CHAPTER VI

STUFFED DAINTIES

ONE day Betsey's mother bought her a pound of nice fresh marshmallows to make

Stuffed Marshmallow Dainties

Fresh marshmallows, 1 pound Preserved ginger, or Candied cherries, or Candied pineapple, or Pieces of figs, or Pieces of raisins, or Pieces of dates, or Walnut meats, or Pecan meats, or Blanched almonds, or Butternut meats, or Brazil nuts, or Pieces of uncooked or Cooked foundation cream.

Betsey found these were very easy to prepare and most delicious.

All she had to do was to cut the marshmallows in two, with the scissors, horizontally,--they look better this way when stuffed (Betsey learned in school about horizontal lines, so that she knew just what mother meant),--then place a piece of ginger or a candied cherry or a piece of candied pineapple or a piece of fig or raisin or date or part of a walnut, pecan, almond, butternut or brazil nut, or small flat balls of the uncooked or cooked foundation cream on the bottom portion of the marshmallow and then press the top piece over it.

Fruit Paste

Dates (stoned), 1 pound Raisins (seeded), 1 pound Figs, 1 pound Candied cherries, 1 pound Nut meats, 2 cups

All these Betsey put through the meat chopper twice, next she put the mixture on the board and kneaded it well with sifted confectioner's sugar until she could roll it out to one half inch in thickness, then she cut in pieces and dipped them in granulated sugar.

Mother also showed Betsey how to stuff raisins and dates, and Betsey found mother's little sharp-pointed kitchen knife to be just the thing for this kind of work.

Stuffed Raisins with Walnuts

Large fancy table raisins. Walnut meats. Powdered sugar.

Betsey slit the raisins down one side carefully, removed the seeds and pressed in a piece of walnut cut just the right size, then pressed the slit together and rolled in powdered sugar.

Stuffed Raisins with Pecans

Large fancy table raisins. Pecan meats. Powdered sugar.

Slitting the raisins carefully on one side with a sharp-pointed knife, Betsey removed the seeds, pressed in a piece of pecan meat, squeezed the opening together, then rolled in powdered sugar.

Stuffed Raisins with Almonds

Large fancy table raisins. Blanched almonds. Powdered sugar.

After Betsey had prepared the raisins by slitting one side carefully and removing the seeds, she blanched the almonds she had shelled by covering with boiling water. Letting them stand about a minute, then draining off the water, she removed the brown skins easily.

The raisins were not always large enough to hold a whole almond so she cut the nut to fit it, then pressed the opening together and rolled in powdered sugar.

Stuffed Raisins with Peanuts

Large fancy table raisins. Peanuts (shelled). Powdered sugar.

Betsey made a slit in each raisin, carefully, with a sharp knife, removed the seeds and pressed in a peanut.

After pressing the opening together she rolled the raisin in powdered sugar.

Stuffed Raisins with Foundation Cream

Large fancy table raisins. Foundation cream. Powdered sugar.

Betsey had the foundation cream all made (see page 92). She prepared the raisins as usual (slitting carefully on one side and removing the seeds), then made the cream into small balls and pressed into the opening, which she closed. Next she rolled each raisin in powdered sugar.

Stuffed Dates with Walnuts

Best fancy dates. Walnut meats. Powdered sugar.

Betsey found that these did not take nearly as long to prepare as the raisins.

With a sharp knife she cut one side of the date, removed the long stone, filled it with a piece of walnut the right size, then pressed and rolled in powdered sugar.

Stuffed Dates with Pecans

Best fancy dates. Pecan meats. Powdered sugar.

Making an opening into each date with a sharp knife, Betsey removed the stone and filled with a piece of pecan meat to fit, and rolled in powdered sugar.

Stuffed Dates with Almonds

Best fancy dates. Blanched almonds. Powdered sugar.

It was a quick job for Betsey to prepare the dates by cutting an opening and removing the long stone, but the almonds took longer. These she shelled, covered with boiling water a minute, drained them and removed the brown skins.

In each date she pressed an almond, then rolled in powdered sugar.

Stuffed Dates with Peanuts

Best fancy dates. Peanuts (shelled). Powdered sugar.

After Betsey shelled the peanuts she removed the long stone from each date by cutting an opening with a sharp knife, then she filled each one with a peanut and rolled it in powdered sugar.

Stuffed Dates with Foundation Cream

Best fancy dates. Foundation cream. Powdered sugar.

Taking the foundation cream from the refrigerator, where she had kept it since making the day before (see page 92 for recipe), Betsey made it into small balls. These she pressed into the openings of the dates which she had cut and from which the large stones had been removed, then she rolled them in powdered sugar.

Stuffed Figs with Walnuts

Small fancy figs. Walnut meats. Powdered sugar.

This was the only kind of stuffed figs that Betsey and mother liked.

The figs were prepared by removing the stem and cutting carefully down the side, then they were pulled apart and a _whole_ walnut inserted. Next they were pressed together and lightly dusted with powdered sugar.

* * * * *

Betsey called these her "convenient sweets" because, as mother said, you could make the stuffed fruits at any time: winter, summer, spring or fall.

Betsey's grandmother was keenly interested in everything her little granddaughter undertook, and this was especially true of the candy-making. Grandmother admitted that she had a "sweet tooth," and Betsey often surprised her with delicious dainties.

Betsey learned that grandmother was particularly fond of "Stuffed Fruits," and a few days before her birthday Betsey prepared some of each kind, arranged them attractively in a large box, and on the morning of the eventful day gave them to a delighted grandmother.

Grandmother was very much pleased with the pretty box and its "sweet contents." She called Betsey's gift, "the sweet surprise," because, as she said, "I never know just what each dainty contains until I begin to eat it, and, therefore, I am always being surprised."