The Candy Cookbook (14 page)

Small red checkerberry candies may be purchased, the size and color of holly berries. Leaves may be fashioned from ornamental frosting, fondant, or almond paste colored green, or from angelica or citron. Halves of blanched pistachio nuts also make good leaves.

Arrange two or three leaves meeting at the center, place two or more red candies where they join, and a short stem of the same material as that used for the leaves. If the red candies are not obtainable, candied cherries may be cut the shape and size of holly berries, or fondant or almond paste may be colored with scarlet color paste, and shaped in small balls.

Work together equal parts by weight of almond paste and confectioners’ sugar. Moisten with a mixture of equal parts of rose water and vanilla extract, and knead until well blended. Shape in a roll three fourths of an inch in diameter. Cut off pieces and shape with the hands to represent fruits or vegetables. Then color, using vegetable color paste diluted with water, applying it with a small brush. Tiny carrots, strawberries with green paper hulls, potatoes – the eyes made with a skewer, and the whole rolled in cinnamon – tiny pumpkins, walnuts, chestnuts, radishes, mushrooms, and many other shapes may be made with this mixture. The paste may be colored before modeling, and shaped into roses, daffodil, poinsettias, and other flowers, and used for decorating cakes and candies.

Put almonds in boiling water, and let boil gently 2 minutes; drain, plunge in cold water, again drain, rub off the skins, and dry between towels. Boil sugar and water to 290°F (143.3°C), or until it will crack when tied in cold water. Set saucepan in large pan of boiling water. Dip one end of almond into syrup, then dip into chocolate shot which will adhere to syrup on almond, and give it the appearance
of an acorn in its cup. If syrup becomes too sugary while it is being used, add a little water, and bring to boiling point again.

Chocolate shot may be obtained at large grocery stores. It is composed of tiny pieces of sweet chocolate.

This favor is to be in the shape of a small, old-fashioned bouquet. Make first a rule of gumdrops, coloring different portions of the mixture green, pink, red, yellow, or lavender. Shape the gumdrops in cornstarch like very small cones. Fasten a small lace paper doily to a three-inch disk of cardboard. To the back of the cardboard attach fine wires wound with green tissue paper and silver foil to imitate the stems. On the doily arrange leaves of green gumdrop mixture or mint jelly, and flowers of other colored gumdrops, fastening them in place with sugar syrup. Use as a favor at a luncheon or evening party.

With the above materials a great variety of attractive figures can be fashioned with a little ingenuity, and used as favors, or to hold a place card. Figs that come in bags, baskets, or glass jars should be provided, not the pressed figs. Almonds may be blanched, although it is not necessary. The materials are fastened together with toothpicks or wire, and are sometimes attached to cards, as a base, that they may stand upright.

An automobile can be fashioned with two or three figs for the body and back of the car, four marshmallows for wheels, a raisin on the end of a toothpick for steering wheel, and a man sitting in the car.

A man may be made with a fig for the body, raisins on toothpicks or wire for arms and legs, almonds for hands and feet, a marshmallow with features of melted chocolate for the head, and a fig with stem standing up on top for the cap.

An owl may have a body of one fig, head of another, bits of marshmallow for eyes and nose, and almonds for ears.

Cook sugar and water until it cracks when tried in cold water. Dip kernels of popped corn, one at a time, in syrup, and put them together to make a body, arms, and legs of a boy or girl doll. Use
a marshmallow for the head, putting on the features with melted chocolate. Attach a chocolate cream to a chocolate peppermint to make a hat, and fasten it to the figure with more syrup.

Different features and attitudes will give a great variety of members for the popcorn family.

Out of a double sheet of white tarlatan cut the figure of a boy or girl doll with a head a little larger than a large peppermint, and the rest of the body proportioned accordingly. Sew all the edges together except the head, which is left open until the bag is filled. Drop first into the bag tiny pink lozenges for toes and fingers, then large molasses peppermint balls for hands and feet. Use stick candy for arms and legs, fill the body with ribbon Christmas candy, use molasses peppermint balls for the neck, and for the head, a large flat round peppermint on which the features have been painted with color paste, and the hair and eyebrows with chocolate frosting.

Sew up the opening, and use for decoration on a Christmas tree.

Cut figures of animals, such as elephants, dogs, or horses, from white tarlatan, leaving an opening on the back. Fill with candies, using sticks for legs and other candies for the bodies. Make eyes and ears as suggested for candy dolls, sew up the opening, and use on Christmas trees. Or use wintergreen wafer mixture or fondant, roll on marble slab, and cut out with animal shaped cutters. Paint on the features with melted chocolate.

Select large plump raisins, insert a whole clove stuck through a currant for the head, four cloves for claws, and the small end of a clove for the tail. These may be used on top of a box of candy, or as a decoration for frosted cake or white mints.

Soak gelatine 5 minutes in cold water, dissolve in boiling water, and strain. Add flavoring and sifted confectioners’ sugar, with enough more sugar to make stiff. Put mixture on board dredged with sifted confectioners’ sugar, knead until perfectly smooth, then roll as thin as possible. Cut in circles two inches in diameter, or in pieces the size of visiting cards. To one small portion of trimmings add a bit of green coloring, knead, roll out, and cut or shape like small holly leaves. Color remaining trimmings bright red, and shape like holly berries.

Soak one teaspoon gelatine in two teaspoons cold water, and dissolve by standing over hot water. Brush under sides of leaves and berries with dissolved gelatine, and arrange on cards in an attractive design.

This mixture may be cut in any desired shape, and left undecorated if preferred.

Make macaroons (see page
164
), having them less than one inch in diameter. Cook one cup sugar, half a cup of boiling water, and a few grains cream of tartar until syrup begins to discolor. Set saucepan in pan of cold water to instantly stop the boiling, then place in saucepan of hot water. Dip edges of macaroons in syrup, and place close
together to form a circle large enough for the base of the basket. Around the edge fit a row of macaroons and over this a second row to make the sides of the basket, dipping the edges in syrup that they may stick together. When the basket is made, the syrup remaining in saucepan may be poured on a buttered tin, and kept in a warm place. As soon as candy can be handled, pull until glossy, and shape to form a handle for the basket. Dip the ends in melted syrup, and attach them to the sides of the basket. The baskets may be large or small, and used for ice cream or for holding candies.

Follow recipe for Glacé Nuts, using pecans. As nuts are dipped, fasten two together for the bottom of the basket. Place others upright around the edge for the sides of the basket. Fashion handle as suggested in recipe for Macaroon Baskets, and fill with glacé strawberries.