A Little Candy Book for a Little Girl

The sugar, corn syrup and water Betsey boiled until the syrup became brittle the minute she dropped a little in cold water. Lifting the saucepan from the fire, she placed it in a larger pan of cold water to stop the boiling immediately, then she placed it in another pan of hot water and dipped the nuts and fruits one at a time.

Betsey used a long hat pin to pick them out with, then placed on buttered plates or waxed paper.

These were always made in cold weather and eaten while crisp. If they were kept any length of time they became sticky. This, however, never happened in Betsey's home, for they went too quickly.

It took Betsey a long time, months in fact, to learn all these different ways of making candy, but she was so earnest in her work that the results were better than many "grown ups" obtained.

Mother felt fully repaid for the time and care it had required to teach Betsey and father was a much "puffed up" man.

He never failed to tell any guests that might be present when a dish of the home made confections were being passed that "Betsey made these" and his pride and pleasure were doubly increased when they invariably exclaimed, "Impossible! Surely a little girl so young as Betsey could never have made them."

Naturally, Betsey felt glad to have these nice things said about her candies, and mother felt still more glad that in spite of all praise Betsey was not spoiled.

CHAPTER IX
BETSEY'S PARTY

When Betsey learned to make Cherry Creams (on page 94) she said, "Mother, do you suppose I could have a Washington's Birthday Party? I could make such pretty things with these cherries." And mother was so pleased with her little pupil that of course she said "Yes."

So Betsey invited five of her little friends: Dorothy, her very special friend, and Christina, Isabella, Amy and Adelaide, making six in all, counting herself.

It was to be very simple; mother made the cake and ice cream and peanut butter sandwiches, while Betsey made the candies.

For some days before, Betsey was very busy making little paper hatchets for favors. On each of these she wrote one of her little friends' names.

She made a number of Cherry Creams like those on page 94 with the angelica, and on the day of the party she tied three cherries to the handle of each hatchet with narrow red, white and blue ribbon.

Mother made a delicious cake in the large angel cake tin and covered it with a thick white frosting; before it hardened Betsey pressed half cherries here and there all over it. Then Betsey had secured a piece of a fir tree and placed it in the centre of the cake. On this she hung little bunches of cherries.

It made a most attractive decoration for the centre of the table.

Betsey also made "Brown Sugar Nougat" or "Pinoche" with nuts (see page 83) and "Chocolate Fudge with Marshmallow Cream" as on page 58; she also had a dish of the Cherry Creams on the table.

The six little girls had a very happy time, but they did wish they could learn how to make candies, too, so Betsey's mother wrote this little book in order that other little girls might learn the easiest and best ways of making candies.

APPENDIX
Recipes endorsed by the UNITED STATES FOOD ADMINISTRATION

Chocolate Dainties

Put through the meat chopper one-half cup each of dates, figs, and nut meats. Add one tablespoon orange juice, a little grated orange peel, and one square of melted unsweetened chocolate. Mold into balls and roll in chopped nuts or granulated sugar. This mixture may be packed in an oiled tin, put under a weight until firm, then cut in any shape desired.

Old-Fashioned Molasses Candy No. 1

Boil down molasses until it reaches the hard crack stage. Pour on oiled plates and cool. Oil the hands and pull portions of the candy until it becomes light colored.

Old-Fashioned Molasses Candy No. 2

Put molasses, vinegar and butter into a saucepan. Bring to a boiling point, and boil, stirring all the time until the mixture is brittle when dropped into cold water. Stir in baking powder and extract and pour into a buttered tin. When nearly cold pull until glossy. Cut into small pieces and lay on a buttered plate or wrap in wax paper. Sufficient for one pound of candy.

Popcorn Candy

Boil together the syrup and vinegar until syrup hardens when dropped in cold water. Pour over freshly popped corn and mold into balls or fancy shapes for the Christmas tree. Little popcorn men will please the children. Mark in the features and outlines with melted chocolate.

Either honey, maple syrup, molasses, white cane syrup or corn syrup may be used.

Crystallized Fruits

Use your own preserves. Peach, pear, apple, quince or watermelon rind will do. Drain from the fruit all syrup possible. Cut any size desired, sprinkle with sugar, and dry in the warmer or a very slow oven. It may be necessary to sprinkle the fruit again with sugar during the drying. When dry enough not to be at all sticky, sprinkle with sugar and pack in layers with wax papers between. This fruit may be used for dipping in bitter chocolate for bitter-sweets.

Fruit Paste

Put through the meat chopper enough cherry, peach, or quince preserves to make a half-pint with the juice. Heat fruit and add two tablespoons of gelatine, previously softened in a very little cold water. Stir well, and continue stirring until it begins to cool and thicken, then pour into oiled dish to make a layer one inch thick. Let dry slowly, sprinkle with sugar and place in box with wax paper between the layers. A mixture of dried apricots and dates may be used for this paste. Wash apricots and soak over night in enough water to cover. Pour off water, bring it to a boil, pour over apricots, and let stand until cool. Put apricots and dates through meat chopper and proceed with the proportions as given.

Fruit Butter

Chop together equal parts of stoned raisins, dates and figs and add (after weighing) nuts equal in weight to the whole. The nuts may be mixed according to convenience and taste, as one part of black and white walnuts, pecans, almonds, peanuts, hazel or Brazil nuts. In general nuts grown in the locality should be used. Mix thoroughly and pack in a mold for slicing.

Bitter-Sweets

An attractive variety of candies may be made by dipping sweet fruits in bitter chocolate. Use for this purpose dates, citron, candied orange peel or crystallized fruits. Melt unsweetened chocolate in a double boiler. Keep the chocolate just warm enough to prevent solidifying. With a silver fork drop pieces of fruit in chocolate. See that each piece is completely coated, then remove to wax paper to harden.

Maple Sugar Candy

Boil together until soft ball forms in water. Remove from fire, beat until creamy, add nut meats and pour into greased tin. Cool slightly, mark into squares.

Quick Nougatines

Put marshmallows and almond paste in double boiler and stir until melted and well blended. Add nuts and cherries cut in small pieces and spread half an inch thick on a pan or slab sprinkled with confectioner's sugar. When firm, cut in bars 1½ inches long and ½ inch wide. If desired, dip in melted chocolate.

Substitutes for Christmas Candies

"What would Christmas be without Christmas candies!" Can't you hear that wail going up from children all over the land? And from many a grown-up, too.

A Christmas shorn of all its sweets isn't necessary at all. But with a little forethought and some substitutes in the way of fruit and nut sweetmeats, we can do much to lessen the pull on sugar at just this time.

A decrease in our annual Christmas candy consumption of, say, even one-tenth (and that isn't asking very much of the "home fighter"), when multiplied by 100,000,000 of us will provide much energy-giving food to our army boys and our needy allies.

And what more acceptable Christmas gift could we make to those "over there?" Remember this when you are planning for their Christmas and your own. It is splendid to make comfort kits and pack hampers of gifts for the soldier-boys, but saving the sugar used to make your Christmas candies and in your own home is not only making them a Christmas gift but is putting punch into the right arm of your country's defenders. And their right arm is of more importance just now than your sweet tooth.

There are all sorts of substitutes such as stuffed dates, candied ginger, fruit pastes and salted nuts. Not only dates, but prunes, stuffed, are delicious. Wash them thoroughly, take out the seed and slip in a big, fat, sweet almond, and see how eagerly the children eat it. It is a food as well as a sweetmeat. Dried fruits like dates, figs, prunes and raisins have not only sugar but are highly nourishing. Raisins with nuts will delight any child and if given with moderation will not prove indigestible.

A combination of dates, figs and English walnuts, run through a grinder, softened with lemon juice, and cut into cakes like caramels, makes both a wholesome and a toothsome substitute for candy.

Use more home salted nuts this Christmas than in previous years. Peanuts, pecans or almonds, if prepared in olive oil, will not go begging.

To candy orange or grape-fruit peel means the use of some sugar, it is true, but less than for its equivalent in candy, and you are using up what would otherwise be thrown away.

A wider use of maple sugar as a sweet this fall and winter will be a helpful conservation measure. Every one with even one maple tree in his yard should tap it and boil his own syrup. Every little bit helps.

Any of these substitutes, if arranged in fancy box or dainty basket, will serve the same purpose as candy for gifts; left on table or tabourette they will give the same festive Christmas air and fill the munching needs of a holiday gathering; and best of all, their use will insure more sugar and therefore more power to those fighting our war.

INDEX

CARAMELS

COOL WEATHER CANDIES

CREAM CANDIES—COOKED

CREAM CANDIES—UNCOOKED

FUDGE

POPCORN GOODIES

SALTED NUTS

STUFFED DAINTIES

UNITED STATES FOOD ADMINISTRATION RECIPES