Part 8

Pull the almonds from the tree before they shell, scrape off the down, and put them into a pan with cold spring water; then put them into a skillet with more spring water; set it on a slow fire, and let it remain till it simmers. Change the water twice, and let them remain in the last till tender, then take them out and dry them well in a cloth. Make a syrup with double refined sugar, put them into it and let them simmer: do the same the next day, put them into a stone jar, and cover them very close, for if the least air comes to them they will turn black; the yellower they are before they are taken out of the water, the greener they will be after they are done. Put them into the crust, cover them with syrup, lay on the lid, and bake them in a moderate oven.

34. ORANGE OR LEMON PIE.

Rub six oranges or lemons with salt, and put them into water, with a handful of salt, for two days. Put every day fresh water without salt, for a fortnight. Boil them tender, cut them into half quarters, cornerways, quite thin: boil six pippins, pared, cored, and quartered, in a pint of water till they break, then put the liquor to the oranges or lemons, with half the pulp of the pippins well broken, and a pound of sugar; boil them a quarter of an hour, then put them into a pot and squeeze in two spoonsful of the juice of either orange or lemon, according to the kind of tart; put puff paste, very thin, into shallow patty-pans. Take a brush, and rub them over with melted butter, sift double refined sugar over them, which will form a pretty iceing, and bake them.

35. ORANGE TARTS.

Grate a little of the outside of a Seville orange, squeeze the juice into a dish, put the peel into water, and change it often for four days, then put into a saucepan of boiling water on the fire; change the water twice to take out the bitterness, and when tender, wipe and beat them fine in a mortar; boil their weight in double refined sugar into a syrup, and skim it, then put in the pulp and boil all together till clear; when cold put it into the tarts, and squeeze in the juice, and bake them in a quick oven. Conserve of orange makes good tarts.

36. ORANGE PUFFS.

Pare off the rinds from Seville oranges, then rub them with salt, let them lie twenty-four hours in water, boil them in four changes of water, make the first salt, drain and beat them to a pulp; bruise in the pieces of all that are pared, make it very sweet with loaf sugar, and boil it till thick; let it stand till cold, and then put it into the paste.

37. ENGLISH MACAROONS.

One pound of sweet almonds, 1 pound and a quarter of sugar, 6 whites of eggs, and the raspings of two lemons. Pound the almonds very fine with 6 whites of eggs, feel the almonds, and if they are free from lumps, they will do; then add the powdered sugar, and mix it well with the lemon raspings. Dress them in wafer paper of the required shape; bake them in a moderate heat, then let them stand till cold, cut the wafer paper round them, but leave it on the bottoms.

38. FANCY BISCUITS.

Take 1 pound of almonds, 1 pound of sugar, and some orange flower water. Pound the almonds very fine, and sprinkle them with orange flower water; when they are perfectly smooth to the touch, put them in a small pan, with flour sifted through a silk sieve; put the pan on a slow fire, and dry the paste till it does not stick to the fingers; move it well from the bottom to prevent its burning; then take it off, and roll it into small round fillets, to make knots, rings, &c., and cut it into various shapes; make an iceing of different colours, dip one side of them in it, and set them on wire gratings to drain. They may be varied by strewing over them coloured pistachios, or coloured almonds, according to fancy.

39. SPONGE BISCUITS.

Beat the yolks of 12 eggs for half an hour; then put in a pound and a half of beaten sifted sugar, and whisk it till it rises in bubbles; beat the whites to strong froth, and whisk them well with the sugar and yolks, work in 14 ounces of flour, with the rinds of 2 lemons grated. Bake them in tin moulds buttered, in a quick oven, for an hour; before they are baked, sift a little fine sugar over them.

40. FINE CHEESECAKES.

Put a pint of warm cream into a saucepan over the fire, and when it is warm, add to it 5 quarts of new milk. Then put in some rennet, stir it, and when it is turned, put the curd into a linen cloth or bag. Let the whey drain from it, but do not squeeze it too much. Put it into a mortar, and pound it as fine as butter. Add ½ a pound of sweet almonds blanched, ½ a pound of macaroons, or Naples biscuit. Then add nine well beaten yolks of eggs, a grated nutmeg, a little rose or orange water, and ½ a pound of fine sugar. Mix all well together.

41. ALMOND CHEESECAKES.

Put 4 ounces of blanched sweet almonds into cold water, and beat them in a marble mortar or a wooden bowl, with some rose water. Put to it 4 ounces of sugar, and the yolks of four eggs beat fine. Work it till it becomes white and frothy, and then make a rich puff paste as follows: Take ½ a pound of flour, and a ¼ of a pound of butter; rub a little of the butter into the flour, mix it stiff with a little cold water, and then roll out the paste. Strew on a little flour and lay over it in thin bits 1-3d of the butter, throw a little more flour over the bottom, and do the like three different times. Put the paste into the tins, grate sugar over them, and bake them gently.

42. BREAD CHEESECAKES.

Slice a penny loaf as thin as possible, pour on it a pint of boiling cream, and let it stand two hours. Beat together 8 eggs, ½ a pound of butter, and a grated nutmeg: mix them into the cream and bread with ½ a pound of currants well washed and dried, and a spoonful of white wine or brandy. Bake them in patty pans, on a raised crust.

43. RICE CHEESECAKES.

Boil 4 ounces of rice till it is tender, and then put it into a sieve to drain; mix with it 4 eggs well beaten up, ½ a pound of butter, ½ a pint of cream, 6 ounces of sugar, a nutmeg grated, a glass of brandy, or ratafia water. Beat them all well together, then put them into raised crusts, and bake them in a moderate oven.

44. APPLE CAKES.

Take half a quartern of dough, roll it out thin; spread equally over it 5 ounces each of coffee and sugar, a little nutmeg or allspice, and 2 ounces of butter; then fold and roll it again two or three times, to mix well the ingredients. Afterwards roll it out thin, and spread over it 4 rather large apples, pared, cored, and chopped small; fold it up, and roll until mixed. Let it stand to rise after. Half a pound of butter may be added.

45. BLANCMANGE.

Put into 1 quart of water an ounce of isinglass, and let it boil till it is reduced to a pint; then put in the whites of 4 eggs with 2 spoonsful of rice water, and sweeten it to taste. Run it through a jelly bag, and then put to it 2 ounces of sweet, and 1 ounce of bitter almonds. Scald them in the jelly, and then run them through a hair sieve. Put it into a china bowl, and the next day turn it out. Garnish with flowers or green leaves, and stick all over the top blanched almonds cut lengthways.

46. CLEAR BLANCMANGE.

Skim off the fat, and strain a quart of strong calf’s foot jelly, add to the same the whites of 4 eggs well beaten, set it over the fire and stir it till it boils. Then pour it into a jelly bag, and run it through several times till it is clear. Beat an ounce each of sweet and bitter almonds to a paste with a spoonful of rose water strained through a cloth. Then mix it with the jelly, and add to it 3 spoonsful of very good cream. Set it again over the fire and stir it till it almost boils. Pour it into a bowl; then stir it often till almost cold; and then fill the moulds.

CONFECTIONARY.

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47. TO PREPARE SUGAR FOR CANDYING.

The first process is _clarifying_, which is done thus. Break the white of an egg into a preserving pan; put to it 4 quarts of water, and beat it with a whisk to a froth. Then put in 12 pounds of sugar, mix all together, and set it over the fire. When it boils put in a little cold water, and proceed as often as necessary, till the scum rises thick on the top. Then remove it from the fire, and when it is settled, take off the scum, and pass it through a straining bag. If the sugar should not appear very fine, boil it again before straining it.

48. TO CANDY SUGAR.

After having completed the above first process, put what quantity is wanted over the fire, and boil it till it is smooth enough. This is known by dipping the skimmer into the sugar, and touching it between the forefinger and thumb; and immediately on opening them a small thread will be observed drawn between, which will crystallize and break, and remain in a drop on the thumb, which will be a sign of its gaining some degree of smoothness. Boil it again, and it will draw into a larger string; it is now called _bloom sugar_, and must be boiled longer than in the former process. To try its forwardness, dip again the skimmer shaking off the sugar into the pan; then blow with the mouth strongly through the holes, and if certain bladders go through, it has acquired the second degree: to prove if the liquid has arrived at the state called _feathered sugar_, re-dip the skimmer, and shake it over the pan, then give it a sudden flirt behind, and the sugar will fly off like feathers.

It now arrives to the state called _crackled sugar_, to obtain which the mass must be boiled longer than in the preceding degree; then dip a stick in it, and put it directly into a pan of cold water, draw off the sugar which hangs to the stick in the water, and if it turns hard and snaps, it has acquired the proper degree of crystallization, if otherwise, boil it again until it acquires that brittleness.

The last stage of refining this article is called _caramel sugar_, to obtain which it must be boiled longer than in any of the preceding methods; prove it by dipping a stick first in the sugar, and then into cold water, and the moment it touches the latter, it will, if matured, snap like glass. Be careful that the fire is not too fierce, as by flaming up the sides of the pan, it will burn, discolour, and spoil the sugar.

49. _French Method._

Put into a pan syrup enough of clarified sugar to fill the moulds; boil it until it comes to the state called _small feather_, skim it well, take the pan from the fire, and pour it into a small quantity of spirit of wine, sufficient to make it sparkle; let it rest till the skin, which is the candy, rises on the surface; take it off with a skimmer, and pour it directly into a mould; which keep in the stove at 90 degrees heat for eight days; then strain the candy by a hole, slanting the mould on a bason or pan, to receive the drainings; let it drain till it is perfectly dry, then loosen the paper by moistening it with warm water: warm it all round near the fire, and turn the candy by striking it hard on the table. Put it on a sieve in the stove, to finish drying it; but do not touch it while there, and keep up an equal heat, otherwise there will be only a mash instead of a candy. Spirit of wine will take off grease, and not affect the candy, as it soon evaporates.

50. TO CANDY ANY SORT OF FRUIT.

When finished in the syrup, put a layer into a new sieve, and dip it suddenly into hot water to take off the syrup that hangs about it: put it into a napkin before the fire to drain, and then do more in the sieve. Have ready sifted double refined sugar, which shake over the fruit till covered quite white. Set it on the shallow end of the sieve in a warm oven, and turn it two or three times. It must not be cold till dry. Watch it carefully.

51. BARLEY SUGAR.

Take a quantity of clarified sugar in that state that on dipping the finger into the pan the sugar which adheres to it will break with a slight noise; this is called _crack_. When the sugar is near this, put in two or three drops of lemon juice, or a little vinegar to prevent its graining. When it has come to the _crack_, take it off instantly, and dip the pan into cold water, to prevent its burning; let it stand a little, and then pour it on a marble which must be previously rubbed with oil. Cut the sugar into small pieces, when it will be ready for use. One drop of citron will flavour a considerable quantity.

52. BON-BONS.

Provide leaden moulds, which must be of various shapes, and be oiled with oil of sweet almonds. Take a quantity of brown sugar syrup in the proportion to their size, in that state called a _blow_, which may be known by dipping the skimmer into the sugar, shaking it, and blowing through the holes, when parts of light may be seen: add a drop of any esteemed essence. If the _bon-bons_ are preferred white, when the sugar has cooled a little, stir it round the pan till it grains, and shines on the surface; then pour it into a funnel and fill the little moulds, when it will take a proper form and harden: as soon as it is cold take it from the moulds; dry it two or three days, and put it upon paper. If the _bon-bons_ are required to be coloured, add the colour just as the sugar is ready to be taken off the fire.

53. CANDIED GINGER.

Put 1 ounce of race ginger grated fine, a pound of loaf sugar beat fine, into a preserving pan, with as much water as will dissolve the sugar. Stir them well together over a slow fire till the sugar begins to boil. Then stir in another pound of sugar, beat fine, and keep stirring it till it grows thick. Then take it off the fire, and drop it in cakes upon earthen dishes. Set them in a warm place to dry, when they will become hard and brittle, and look white.

54. CANDIED HOREHOUND.

Boil it in water until the juice is extracted: then boil a sufficient quantity of sugar to a great height, and add the juice to it. Stir it with a spoon against the sides of the sugar pan, till it begins to grow thick, then pour it out into a paper case that is dusted with fine sugar, and cut it into squares; dry the horehound, and put it into the sugar finely powdered and sifted.

55. WHITE SUGAR CANDY.

Sugar crystallized by the saturated syrup being left in a very warm place, from 90 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and the shooting promoted by placing sticks, or a net of threads at some distances from each other in the liquor: it is also deposited from compound syrup, and does not retain any of the foreign substances with which it is loaded.

56. TO CLARIFY LOAF SUGAR.

Break the same into a copper pan, which will hold 1-3d more, put half a pint of water to each pound of sugar, mix one white of egg to every 6 pounds; when it rises in boiling, throw in a little cold water, which must be kept ready in case it should boil over; skim it the fourth time of rising; continue to throw in a little cold water each time till the scum ceases to rise, and strain it through a sieve, cloth, or flannel bag. Save the scum, which, when a certain quantity is taken off, may be clarified. The latter skimming will do to add to fermented wines.

57. TO CLARIFY COARSE BROWN SUGAR.

Put 50 pounds of coarse brown sugar into a pan, which will contain 1-3d more, pour in 20 pints of water, well mixed with 5 whites of eggs; pound 5 pounds of small charcoal, mix it in the pan while on the fire, and boil it till it looks as black as ink. If it rises too fast, add cold water, strain it through a bag, and though at first it will be black, continue to strain it until it becomes quite clear; which may be seen by putting the syrup in a glass. Put it back until it comes out as fine as clarified loaf sugar.

58. TO IMPROVE AND INCREASE SUGAR.

To 5 pounds of coarse brown sugar, add 1 pound of flour, and there will be obtained 6 pounds of sugar worth 10 per cent. more in colour and quality.

59. TO CANDY ORANGE PEEL.

Soak the peels in cold water, which change frequently till they lose their bitterness; then put them into syrup till they become soft and transparent. Then they are to be taken out and drained.

60. CANDIED LEMON PEEL.

This is made by boiling lemon peel with sugar, and then exposing to the air until the sugar crystallizes.

61. TO COLOUR CANDIED SUGAR.

_Red._—Boil an ounce of cochineal in half a pint of water for 5 minutes, add an ounce of cream of tartar, half an ounce of pounded alum, and boil them on a slow fire 10 minutes; if it shows the colour clear on white paper, it is sufficient. Add two ounces of sugar, and bottle it for use.

_Blue._—Put a little warm water in a plate, and rub an indigo-stone in it till the colour has come to the tint required.

_Yellow._—Rub with some water a little gamboge on a plate, or infuse the heart of a yellow lily flower, with milk-warm water.

_Green._—Boil the leaves of spinach about a minute in a little water, and, when strained, bottle the liquor for use. In colouring refined sugars, taste and fancy must guide.

62. DEVICES IN SUGAR.

Steep gum-tragacanth in rose-water, and with double refined sugar make it into a paste, and colour and mould it to fancy.

63. WHIPT SYLLABUB.

Rub a lump of loaf sugar on the outside of a lemon, and put it into a pint of thick cream, and sweeten it to taste. Squeeze in the juice of a lemon, and add a glass of Madeira wine, or French brandy. Mill it to a froth with a chocolate mill, take off the froth as it rises, and lay it in a hair sieve. Fill one half of the glass with red wine, then lay the froth as high as possible, but take care that it is well drained in the sieve, otherwise it will mix with the wine, and the syllabub be spoiled.

64. A SOLID SYLLABUB.

To a quart of rich cream put a quart of white wine, the juice of two lemons, with the rind of one grated, and sweeten it to taste. Whip it up well and take off the froth as it rises. Put it upon a hair sieve, and let it stand in a cool place till the next day. Then half fill the glasses with the scum, and heap up the froth as high as possible. The bottom will look clear, and it will keep several days.

65. SNOW BALLS.

Pare and take out the cores of five large baking apples, and fill the holes with orange or quince marmalade. Then take some good hot paste, roll the apples in it, and make the crust of an equal thickness; put them in a tin dripping pan, bake them in a moderate oven, and when taken out, make iceing for them; let the same be a quarter of an inch thick, and set them a good distance from the fire until they become hardened, but be cautious that they are not browned.

66. CAPILLAIRE.

Mix six eggs well beat up, with fourteen pounds of loaf sugar, and three pounds of coarse sugar. Put them into three quarts of water, boil it twice, skim it well, and add a quarter of a pint of orange-flower water: strain it through a jelly-bag, and put it into bottles for use. A spoonful or two of this syrup put into a draught of either cold or warm water, makes it drink exceedingly pleasant.

67. CONFECTIONARY DROPS.

Take double refined sugar, pound and sift it through a hair sieve, not too fine; then sift it through a silk sieve, to take out all the fine dust, which would destroy the beauty of the _drop_. Put the sugar into a clean pan, and moisten it with any aromatic; if rose-water, pour it in slowly, stirring it with a paddle, which the sugar will fall from, as soon as it is moist enough, without sticking. Colour it with a small quantity of liquid carmine, or any other colour, ground fine. Take a small pan with a lip, fill it three parts with paste, place it on a small stove, the half hole being of the size of the pan, and stir the sugar with a little ivory or bone handle, until it becomes liquid. When it almost boils, take it from the fire and continue to stir it: if it be too moist, take a little of the powdered sugar, and add a spoonful to the paste, and stir it till it is of such a consistence as to run without too much extension. Have a tin plate, very clean and smooth; take the little pan in the left hand, and hold in the right a bit of iron, copper, or silver wire, four inches long, to take off the drop from the lip of the pan, and let it fall regularly on the tin plate; two hours afterwards, take off the drops with the blade of a knife.

68. CHOCOLATE DROPS.

Scrape the chocolate to powder, and put an ounce to each pound of sugar; moisten the paste with clear water, work it as above, only take care to use all the paste prepared, as, if it be put on the fire a second time, it greases, and the drop is not of the proper thickness.

69. ORANGE-FLOWER DROPS.

These are made as the sugar drops, only using orange-flower water, or, instead of it, use the essence of naroli, which is the essential oil of that flower.

70. COFFEE DROPS.

An ounce of coffee to a pound of sugar will form a strong decoction: when cleared, use it to moisten the sugar, and then make the drops as above.

71. PEPPERMINT DROPS.

The only requisites to make these are, extreme cleanliness, the finest sugar, and a few drops of the essence of peppermint.

72. CLOVE DROPS.

These are made as the cinnamon drops, the cloves being pounded, or the essence used. Good cloves should be black, heavy, of a pungent smell, hot to the taste, and full of oil.

73. GINGER DROPS.

Pound and sift through a silk sieve the required quantity of ginger, according to the strength wanted, and add it to the sugar with clear water. China ginger is the best, being aromatic as well as hot and sharp tasted.

74. LIQUORICE LOZENGES.

Take of extract of liquorice, double refined sugar, each 10 oz. tragacanth, powdered, 3 oz.

Powder them thoroughly, and make them into lozenges with rose-water.

These are agreeable pectorals, and may be used at pleasure in tickling coughs. The above receipt is the easiest and best mode of making these lozenges. Refined extract of liquorice should be used: and it is easily powdered in the cold, after it has been laid for some days in a dry and rather warm place.

75. EXTRACT OF LIQUORICE.

The liquorice root is to be boiled in eight times its weight of water, to one half; the liquor is then to be expressed, and, after the fæces have subsided, to be filtered; it is then to be evaporated, with a heat between 200° and 212°, until it becomes thickish; and, lastly, it is to be evaporated with a heat less than 200°, and frequently stirred, until it acquire a consistence proper for forming pills. This is made into little pastilles, or flat cakes, often bearing the impression of the places where they are made; and a bit now and then put into the mouth, takes off the tickling of a cough. It should be sucked to make it pleasant, as much of the juice taken at a time is unpleasant.

76. LIQUORICE JUICE.