing the pan in which it is contained in another with water, which is kept boiling; this prevents the possibility of its being burnt, but it occupies more time. The kernels of the fruit may be blanched and added to it just before it is taken from the fire. Put it into moulds or hoops; dry them in the stove, first on one side and then on the other. All plums are done in the same manner.

Quince Paste. --Proceed as for apple paste.

Orange Paste. --Squeeze the juice from Seville or sweet oranges, and boil the peels in three or four waters to take off part of their bitterness. In the first put a little salt. When they are quite tender remove the white pith or pulp, and pound them quite fine in a mortar, with part of the juice, using sufficient to make them into a paste; then pass it and the remaining portion of the juice through a sieve into a preserving pan; put it on the fire, and reduce to a marmalade; weight it, and for each pound take three-quarters of a pound of loaf sugar; clarify and boil to the blow; mix it with the paste, evaporate over a gentle fire to a good consistence, and finish as apple. The rinds of the oranges may be pared off before they are squeezed, which, if boiled in one water, will be sufficient, as the pith of the peel is extremely bitter and indigestible, and the flavour or essential oil is contained only in the yellow porous part.

Lemon Paste. --Make as orange paste, using part of the juice and double the weight of sugar; or it may be made by using only the pounded peel with the same weight of sugar.

Raspberry Cakes. --Take ripe raspberries, press the juice from half of them, and put the pulp back with the others; reduce them on the fire. To each pound of pulp add two pounds of loaf sugar in powder; put it again on the fire, stirring it constantly until it is evaporated to a very thick paste. Have a tin ring, with a handle by the side, about the size of an old penny piece, and twice the thickness; wet the ring, and place it on your small pewter or tin plates, fill it with the paste, smoothing over the top with a knife; then remove the ring, and the cake will remain. Lay them off in rows, and make three or four marks on the top with the handle of a table spoon; put them in the stove to dry, turn them with a thin knife, and put them again in the stove to dry perfectly. Place them in boxes, with paper between each layer.

The residue from the making of raspberry vinegar may be employed for this purpose, or they may be made by adding a pound of fine powdered sugar to a pound of jam. Any of the fruit pastes may be formed into cakes like these, or into drops, by forcing them out on paper with a small pipe and bladder attached to it.

Clear Cakes, or Jelly Cakes. --Take the filtered juice of fruits, as


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for jelly (see Jellies); to each pint of juice add one pound of loaf sugar, dissolve it in the juice thoroughly, place it on the fire and heat it, but it must not boil; put it into small pots, moulds, or glasses, so as to form cakes about half an inch thick; place them on the stove, which must not be too hot, or they will melt instead of forming a jelly; about seventy-five or eighty degrees Fahrenheit is quite hot enough. When a crust has formed on the top, take out the cakes by carefully turning the knife round the sides of the pot, place them on small plates of tin or pewter, and dry on the other side. When dry they can be cut into diamonds, squares, or any shape you please These are certainly some of the most delicate and beautiful of this class which were ever invented, fit even to gratify the palate of the most fastidious. The fruit from which they are made should be gathered as fresh as it possibly can, except apples, as the mucilage is injured by keeping, and if the fruit has fermented it is entirely destroyed.

Pastes formed with Gum--Pâte de Guimauve--Marsh-Mallow Paste. --Gum Arabic three pounds, roots of fresh marsh-mallows eight ounces, one dozen of rennet apples, loaf sugar three pounds. Peel, core, and cut the apples in pieces. Cleanse the roots, and slice them lengthways in an oblique direction; add this to seven pints of water; soft or river water is the best when filtered; put it on the fire and boil for a quarter of an hour, or until reduced to six pints; pound and sift the gum through a hair sieve; strain the decoction into a pan with the gum; put it on a moderate fire, or into a bain-marie, stirring it until the gum is perfectly dissolved; then strain it through a coarse towel or tamis cloth, the ends being twisted by two persons; add it to the sugar, which has been previously clarified and boiled to the feather; dry it well over the fire, keeping it constantly stirred from the bottom. When it has acquired a thick consistence, take the whites of eighteen eggs, and whip them to a strong froth; add them to the paste, and dry until it does not stick to the hand when it is applied to it; add a little essence of neroli, or a large glassful of double orange-flower water, and evaporate again to the same consistence. Pour it on a marble slab well dusted with starch-powder, flatten it with the hand; the next day cut it into strips, powder each strip, and put them in boxes. Powder the bottom that they may not stick.

Pâte de Gomme Arabique--Arabic Paste. --Very white gum Arabic two pounds, sugar two pounds, orange-flower water four ounces, the whites of twelve eggs. Pound and sift the gum, add it to the water, dissolve and evaporate it over a slow fire, or in the bain-marie, stirring it constantly until it is reduced to the consistence of honey with the sugar in syrup. Whip the whites to a strong snow; add it to the paste with the orange-flower water, gradually; stir and finish as marsh-mallow paste, for which this is mostly substituted, and much used for coughs. It should be very white, light, and spongy.

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Pâte des Dattes--Date Paste. --Dates one pound, gum Senegal three pounds, loaf sugar in syrup two pounds and a half, orange-flower water four ounces. Make as marsh-mallow paste, using rather more water to dissolve the gum.

Pâte des Jujubes--Jujube Paste. --Jujubes four ounces, currants washed and picked four ounces, raisins stoned one pound, sugar two pounds, very white gum Arabic two pounds and a half. Open the jujubes, and boil them with the currants and raisins in two quarts of water until reduced to three pints, strain the decoction through a tamis cloth, twisted by two persons; add the sugar in syrup with the gum, which has been previously pounded and dissolved in a sufficient quantity of water; evaporate it by a moderate heat, as pâte de guimauve; pour it into tin moulds slightly oiled, having edges about a quarter of an inch deep; dry in the stove, take it out of the tins, and cut it with a pair of scissors into small diamonds.

Pâte de Gomme Senegal--Senegal Paste. --Gum Senegal two pounds, sugar one pound. Dissolve the gum in orange-flower water and common water; or dissolve it in common water, and flavour with essence of neroli; add the sugar, when clarified and boiled to the blow; evaporate, and finish as pâte de jujube. This is usually sold for jujube paste, or else picked gum Arabic made into a paste as Senegal, and coloured with prepared cochineal or saffron.

Pâte de blanche Réglisse--White Liquorice Paste. --This is made the same as marsh-mallow paste, using liquorice-root instead of mallow. It may be made without the eggs, and finished as jujubes.

Pâte de Réglisse noir--Black Liquorice Paste. --The best refined liquorice one pound, gum Arabic four pounds, loaf sugar two pounds, Florence orris-root one ounce. Dissolve the gum and liquorice in seven pints of water, keeping it stirred over a slow fire; add the sugar in syrup with the orris-root, evaporate to a paste, and finish as jujubes.

Gomme des Jujubes--Jujube Gum.-- Jujubes one pound, very white and picked gum Arabic two pounds, powdered sugar two ounces. Pound the jujubes in a marble mortar with five pints of water, put the whole into a pan and boil until reduced to three; strain the decoction through a cloth, beat up the white of an egg with a glass of water, and mix part of it with the decoction as it boils; throw in a little at a time of the remaining part, to check the ebullition. When it is all used, take off the scum, put it again on the fire to evaporate the water, adding at the same time the gum and sugar, powdered and passed through a horse-hair sieve. Stir it with the spatula until dissolved. When it is of the consistence of honey, place it in the bain-marie, and neither stir nor touch it, that it may be clear. When it has acquired body enough, so as not to stick to the back of the hand when applied to it, pour it into moulds previously oiled with good olive oil, as for jujubes; place in the stove to finish drying; when dry take it out, and cut in small pieces.

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Pâte de jujube and white liquorice may be done in the same manner, using only half the quantity of sugar.

Gomme des Dattes. --One pound of dates, two pounds of very white picked gum Arabic, sugar two ounces. Make as jujubes.

Gum of Violets. --Violet flowers one pound, picked gum two pounds, sugar four ounces in syrup. Pour three pints of water at the boiling point on the flowers in an earthen jar; stop it perfectly close, and keep it in a warm place for ten or twelve hours; strain the infusion by expression into a flat pan or dish, place it on an inclination, and let it rest for an hour that the fæces may subside; pour off the clear gently from the bottom or settling, and add to it six grains of turnsole bruised, and six grains of carmine, as this clear infusion is not sufficiently coloured to give it the beautiful tint of the violet. Mix in the powdered gum and sugar, stir it over a moderate fire until dissolved, pass it through a sieve, and finish in the bain-marie as jujubes.

Any of these gums, when dry, may be crystallized.

Almond Paste--Orgeat Paste. --One pound of sweet almonds, a quarter of a pound of bitter almonds, two pounds of sugar. Blanch the almonds, and throw them into clean cold water as they are done, to preserve their whiteness; let them soak for a day, then dry them in a cloth, and pound them quite fine in a mortar, sprinkling them with orange-flower water or lemon juice to prevent their oiling; then with a spatula rub them through a fine wire sieve; what will not pass through, pound again until they are quite fine; clarify the sugar and boil it to the ball; mix the almonds with it, and stir it well over the fire with the spatula until it comes together; then take it from the fire, and put it into an earthen pan to cool; when cold, pound it again, make it into sticks or tablets, dusting the board or stone with powdered sugar; or put into pots, and tie bladder over it, to be used as wanted.

> SECTION XIII.--FRUITS PRESERVED WITH SUGAR.

WET FRUITS.--Most of the fruits are first prepared by being blanched, that is, boiled in water; they are then drained and put into boiling syrup, where they remain for a day. The syrup being now weakened with the juice of the fruit, it is poured off, more sugar is added, and it is reduced again to syrup by boiling, and poured hot over the fruit: this is continued until it is fully saturated with sugar, which may be known by the syrup being no longer weakened with the juice of the fruit. Keep them in a dry but not warm place, as too much heat will cause them to ferment, more especially if they are not fully incorporated with sugar; nor in a damp place, or they will become mouldy.

All green fruits require to be greened, so as to bring them to their original colour, for in blanching they assume a yellowish cast: this is probably occasioned by a portion of the alkali being extracted in the


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boiling. The green colour of fruits and leaves depends upon an excess of alkali; and in proportion as acid or alkali prevails in them, so are they coloured from red to violet, blue, and green; therefore if alkali is added to the water, the colour is retained. This is exemplified in the everyday domestic duties of the cook, who uses soda, potash, or muriate of soda (common salt), in boiling her greens or cabbages. I have here stated the principle on which their colour depends, to show that there is no necessity for green fruits being kept for some time in brass or copper pans, whereby they take up a portion of verdigris, which often proves injurious.

Prick your fruit several times with a fork or large needle, to allow the sugar to penetrate the more freely. As you do them, throw them into a pan of cold water, which prevents their turning black at the places where they are pricked; add a little soda or potash, and set the pan by the side of the stove to heat gradually, but not to boil, or at the most only to simmer; when the fruit swims, take it out with a skimmer and put it into cold water; if they are not green enough, drain them and put them again into the water they were first boiled in, or else into a weak syrup; place them by the side of the stove to heat gradually as before, stirring them occasionally. They may be covered with vine leaves, or a handful of spinach; if salt is used in greening them, they will require to be soaked for a few hours in clean cold water, to again extract that portion which they have absorbed, or it will spoil their flavour.
It is best to blanch fruits which are very juicy in hard or pump water, or with the addition of a little alum to river water.

Green Apricots, wet. --Get the apricots before the stone is formed in them, when they can be pierced through with a pin or needle; put them into a bag with plenty of salt, and shake them about in it to take off the down and silkiness of the skin; take them out and put them in cold water. Or this may be done by making a strong ley with wood ashes; strain it through a cloth; let it be quite clear; make it boiling hot and throw in your apricots; let them remain about a minute, take them out, and put them into cold water; then take off the fur when they are cool by either rubbing them with your hands in the water, or drain, and rub them in a towel or coarse cloth. Put them into another pan of cold water, and place them over a slow fire to heat gradually and scald. When they are quite soft and can be crushed between the finger and thumb, take them out and throw them into cold water; drain them quite dry in sieves; make a thin syrup, that is, at the small thread; boil it in a flat preserving pan, put in the apricots, give them a few boils, and take off any scum that rises; have sufficient syrup in the pan that the fruit may float; pour them with the syrup into an earthen pan, and keep them covered until the next day; then drain off the syrup, add more syrup or sugar to it, and boil to the large thread; put in the fruit, and let the syrup boil over them four or five times: repeat these operations for five days, increasing


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the syrup a degree each day until it has attained the large pearl taking off the scum each time: it must not exceed this, or it will crystallize; put them in dry pans covered with syrup, for use; or, when cold, drain them from the syrup, and put them into small glasses by themselves, or mixed with other fruits preserved in the same manner; fill the vacancies with apple jelly, wet a piece of bladder and tie it over the top.

Green Apricots, pared wet. --Pare off the skin with a small knife, and throw them into cold water as you do them; green, and finish as the former.

Ripe Apricots, wet. --Have the fruit not too ripe, make an incision in the side to take out the stone, or they may be cut in halves, and peeled or preserved with the skin on; have a preserving pan on the fire with water boiling, throw them in, and as they rise to the top take them out and put them into cold water. If they are blanched too much they will break, therefore it is better to have two pans of cold water to throw them in, so as those may be separated which are broken; drain them from the water, and put them in a thin syrup which is boiling on the fire; do not put in too many at a time; put in the hardest first, and give them about a dozen boils; take them out carefully and put them in an earthen pan; give the soft ones only two or three boils; cover them with the syrup and let them remain until the next day; drain the syrup from them, add more sugar to it, and boil and skim it until it has acquired the degree of the large thread; give the apricots two or three boils in it; the soft ones only require to have the syrup poured on them boiling hot; repeat this for four or five successive days, and on the last day boil the syrup to the large pearl. If you find, after they are finished, that the syrup has been boiled too high, mix a little powdered alum with a spoonful of water, and add to it.

Ripe Peaches, whole, wet. --Get the finest peaches, without any green spots on the skin; prick them all over with a large needle to the stone, throw them into cold water, blanch, and finish as ripe apricots.

Ripe Nectarines, wet. --Preserve as peaches.

Figs, wet. --Get the figs nearly ripe, prick them four or five times with the point of a knife, throw them into cold water, put them on the fire and boil until they are tender; finish as ripe apricots.

Greengages, wet. --Let the fruit be not quite ripe but sound, prick them with a fork or needle, and throw them into cold water; scald and green them; when they are of a fine green, increase the heat; take them out with a skimmer when they swim, and throw them into cold water; drain them on sieves; put them in syrup that is boiling; give them two or three boils in it; pour them into an earthen pan; drain the syrup from them the next day, add more sugar and boil to the thread, taking off any scum which may arise; pour the syrup


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over them boiling hot; repeat this for five or six days, and finish as for green apricots.

Mogul Plums. --Take the largest Mogul plums, with clear skins, not quite ripe, prick them all over with a fork and throw them into cold spring water; scald them until tender, taking care not to have too many in the pan at a time, nor blanch them too much, as they will soon break in pieces; take them out and throw them into cold water, drain, and put in just sufficient fruit to cover the bottom of the pan; cover with boiling syrup, and let them have a dozen boils in it; finish as ripe apricots.

It would be a needless repetition, to give separate directions for preserving every sort of plum, as the instructions already given will enable any person of ordinary discernment to manage any other sort not mentioned.

Damsons, wet. --Prick the damsons and throw them into boiling syrup, and let them boil in it until the skins burst, skimming it as they boil; do not put in any more than will swim; let them remain until the next day; drain the syrup, and add more sugar to bring it to the proper degree; give them a few boils in it, and repeat the same on the next day; finish as other plums.

Green Gooseberries, wet. --Get some fine large gooseberries, prick them three or four times with a large needle, and throw them into cold water; put them on the fire to blanch; when they rise take them out and throw them into cold water, green them, and preserve as green apricots.

Green Gooseberries in the form of Hops, wet --Take the finest green gooseberries for this purpose, slit each gooseberry in four or six slits, but so as not to come asunder, and take out the seeds. Take a needle and white thread, make a knot at the end, and pass the needle through the stalk end of the gooseberry that is split; take another and do the same, making the end of one go partly into the other; continue this until you have six or eight on the thread, which you will resemble a hop; fasten the end of the thread, and dispose of all of them in the same manner, throwing them into cold water as they are finished: blanch them, and let them lie in the water they were blanched in all night; the next day green them, and finish as for green gooseberries, wet.

Cucumbers or Gherkins, wet. --Let them be clear, free from all spots, and of a good green; prick them all over with a fork, throw them into a pan of water mixed with a handful of salt, let them lie in this for a day or two, then take them out, put them into fresh water and blanch them until tender; the next day drain and green them in a weak syrup; increase the degree of the syrup each day, giving them a few boils in it each time; if the cucumbers are large, you can cut them in two and take out the seeds. After the second boiling in the syrup, let them remain in it for two or three days before it is boiled again: finish as green apricots; a few pieces of ginger may be added.

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Green Melons. --Proceed as for cucumbers. They may be preserved either whole or in slices. When dried and candied, it imitates green citron.

Ripe Melons, wet. --Cut the melons in slices, and pare off the outside skin; let them lie in salt and water for two or three days, take them out, drain and blanch in fresh water until tender; throw them into cold water; when cold, drain them on sieves; give them a boil in thin syrup the next day, increase the degree of the syrup, and pour it boiling hot over them. A little lemon-juice, vinegar, or a handful of bruised ginger may be added to the syrup, which will much improve the flavour; boil the syrup, increasing it a degree for three or four days, as for other fruits.

Lemons whole, wet. --Choose some fine large lemons with clear skins, carve the rind with a small penknife, into flowers, stars, diamonds, or any design your fancy may suggest, taking care not to cut deeper than the white pith of the peel; throw them into a pan of cold water, put them on the fire and let them boil gently until a strong straw or the head of a pin will penetrate the rind; throw them into cold water; when cold, drain them dry, and put them into a thin syrup when boiling; give them five or six boils in it, and put them in an earthen pan, the next day drain the syrup from them, and add more sugar or syrup to increase it a degree; boil it and when it boils, pour it over the lemons: repeat this for two days; on the third day let the lemons boil in the syrup for four or five minutes; the next day boil the syrup and pour it over them; when you find the syrup has penetrated the lemons, and they look clear, drain the syrup from them, adding more if necessary, so as to have sufficient to keep them well covered; put them in glasses, and pour the syrup over them. When cold, cut a piece of bladder to the size of the glass, wet it, and tie it down.

Oranges whole, wet. --These are preserved the same as lemons.

Whole Orange Peels. --Choose your oranges of a fine clear skin; make a hole at the stalk end, large enough to admit the end of a spoon, with which you take out the pulp; throw them in salt and water, and let them remain for three or four days or a week; drain them from this, and put them into a pan of fresh water, and let them boil until the end of a straw may be pushed through the peel; throw them into cold water; with the end of a spoon clear out any part of the pulp which may have adhered to them; drain off the water; put them in a tub or pan, and pour boiling syrup over them; let them remain in this for three or four days; take them from the syrup and boil it again, adding more as the peels imbibe it, so as to keep them well covered; boil the syrup once every four or five days, and pour it hot over them; do this until it has fully penetrated them.

Orange or Lemon Peels, wet. --Cut the fruit in half; express the juice, and throw the peels into salt and water, as for whole orange peels, preserving them in the same way. If you have any quantity put them one in the other, and pack them in rows round the bottom


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of a large tub or cask; proceed in this manner, putting them in layers until it is half or three parts full; have a hole near the bottom, with a cork fitted into it. When the syrup requires boiling, draw it off at the hole.

Orange or Lemon Chips. --Cut the thickest peels into long thin pieces, turning them off so as to make but one or two chips from a peel, in a similar manner as you would pare off the rind of an apple, only, instead of holding the knife in an oblique direction, so as to take off the surface, it is held more parallel, so as to cut the whole substance of the peel. Let them be as near as possible of the same thickness, or the peel may be sliced across, so as to form rings; preserve them as for whole orange peels. If they are wanted in a hurry, they may be blanched without being put into salt and water. Boil them until they can be crushed between the finger and thumb; drain them from the water, and pour boiling syrup over them as for others.

Angelica, wet. --Cut some stalks of fine tender angelica into pieces about six inches long, or any other suitable length. Put them into a pan of water on the fire until they are soft, then put them into cold water; draw off the skin and strings with a knife, and put them into cold water again; next boil them until they look whitish; let them cool; drain them from the water, and put them in an earthen pan; pour boiling syrup over them until they float. The next day drain it off, without disturbing the angelica; boil with more sugar, if required, taking off any scum which may rise; pour it over the stalks whilst it is hot; repeat this for seven or eight days, boiling the syrup the last time to the large pearl.

Eringo Root. --Choose your roots without knots; wash them clean, and boil in water until they are tender; peel off the outside skin, slit them, take out the pith, and throw them into cold water; drain, put them into a thin syrup, and give them a few boils; afterwards finish as angelica.

Pine Apple whole, wet. --Take off the top and stem of the pine; prick the apple with a pointed knife in six or eight places, or more, to the centre; put the pine in a pan with plenty of water, and boil it until tender; take it out and throw it into cold water; when cold, drain it quite dry, and pour over it, boiling hot, some syrup at the small thread. In two days pour off the syrup and boil it to a degree higher, adding more sugar if necessary; repeat this every third day, until the pine is sufficiently impregnated with the sugar; the last time the sugar must be at the large pearl. The top of the pine is greened and preserved as other green fruits, putting it in its proper place when finished. Carefully skim the sugar each time, that the pine may be quite clear.

Pine Apple Chips or Slices. --Take off the top and stalk, and pare the outside of the pine; cut it into slices half an inch thick; strew over the bottom of a pan with powdered sugar; cover it with slices


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of pine-apple, then a layer of sugar, and again of pine, and so alternately until the whole is disposed of, covering the top with a layer of sugar; place it in a warm place or stove for three or four days; then boil it with the juice of two or three lemons for ten minutes or a quarter of an hour, taking off any scum which rises. If the syrup is too thick, add a little water; continue this boiling for three or four days, when it will be fit for use.

Cherries, wet or dry. --Take the best Kentish or May Duke cherries; cut a quill as if you were going to make a pen, only, instead of its being sharp, it must be round at the end; hold the cherry in your left hand, and with the other push the quill into it by the side of the stalk, as far as the top of the stone; then take hold of the stalk, and with the aid of the quill pull the stone out with the stalk, without breaking the fruit in pieces, which would be the case otherwise. Put sufficient clarified sugar into a preserving pan for the cherries to swim; boil it to the blow, and throw in the prepared fruit; let them boil in it for five or ten minutes, keeping them under the syrup by pushing them down with a flat piece of wood having a handle at the back. The next day drain off the syrup; reduce it by boiling; put in the cherries and boil them again for five minutes; repeat this for four days, giving the cherries a few boils in the syrup each day. If they are required dry, drain the syrup from them, spread them on sieves, and dry in the stove at a good heat, turning them every day. Put only sufficient on the sieves so as just to cover the bottom. Keep them in boxes prepared, or in glasses.

Whole Cherries. --Shorten the stalks of some fine cherries; put them into an earthen pan, with a layer of powdered sugar and a layer of cherries, covering the top with sugar; let them stand for two or three days; put them on the fire in a preserving pan, and let them boil in the syrup for three or four minutes; repeat this for four days. Keep them in syrup, or dry, when they are wanted, as the preceding; they may also be tied together to form bunches, and preserved in the same manner.

Grapes in Bunches. --Get some bunches of fine grapes, before they are perfectly ripe; take out the stones with a large pin or needle; put them in a preserving pan, with plenty of water and a little salt; let them simmer on the fire about a quarter of an hour; cover the pan, and let them stand in this water until the next day; pour this off, and add fresh; in a few hours drain them dry, and put them into a thin syrup, which must be boiling on the fire; give them a few boils in it, or the grapes may be put into the syrup when cold, and heat it gradually until it boils; put them in an earthen pan; the next day drain off the syrup, reduce it to the small pearl, adding more sugar if necessary, and skimming it; pour it boiling over the grapes; repeat this four or five times, finishing with syrup at the large pearl, and keep them well covered in it.

Currants in Bunches, wet. --Take the finest currants you can get,


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either red or white; stone them with a pin or the nib of a pen, taking care not to cut them more than is necessary; tie six or eight bunches together with a piece of thread, or they may be tied to a small piece of stick. Take as much clarified sugar as will allow the currants to float; or put one pound of sugar to each pound of currants; clarify and boil it to the blow; put in your fruit, and let them have five or six boils; take the scum off with paper; repeat the boiling next day when they are finished. If you boil them again, the syrup will become a jelly, when you can put them in glasses.

Barberries in Bunches, wet. --Proceed as for currants.

Raspberries, whole, wet. --Take the finest and driest raspberries you can get, but not over-ripe. Take the same quantity of sugar in weight as you have of raspberries; clarify and boil it to the blow; put in the fruit, and give them a dozen boils, taking off the scum with paper; drain off the syrup, and put them into pots that are very dry; cover them with apple jelly, or make a jelly with the syrup the raspberries were boiled in, with the addition of a little currant or cherry juice when cold. Tie them over with brandy papers and bladder.

Pears, whole, wet. --Take some fine large pears, either eating or baking, but those for eating must not be too ripe; they are fit for this purpose when the pips are black. Throw them into a pan of water, with two ounces of alum; put them on the fire, and scald them until tender; take them out, and throw them into cold water; pare off the rind very thin and even; prick them several times with a fork or pin to the core, and scald them again until they are quite soft, or until the head of a pin or straw will pass through them; a little lemon juice may be added to the water in the second boiling, or with the syrup; when they are finished blanching, throw them into cold water; when cold drain them from this, and put them into a thin syrup at the small thread; give them two or three boils in this; skim, and put them in an earthen pan; the next day drain off the syrup, and add more sugar, and reduce it another degree; boil your pears in it, as before, and repeat the process for four days, finishing with the syrup at the large pearl. Keep them in covered pans for use.

Pears, Red, wet. --Take some good baking or other pears; pare and cut them in half, and take out the cores with a little scoop for the purpose; if they are first blanched a little, they can be pared easier and better. Boil them in water, with sugar sufficient to make it only just sweet, a little lemon juice, and a few allspice or cloves. Put a piece of pewter, or a pewter spoon, in the bottom of the pan, and boil them until they are quite tender and of a fine red; or prepared cochineal may be added instead, using sufficient to give the desired tint; take out the fruit, and add enough sugar to the water they were boiled in to make a syrup; boil to the large thread; put in the pears, and give them two or three boils in it; skim, and put them in an earthen pan; boil the syrup twice more, and pour it on them, raising it to the degree of the large pearl. Keep them in dry pans for use.

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Quinces, Red or White, wet. --Preserve as pears.

For these preserves it is a good plan to have flat pieces of wood, like covers, to put on the fruit, so as to keep it under the syrup.

Ginger, wet. --This article is mostly imported from India and China, in jars or pots. Divide the largest races or roots from the smaller ones; take largest for preserving, as the smaller ones will serve for planting; clean and cut the roots into neat pieces, and throw them into cold water as you do them. Boil them three times in fresh water, throwing them into cold each time, or soak them in water four or five days; drain, and boil in fresh water till tender; take them out, and throw them into cold water, in which has been mixed a little lemon juice or vinegar; peel them, and throw them into the water again as they are done, to keep them white; let the roots remain in this a few hours, then drain them dry on sieves; put them in an earthen pan; pour over them, when cold, a thin syrup, at the small thread; let them be well covered with the syrup; in two or three days drain off the syrup; add more sugar, and boil to the large thread; when cold pour it over the ginger. After three or four days boil the sugar a degree higher, and pour it in hot; continue this until your roots look clear and are fully impregnated with sugar; finish with the syrup at the large pearl.

Candied Fruit. --Any fruit or peel which has been first preserved in syrup may be candied.

Take the fruit out of the syrup and let it drain on sieves; then dip the sieve with the fruit into lukewarm water, to wash off the syrup from the surface; take it out, let it drain, and dry it in the stove. Boil some fresh syrup to the blow; put in the fruit and give it a boil in it. The fruit when it is put in will reduce the sugar, it must therefore be boiled to the same degree again. With a spoon or spatula rub the sugar against the side of the pan, to grain it; when it begins to whiten put the fruit in the white part separately: with two forks take it out and lay it on sieves or wire frames, for the sugar to drain from it.

Dried Fruit. --Any of those fruits which are preserved with syrup may be dried: they are also better when fresh dried. Warm the fruit in the syrup; take it out and drain; spread it on sieves or wires; put them in the stove to dry, turning them frequently until perfectly dried. When the fruit is drained from the syrup, it may be dusted with loaf-sugar when you put it in the stove, and for two or three times when you turn it. Too much heat will blacken the fruit, therefore let the heat of the stove be about 100° or 110° of Fahrenheit's thermometer.

> SECTION XIV.--COMPOTES.

THESE are prepared in the same way as wet fruits, and served in compotiers, which are deep glass dishes belonging to the dessert service.

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In summer, ripe fruits are simply blanched and boiled up in a thin syrup, a little lemon-juice is added, and served; these are only for present use. In winter, take those fruits which are preserved in syrup, drain, dip them in luke-warm water, and serve in a thin syrup, with the juice of a lemon.

Green Apricot Compote. --Prepare your fruit as for green apricots, wet; throw them into syrup that is boiling; take them off the fire, and let them remain for four or five hours; drain off the syrup, and boil to the thread; pour it over the fruit; when cold, serve.

Ripe Apricot Compote. --Cut the apricots in half, and peel them; blanch them in water that is just sweetened; drain them from this; add sugar to the water, and boil to the thread; pour it over the apricots; let them remain in it for two or three hours; then drain and boil the syrup again to the large thread; pour it over the apricots; add the juice of a lemon, with some of the kernels blanched; when cold, serve.

Peaches, nectarines, and green-gages are done as these.

Compote of Apples, with Jelly. --Pare some fine pippins very neatly; core them with an apple corer; put them into syrup, and boil gently; put only just sufficient syrup to cover them, that it may be reduced to a jelly; if it has not body enough, cut a few in pieces and put with it; when the apples look clear and are tender, take them out; add to the apples, while boiling, the juice and yellow rind of a lemon, with a few cloves. Strain the syrup, and reduce it to a jelly; pour part into the compotier, and when cold dress the apples tastefully on it. The hole where the core was taken out may be filled with any sort of marmalade or jelly. Cut the remaining part of the jelly in pieces or croutons, and place round or over them; ornament them with red currant or other jelly, in any way that your fancy may dictate.

Apple Compote. --Take some fine apples; peel and cut them in halves, quarters, or thick slices, and take out the cores; blanch them in a very thin syrup until tender; take them out, and add more sugar to that which they were boiled in, with the yellow peel and juice of a lemon and a few cloves; reduce it to the small pearl; put in the apples, and give them a few boils in it; let them remain until cold; take off the scum, if any; strain the syrup, and serve.

Pears and quinces are done as these, or coloured as for pears wet, which see.

Grape Compote. --Pick and stone some fine ripe grapes; put them in boiling syrup at the large pearl; give them three or four boils in it; let them cool, take off the scum, and serve.

Currant Compote. --Take the largest currants you can get, either red or white; pick out the seeds, and throw them into boiling syrup at the large pearl; give them two or three boils, and let them stand in the syrup; take off the scum, and serve when cold.

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Raspberry Compote. --Choose some very fine and dry raspberries; boil some syrup to the blow, take it from the fire, and throw in the raspberries; let them stand for four or five hours; stir them gently; put them on the fire, and let the syrup just boil; take off the scum, and when cold serve.

Strawberry Compote. --Take off the stalks, and throw them into syrup at the small thread; when it is near boiling, take them off, let them cool, and serve; or they may be prepared by putting them in the compotier, and covering them with white currant jelly warmed.

Macedoine of Fruits. --Put some of all sorts of fruits, prepared for compotes, together, and serve in the same glass, with syrup and a little lemon-juice.

Cherry Compote. --Cut off the stalks of some fine cherries about half way; wash them in cold water, and let them drain quite dry; boil some syrup to the large pearl; throw in the cherries, and let them boil quickly for five or six boils; take them off, and let them remain until cold; take off the scum, if any, and dress them in the compotier, with their stalks upwards; pour in the syrup, and serve, adding the juice of lemon.

Damsons, mulberries, Orlean plums, and barberries are done the same way, taking out the stones of the plums and barberries; the cherries may be also stoned.

> SECTION XV.--BRANDY FRUITS.

ALL fruits may be preserved with brandy; but only the best sort of plums, such as apricots, magnum-bonums, peaches, green-gages, mirabelles, &c., with cherries and pears, are those usually done.

The fruit should be gathered before it is perfectly ripe, when it is prepared by blanching, &c., precisely the same as if it were intended for wet fruits; those preserved in this manner are often taken from their syrup and put in brandy; when the fruits are blanched put them for a day or two in a thin syrup, then take them out and arrange them in glasses; cover them with white brandy, into which you have mixed five ounces of powdered white sugar candy, and tie them over with bladder. Cherries are an exception to this rule. Take some fine Morello cherries, and cut off half the stalk; put them into brandy, and stop them close for a month; drain off the brandy, and to each quart add eight ounces of powdered loaf sugar or white sugar candy; dissolve and pour it over the cherries. Keep them well covered with spirit.

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> SECTION XVI.--ON BOTTLED FRUITS, OR FRUITS PRESERVED WITHOUT SUGAR.

CHOOSE wide-mouthed bottles, which are made for this purpose, let them be clean and perfectly dry; gather the fruit during dry weather, and fill the bottles if possible on the same day; shake the fruit well down by knocking the bottom edge of the bottle on the table; prepare some corks or bungs (which are made for fruit bottles by being cut the contrary way of the grain); pour boiling water over them, which will deprive them of any smell or dirt; repeat this a second time, if necessary, letting them remain in the water each time until it is cold; cork the bottles well, and tie them over with wire or string.
M. Appert recommends that they should be luted with a mixture made of fresh slaked lime and soft cheese; this is to be spread on rags and tied over the mouth of the bottle; they are then placed in a boiler and cold water as far as their mouths; a cover is put on with a piece of linen round it to prevent evaporation, the water is then heated to boiling, and is kept at this point until it is considered that the fruit is boiled in their own water or juice; the fire is then withdrawn, and they are suffered to remain in the water for an hour, when it may be drawn off. The method which I in general pursue is to raise the water to the boiling point, and keep it at this heat for about an hour, according to the nature of the fruit; they are then suffered to remain in the water until it is cold. I find this way generally successful. When they are taken out, cover the mouth of the bottle with melted rosin or bottle wax.

This method is much superior to that of preparing them with water, which renders the fruit flat, dead, and insipid, the whole of the flavour of the fruit being imparted to the water, except when bottled very green, when it does not lose it so much.

A method I have tried with pretty good success, is to obtain the fruit before it is ripe, bottle it, and fill the bottles with cold spring water, in which are dissolved some oxymuriate of potass, cork them close, and cover the mouths with rosin. Plums done in this way had the natural bloom on them. I found these were better than those done in a similar manner by heat. A few bottles of them fermented. After the fermentation was over I corked them close, and in six months I opened some, when they had a smell like wine, and were not so flat as those which were well preserved by heat, and filled with water; these certainly look well to the eye, but they are only fit to be used for large pies, when the water should be made into a syrup with sugar, and put in with it.

The first method, which is the same as Appert's, or nearly so, is decidedly the best; it retains the natural flavour, and may be used for any purpose it is required, it being as good as fresh fruit.

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The pulp or juice of fruits may also be preserved in the same way; if the fruit is not ripe enough to pulp, put it into a jar, and stop it close, place it in a kettle of cold water, heat it until it boils, and let it continue at this point for ten minutes or a quarter of an hour; take it out and pass the pulp through a hair-sieve; bottle, and finish as before.

This method of M. Appert's is not altogether original, but was anticipated by the experiments of Mr. Boyle. A system somewhat on the same principle has been practised by many in the trade for years, which is this. The fruit is bottled and carefully corked, the bottles are then placed on the top of the oven, where they are suffered to remain for twenty-four or forty-eight hours, according to the temperature, which is generally from 120° to 140° Fahrenheit's thermometer. At one place I ascertained the heat during the process, and it averaged 130°. Another system practised is that of heating the bottles in a cool oven.

The principle endeavoured to be accomplished is to destroy the small portion of oxygen contained in the bottle after being corked, by converting it into carbonic acid gas; but some other unknown agent must be produced, as this may be done without heat, which the fermentation of the fruit would cause by itself; for, according to the experiments of Hildebrand, had the oxygen of the atmosphere remained unaltered, it would have caused putrefaction; for he found that oxygen mixed with a small quantity of azote, promoted putrefaction more than pure oxygen. He found that hydrogen gas was the greatest preservative, nitrous next, and after this carbonic. These experiments were tried on meat, but they may be equally applicable in respect to fruit, when the auxiliary produced by heat is not definitely known.

Fruit should always be bottled and boiled on the same day it is gathered; for the longer the fruit lies together the more it sweats; fermentation commences, which is accelerated in the bottles by heat, and there is great danger of their bursting.

All decayed or bruised fruit should be carefully excluded, and that should be preferred which is not quite ripe.

When finished, the bottle should be kept in a cool dry place.

> SECTION XVII.--OF COOLING DRINKS FOR BALLS AND ROUTS.

THESE may be made either with fresh fruit, jam, or syrups. The last merely requires the addition of water and lemon-juice to make them palatable.

Gooseberry, Currant, Raspberry, and Strawberry Waters. --Mash either of these fruits when ripe, and press out the juice through a hair-sieve, add a little water to it, and give it a boil; then filter it through a flannel bag, some syrup, a little lemon-juice and water, to make it palatable, but rich, although not too sweet, which is often the fault with these and compotes; ice them the same as wine, and serve.

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Cherry Water. --Pound the cherries with the stones to obtain the flavour of the kernel, and make as above.

Apricot and Peach Water as cherry water:
or, if made from jam, add a few bitter almonds pounded quite fine, using a little water and lemon-juice to pound them with; add them to the jam with water and lemon-juice to palate; strain it through a lawn sieve, ice, and serve.

Orgeat Water. --Blanch half a pound of sweet almonds and one ounce of bitter; pound them very fine in a mortar, using water to prevent their oiling; use one quart of water and a glass of orange-flower water, and make as directed for orgeat syrup; add sugar to palate, strain it through a lawn sieve, ice, and serve.

Lemonade. --Rub off the yellow rinds of six lemons on sugar; squeeze out their juice, and add to it a pint and a half of water, and half a pint of syrup, the white of an egg, with the sugar which has imbibed the oil from the rind; mix them well together; if not to your palate, alter it; strain through a flannel bag, ice, and serve.

Orangeade is made as lemonade, using China oranges instead of the lemons.

> SECTION XVIII.--ICES.

[THERE is no article of the dessert kind that deserves a more elevated position than well-made ices, as well for their intrinsic merit as for the agreeable goût which they impart to a well-got-up entertainment.

Philadelphia has for a long time enjoyed a pre-eminent reputation in the manufacture of these delicious compounds; the rage however for cheap articles, without a due regard to their merits, has made sad inroads into the business; and, in order to accommodate this spirit of retrenchment, ignorant pretenders have consented to the base practice of making inferior articles, which they palm off on the unwary under the specious guise of economy. With these persons it is a custom to use three-fourths milk and only one-fourth of the legitimate article, cream, and, in order to procure a sufficient body, to intermix boiled flour, arrowroot, or potatoe flour; also to flavour with tartaric acid instead of fresh lemons, tonquin bean instead of vanilla, and inferior fruits when the best only should be used.

We mention these facts in order to caution young beginners against any such fatal mistakes. The best ingredients should always be used. Obtain your cream invariably fresh from a dairyman who is tenacious of his reputation, and who is known to produce a pure rich article; it cannot be too good, and if not used immediately should be kept in ice until wanted. Good cream cannot be had (even where large quantities are used) for a less price than twenty cents per quart. Use cream entirely, and on no account mingle the slightest


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quantity of milk, which detracts materially from the richness and smoothness of the ices. Always use the finest flavoured to be obtained, and follow implicitly the following very copious directions, and you will be certain to be rewarded by a fine article, of which you may well be proud:]

Utensils requisite for making.--1st. Pewter pots of various sizes, suitable to the quantity of mixture intended to be frozen. Tin or zinc will not answer the purpose, as it congeals the mixture too quickly without allowing it a sufficient time to become properly incorporated, and forms it in lumps like hailstones.

2d. Half pint, pint, pint and a half, and quart moulds, and some in the form of fruits made to open in the centre with a hinge: these also require to be made of the same material.

3d. Ice pails. These should be adapted to the size of the pots, about the same depth, and eight or ten inches more in diameter; if about even greater, it is immaterial, the depth being the principal consideration, for the deeper it is the greater caution is required to prevent the salt from entering the mixture; for as the ice dissolves, the pot descends, and the water runs under the cover, which, being salt, spoils the contents; neither have you a sufficient basis whereon the pot rests so as to mix your creams, &c., with the spatula; consequently, half your exertions are lost by its constant sinking when you apply the least effort to scrape it from the sides. There should be a hole near the bottom, with a cork fitted into it, so as to be drawn at pleasure, that the water may be allowed to run off when there is too much.

4th. The spatula. This is an instrument somewhat resembling a gardener's spade; it should be made of stout copper and tinned, the blade being about four inches long by three in width, round at the end, and having a socket to receive a wooden handle; this is for scraping the cream, &c., from the sides of the pot as it freezes, and for mixing it.

5th. Either a large mortar and pestle, or a strong box and mallet for pounding the ice.

6th. A spade wherewith to mix the ice and salt together, fixing your pails, &c.

7th. A tin case or box, with a kind of drawer fitted to it so as to be drawn out at pleasure, and having shelves or divisions; this is for keeping the ices in the form of fruits, after they are finished, until required for the table.

To freeze Ices. --This is accomplished through the medium of ice. Of itself it does not contain sufficient frigorific power to congeal a liquid body to the required consistence without an auxiliary; the usual one employed is that of salt. As a general rule, take about two pounds to every six pounds of ice, which I think will be nearly the quantity required. I cannot state precisely, as it is the custom to mix it by guess; but note, the freezing quality depends on the


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quantity of salt which is used, consequently, the more there is mixed with the ice the quicker are the creams, &c., frozen.

Pound a sufficient quantity of ice small, and let some salt be well mixed with it; place the pot containing the mixture in a pail, which you fill (the latter) with pounded ice and salt as far as the lid; strew a handful of salt on the top of the ice, let it remain a few minutes until you have similarly disposed of others, as three or four may be done at a time if required, then whirl them round briskly by means of the handles for five minutes, take off the lids one at a time, and with the spatula stir or carry the unfrozen part well round the sides, turning the pot also with the left hand; continue this for two or three minutes, which serves to soften what has already frozen, as well as helps to freeze the remaining portion; then scrape it from the sides, put on the lids, whirl round again briskly, as before directed, repeating the same operations every four or five minutes. As it forms into consistence, do not spare your labour in well working or mixing it together when you scrape it down, so as to make it perfectly smooth and free from lumps, for the smoothness of your ice depends on this operation; continue to freeze until the whole is well set. Ice when well frozen should be about the consistence of butter, tough to the feel, of a good colour, and without any lumps in it. Those which contain too much syrup cannot be frozen to the degree required, and those which have too little freeze hard, and feel short and crisp, like compressed or frozen snow, which arises from having too many watery particles in it, by the excess of either water or milk according to the nature of your ice. In either case it may be ascertained when you commence freezing, by the first coat which is formed round the sides. It should then be altered by either adding more cream or water, with juice, or pulp of fruit, or other flavouring matter in proportion, as the case may be, if too rich, and vice versâ, by the addition of more syrup, &c., when poor; but at all times the necessity of altering them should be avoided, as the component parts cannot be so perfectly blended together, without considerable extra labour, as if they were properly mixed at the commencement.

During the time of freezing, or after the creams, &c., are moulded and set up, if there is too much water in the pail, the frigorific power is lessened; a little increases it, as at first it is only a solution of the salt; but as the ice dissolves and mixes with it, it decreases; therefore, when it comes to the top drain it off, and fill up with fresh salt and ice.

When the ices are properly frozen, take out the pots, drain off the water, empty the pail, again replace them and fill them with fresh salt and ice, as before; then spread the creams over the sides of the pot, when they are ready for use, if they are intended to be served in a shop or by glassfulls. Should it be required for moulds, line the bottom with a piece of paper, before you put it on; if there is no impression or figure on the top, you may cover that also with paper; in filling them press it well in, so as to fill every part; leave a little projecting


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above the surface to form the top, which you put on; pack the moulds in a pail, and fill the vacancies with pounded ice well mixed with plenty of salt, strew a handful also on the top.

Ices should be moulded from half an hour to an hour before they are required to be served.

When you want to turn them out, wash the mould well in cold water that no salt may remain on it; take off the bottom and top, and the ice will come out easily.

For fruit moulds, fill each with either cream or water ice of the same kind as that which you would represent, and for the better resemblance to nature, preserve the stone with the stalk and leaves of each, which put in their proper places, allowing the leaves to project outside; close the mould, wrap it in paper, and place it in ice as others; when you want to turn them out, wash the shape in lukewarm water to take off the paper, and be careful that you do not injure the leaves, as they will often be found frozen to it; dip it again in water, open it and take out the ice, which you colour to nature with camel's-hair pencils and liquid colour (see Colours); the down or bloom is represented by dusting it with dry colour in powder, tied in a small thin muslin bag, or by means of a dry camel's-hair pencil; line the shelves of the case with paper or vine leaves, and put in the fruit as it is finished; let the case be surrounded with pounded ice and salt, as for moulds.

Ices may be divided into three classes, viz: cream, custard, and water. These derive their names from the basis of which they are composed, the flavouring matter mixed with it giving the other definition; thus we say, raspberry cream and raspberry water; but custard ices are not so particularly defined as the others by the basis, and either only receives the name of the flavour given to it, or as that of cream.

Cream Ices.--These are composed entirely of pure fresh cream, with the juice or pulp of fruit either fresh or preserved, and syrup or sugar so blended together as the taste of one may not predominate over that of another; but if either is in excess it should be that of the fruit.

Raspberry of fresh fruit. --One quart of raspberries, one quart of cream, three-quarters of a pound or a pound of sugar, a few ripe currants and gooseberries, or currants and ripe cherries may be added, instead of all raspberries, which is much approved by some, and the juice of two lemons;* mash the fruit, and pass it through a sieve to take out the skins and seeds; mix it with the other articles; add a little prepared cochineal to heighten the colour; put it in the pot and freeze.

*The quantity of fruit required for these ices will depend, in a great measure, on the quality of the fruit and the seasons in which it is produced; a pint and a half will be found sufficient when it is good in fine seasons; the quantity stated in each weight is the greatest required.

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Note.--All ices made with red fruit require this addition of cochineal.

Raspberry, from Jam. --One pound of jam, one quart of cream, about six ounces of sugar or syrup, to palate, and the juice of two lemons. Mix as before.

Strawberry. --As raspberry.

Currant Ice from fresh Fruit. --One pint and a half of ripe currants, half a pint of raspberries, one quart of cream, the juice of two lemons, and twelve ounces of sugar. Mix as raspberry.

Currant Ice. --Preserved Fruit.--The same proportions as raspberry, using either jam or jelly.

Barberry Ice. --Use the same proportions as before. For fresh barberries, first soften them by either boiling them in the syrup you intend to use, or put them in a stew-pan, and stir them over the fire until tender; pass them through a sieve, mix, and freeze as raspberry. The barberries, having much acid, do not require any lemon-juice to be mixed with them.

Apricot.--Fresh Fruit. --Twenty-four fine ripe apricots, one quart of cream, twelve ounces of sugar, the juice of two lemons, with a few of the kernels blanched; mash the apricots, rub them through a sieve, mix, and freeze.

Apricot, from Jam. --Twelve ounces of jam, one quart of cream, the juice of two lemons, eight ounces of sugar, a few kernels or bitter almonds blanched and pounded fine; rub the whole through a sieve, and freeze.

Peach Ice. --The same proportions as apricot.

Pine Apple--Fresh Fruit. --One pound of fresh pine apple, half a pint of syrup in which a pine has been preserved, two or three slices of pine apple cut in small dice, and the juice of three lemons; pound or grate the apple, pass it through a sieve, mix, and freeze.

Pine Apple.--Preserved Fruit. --Eight ounces of preserved pine, four slices cut in small dice, one quart of cream, the juice of three lemons, and sufficient syrup from the pine to sweeten it; pound the preserved pine, mix lemons with the cream, &c., and freeze.

Ginger Ice. --Six ounces of preserved ginger, one quart of cream, half a pint of the syrup from the ginger, sugar sufficient to sweeten it with, and the juice of two lemons; pound the ginger in a mortar, add the cream, &c., and freeze.

[Brahma Ice. --One quart of cream, the whites of ten eggs, one and a half pounds of powdered sugar of the best quality; mix the whole in a tin saucepan; put it on the fire, stirring constantly, until it boils once, then add two wine-glasses of Curaçoa, half a glass of orange-flower water; put it into the pot, and freeze.]

Orange Ice Cream. --Six oranges, three lemons, one quart of cream,


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and twelve ounces of sugar or of syrup, to palate; rub off the yellow rind of two or three of the oranges on part of the sugar, scrape it off with a knife, squeeze out the juice of the oranges and lemons, and strain it; mix it with the cream and the sugar on which the rind was rubbed, add the other part of the sugar, dissolve and freeze.

China Orange Ice Cream. --Eight oranges, two lemons, one quart of cream, twelve ounces of sugar; rub off the rind of four or five of the oranges and one lemon on sugar, squeeze, and strain the juice; add the cream, &c., mix, and freeze.

Cherry Ice Cream. --Two pounds of cherries, one quart of cream, and twelve ounces of sugar or syrup; pound the cherries, with the stones, in a mortar, adding a few ripe gooseberries or currants if approved of; pass the pulp through a sieve, add the cream and sugar with the juice of two lemons and a little cochineal, mix, and freeze.

With preserved fruit it is made the same way, adding a little noyau, or a few bitter almonds pounded for the flavour of the kernel.

[Harlequin Ice. --This is formed by putting a small quantity of each kind of ice into the same mould, taking care to have as great a variety of colours as possible placed so as to produce a contrast; cover the mould with salt and ice as before directed, and let it remain half an hour, when it will be fit to turn out. When the colours are tastily disposed of, it produces a good effect for the table, but is not much admired on account of the jumble of flavours.]

Lemon Ice Cream. --Six large lemons, one quart of cream, and twelve ounces of sugar or half pint of syrup; grate off the peels of three of the lemons into a basin, squeeze the juice to it, let it stand for two or three hours, strain, add the cream and syrup, and freeze or mix as Seville orange ice.

Mille Fruit Cream Ice. --Make a lemon cream ice, and flavour it with elder flowers, mix in some preserved dried fruits and peels cut in small pieces. Before it is moulded, sprinkle it with prepared conchineal, and mix it a little, so as it may appear in veins or marbled.

Custard Ices.--These are similarly composed to the cream ices, with the addition of six eggs to each quart of cream. All kinds of nuts, liqueurs, essences, infusions, or biscuits, are principally mixed with it.

Custard for Ices. --One quart of cream, six eggs, and twelve ounces of powdered loaf sugar; break the eggs into a stew-pan, and whisk them together; add the cream and sugar; when well mixed, place it on the fire, and continue stirring it from the bottom with the whisk, to prevent burning; until it gets thick; take it from the fire, continue to stir it for a few minutes, and pass it through a sieve. If the custard be suffered to boil, it will curdle.

Plombiere Ice, or Swiss Pudding. --Take one pint and a half of cream and half a pint of milk, and make them into a custard with seven yolks of eggs; flavour it either with Curaçoa, Maraschino, or


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rum; freeze the custard, and add about a quarter of a pound of dried cherries, orange, lemon, and citron peel, and currants; mix these in the iced custard. The Curaçoa, or rum, &c., may be poured over the fruit when you commence freezing, or before, which I consider preferable to flavouring the custard. Prepare the mould, which is round, and something in the shape of a melon, made to open in the centre with a hinge. Strew over the inside with some clean currants, fill the mould, and close it; immerse it in some fresh ice mixed with salt. Before it is required to be turned out, prepare a dish as follows:--

The Sauce.--Make a little custard, and flavour it with brandy; dissolve some isinglass in water or milk, and when it is nearly cold add sufficient to the custard to set it; pour it into the dish you intend to serve it on. As soon as it is set, turn out the pudding on it and serve.

Almond or Orgeat Ice Cream. --One quart of cream, eight ounces of sweet almonds, two ounces of bitter almonds, twelve ounces of sugar, and two ounces of orange-flower water; blanch the almonds, and pound them quite fine in a mortar, using the orange-flower water in pounding, to prevent their oiling: rub them through a sieve, and pound again the remaining portion which has not passed through, until they are fine enough; then mix them with the cream, and make it into a custard with eggs, as the preceding; strain, and when cold, freeze.

Pistachio Ice Cream. --One quart of cream, eight ounces of pistachios, and twelve ounces of sugar; blanch and pound the pistachios with a little of the cream; mix and finish as orgeat ice, flavouring it with a little essence of cédrat, or the rind of a fresh citron rubbed on sugar; or the custard may be flavoured by boiling in it a little cinnamon and mace and the rind of of a lemon.

Filbert Ice Cream. --One quart of cream, one pound of nuts, and twelve ounces of sugar or one pint of syrup; break the nuts, and roast the kernels in the oven; when done, pound them with a little cream, make a custard, and finish as almond ice.

Chestnut Ice. --As the preceding, taking off the husks and skin.

Burnt Filbert Ice Cream. --Use the same proportions as in filbert ice; put the kernels into the syrup, and boil till it comes to the blow; stir the sugar with a spatula, that it may grain and adhere to the nuts; when cold, pound them with the sugar quite fine; make a custard, and mix them with it, allowing for the sugar that is used for the nuts; mix, and freeze as the others.

Burnt Almond Ice Cream. --Make as burnt filbert ice.

Coffee Ice Cream. --One quart of cream, five ounces of Mocha coffee and twelve ounces of sugar; roast the coffee in a coarse iron or other stew-pan, keeping it constantly stirred until it is a good brown colour,


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throw it into the custard cream whilst it is quite hot, and cover it closely; let it infuse for an hour or two, then strain and freeze.

The cream may be made with an infusion of coffee, thus: take the quantity of coffee, fresh roasted and ground to a fine powder; put this into a common glass bottle or decanter, and pour on it sufficient cold river water to moisten the powder and make an infusion; stop the bottle close, and let it remain all night; the next day filter the infusion by passing it through some fine lawn or blotting paper placed in a glass funnel; by this process a very strong and superior infusion is obtained, which contains the whole of the aroma of the coffee. Dr. Ratier observes,--"I have tried this process with boiling and with cold water; and I have assured myself, by comparison, that the powder drained by the cold water, and treated then with boiling water, gave nothing but a water slightly tinted with yellow, and devoid of odour and flavour. It is, besides, proper to pass an equal quantity of water to the first, over the grounds, in order that the second water may serve for new powder." Use this for flavouring the custard, and freeze.

Chocolate Ice. --One quart of cream, six ounces of chocolate, and ten ounces of sugar; dissolve the chocolate in a little water, or make the sugar into a syrup, and dissolve it by putting it on the side of the stove, or over the fire; add the cream and eggs, and make it into a custard as before; when cold, freeze.

Tea Ice. --One quart of cream, two ounces of the best green tea, and twelve ounces of sugar; put the tea into a cup, and pour on it a little cold river water in which has been dissolved a small portion of carbonate of soda, about as much as may be placed on a fourpenny piece; let it remain for an hour or two, then add a little boiling water, sufficient in the whole to make a very strong infusion; or the boiling water may be dispensed with, adding more cold water in proportion, and letting it soak longer, when a superior infusion will be obtained; strain it, and add to the cream and eggs. Finish as the others.

Vanilla Ice. --One quart of cream, half an ounce of vanilla, twelve ounces of sugar; cut the vanilla into small pieces, and pound it with the sugar until it is quite fine, add it to the cream and eggs, make it into a custard, strain, and when cold freeze, or it may be flavoured with the essence of vanilla. (See Essences).

Noyau Cream Ice. --Make a custard cream, and flavour it with noyau; finish as almond ice.

Maraschino Cream Ice. --Make as noyau, flavouring it with Maraschino de Zara.
All liqueur ices are made the same way, using the different liqueurs with which each is named, or they may be made in this way:--Take a quart of cream, put it into the ice-pot with six ounces of sugar, which you place in the ice; work or whisk it well about the sides with a whisk for five minutes; add a glassful of


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liqueur, work this well together, then whisk the whites of two eggs to a strong froth, add two ounces of sugar to them, mix this well with the cream, and freeze to the required consistence. This produces a very beautiful, soft, and mellow cream.

Water Ices.--These are the pulp or juice of fruits mixed with syrup, lemon juice, and a little water, so as to bring them to a good flavour and consistence when frozen.

Currant Water Ice. --Two pounds of ripe currants, eight ounces of raspberries and ripe cherries, one pint of syrup, and one pint of water.

Pick and mash the fruit, and strain it through a sieve, add the syrup and water, put it in the ice-pot and freeze.

Cherry Water Ice. --Cherries two pounds, either Kentish or May Duke, ripe gooseberries four ounces, one pint of syrup, half a pint of water, and the juice of two lemons; pound the cherries with the stones in a mortar, pass the juice of the fruit through a sieve, mix the syrup and water with it, and freeze; if it should not freeze sufficiently, add a little more water.

Gooseberry Water Ice. --Ripe gooseberries two pounds, the red hairy sort is the best, one pound of cherries, one pint of syrup, one pint of water, and the juice of two lemons; mash the fruit and pass it through a sieve, mix it with the syrup and water, and freeze.

Raspberry Water Ice. --One quart of ripe raspberries, four ounces of ripe cherries and currants, half a pint of syrup, half a pint of water, and the juice of two lemons. Mash the fruit and pass the juice through a sieve, mix the syrup water and lemon with it, and freeze.

Raspberry Water Ice. --Two pottles of the best scarlet pines, one pint of syrup, half a pint of water, and the juice of two lemons.

Mix as currant. All red fruits require the addition of a little prepared cochineal to heighten the colour.

Apricot Water Ice. --Eighteen or twenty fine ripe apricots, according to their size, half a pint of syrup, half a pint of water, the juice of two lemons.

Mash the apricots and pass them through a sieve, mix the pulp with the syrup water and lemon-juice, break the stones, blanch the kernels, and pound them fine with a little water, pass them through a sieve, add it to the mixture, and freeze.

Peach Water Ice. --One pound of the pulp of ripe peaches, half a pint of syrup, half a pint of water, the juice of two lemons. Mix as apricot. If the fruit is not ripe enough to pulp, open them and take out the stones, put them in a stew-pan with the syrup and water, boil until tender, and pass them through a sieve; mix in the pounded kernels; when cold, freeze.

Damson Ice. --One quart of damsons, one pint of syrup, half a pint of water. Mix as peach ice.
Magnum-bonums, Orleans, green gages, or any other plum may be done in the same way.

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Pine-apple Water Ice. --Half a pint of pine syrup, one pint of water, the juice of two lemons, and three or four slices of preserved pine cut into small dice; mix and freeze.

Fresh Pine-apple Water Ice. --One pound of pine-apple, one pint of syrup, half a pint of water, and the juice of two lemons. Cut the pine in pieces, and put it into a stew-pan with the syrup and water, and boil until tender; pass it through a sieve, add the lemon-juice, with two or three slices of the pine cut in small dice, mix and freeze when cold. The pine may be pounded instead of being boiled, an mixed with the syrup, &c.

The whole of these ices may be made with preserved fruit instead of fresh.

One pound of jam or jelly, one pint of water, the juice of two lemons, and syrup sufficient to make it palatable.

Apple-Water Ice. --Pare and core some fine apples, cut them in pieces into a preserving pan with sufficient water for them to float, boil until they are reduced to a marmalade, then strain: to a pint of apple-water add half a pint of syrup, the juice of a lemon, and a little water; when cold, freeze.

Pear-Water Ice. --Prepare as apple ice.

Orange-Water Ice. --One pint of China orange-juice, one pint of syrup, half a pint of water, the juice of four large lemons.

Rub off the yellow rind of six oranges and two lemons on sugar, scrape it off and mix with the strained juice, syrup and water.

Lemon-Water Ice. --Half a pint of lemon-juice, half a pint of water, one pint of syrup, the peels of six lemons rubbed off on sugar, or the yellow rind may be pared or grated off, and the juice squeezed to it in a basin; let it remain for an hour or two, then strain, mix, and freeze; whip up the whites of three eggs to a strong froth, with a little sugar, as for meringues; when the ice is beginning to set, work this well in it, which will make it eat beautifully soft and delicious; freeze to the required consistence; if the ice is to be served in glasses, the meringue may be added after it has been frozen.
Orange-water ice may be done the same.

Maraschino-Water Ice. --Make a lemon ice as the above, using less water, and making up the deficiency with Maraschino; but be careful the taste of the lemon does not prevail too much; add more water and syrup to correct it if it does.
Noyau and all other liqueur ices are made the same way, using that to flavour the lemon ice which it bears the name of.
Champagne and wine ices the same.

Punch-Water Ice. --Make either a good lemon ice, or use some orange-juice with the lemons, in the proportion of one orange to two lemons; either rub off the yellow rind of the lemons on sugar, or pare it very thin, and soak it in the spirit for a few hours; when the ice is beginning to set, work in the whites of three eggs to each quart, beaten to a strong froth, and mixed with sugar as for meringue, or


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add the whites without whisking them; when it is nearly frozen, take out the pot from the ice, and mix well with it a glass each of rum and brandy, or sufficient to make it a good flavour; some like the taste of the rum to predominate, but in this case of course you will be guided by the wish of your employer. In general the prevailing flavour distinguishes it by name, as rum-punch or brandy-punch ice; after the spirit is well mixed, replace the pot and finish freezing.
If champagne, arrack, or tea is added, it is then termed champagne-punch ice, arrack-punch ice, &c.

Punch à la Romaine--Roman Punch Ice. --Make a quart of lemon ice, and flavour it with a glass or two of each, of rum, brandy, champagne, and Maraschino; when it is frozen, to each quart take the whites of five eggs and whip them to a very strong froth; boil half a pound of sugar to the ball, and rub it with a spoon or spatula against the sides to grain it; when it turns white, mix it quickly with the whites of eggs, stir it lightly together, and add it to the ice; when cold, mix it well together, and serve it in glasses; less sugar must be used in the ice, so as to allow for that which is used in making the meringue.

Mille Fruit Water Ice. --Make a good lemon ice, with a pint of syrup, half a pint of water, and as much strained lemon-juice as will give it the desired flavour, with some elder flowers infused in syrup; when the ice is frozen, mix it in some preserved green fruits and peels cut in small dice; if any large fruits are used, such as apricots, peaches, pine-apples, &c., they must be also cut in dice like the peels; sprinkle it with prepared cochineal, and mix it a little so as it may appear in veins.

> SECTION XIX.--JELLIES.

[Calves' Feet Jellies. --Boil down one set of calves' feet in four quarts of water till it is reduced to one half, then strain through a sieve, in order to remove the bones; when settled and cold take off the grease on the surface, then boil, with the following additions:--twelve eggs, three pints of good Madeira wine, and two pounds of loaf sugar, the juice of four lemons; stir the mixture well with a whisk or spatula, and filter through a fine flannel bag.
Jellies of Champagne and other wines are made in the same manner.

Coffee Jelly is made the same as preceding, using, instead of Madeira wine, a decoction of coffee, prepared as follows:--infuse half a pound of roasted Mocha coffee, pulverized or ground, in one quart of water, strain off the decoction, and add to it a little brandy.

Tea Jelly--Green or Black. --Treat in the same way, using an infusion of half an ounce of tea to one quart of water.

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> FRUIT JELLIES.

Strawberry Jelly. --One pound of picked strawberries, press them lightly, and put them in four ounces of clear syrup; cover the infusion, and let them stand all night; strain through a bag on the following morning: in the mean time clarify half a pound of sugar; when nearly clarified add to it a few drops of prepared cochineal, to give it a fine red colour; after which, strain it through a sieve, and add to it an ounce of clarified isinglass, the juice of two sound lemons, and afterwards the fruit; stir the jelly gently, and put it in a mould placed in ice.

N. B.--To clarify isinglass, take one ounce of the best Russia cut it in small pieces, wash it several times in clear warm water, put it on the fire in a small pan with one pint of soft water, let it boil sufficiently, taking care to skim it well; when it is reduced to one-half, strain through a napkin into a clean vessel. The sugar and isinglass should be only lukewarm when you mix them. These remarks apply to all jellies of this kind.

Pine Apple Jelly. --Take a fine ripe pine apple, cut it small, and strain the juice through a hair sieve, then throw it into the boiling syrup, let it boil up, and when nearly cold strain it through a silk sieve, add a little caramel to give the jelly a fine yellow tinge; then the juice of two fine lemons, and an ounce of clarified isinglass. Proceed as before.

Jelly of Apricots. --Take the stones out of one dozen and a half of fine ripe apricots and boil them in the syrup, which, in this case, should be as light coloured as possible; when boiled sufficiently to extract the flavour, strain through a napkin, add the necessary quantity of isinglass, and finish as usual.

Orange Jelly. --Squeeze the juice out of twelve Havanna oranges and one lemon, strain through a fine linen cloth, then mix with the syrup boiled to the ball; add the clarified isinglass, filter through a fine flannel bag, and finish as before.

The foregoing will suffice for all fruit jellies.

> BLANC MANGE.

Take four ounces of sweet almonds blanched, half an ounce of bitter almonds, pound them in a clean mortar, moisten them gradually with orange-flower water, mix this with one quart of fresh cream and one ounce of clarified isinglass, put into a saucepan, constantly stirring till it boils, then pass through a fine sieve, and form into a mould, and put on ice.