Page:The White House Cook Book.djvu/495

 CONFECTIONERY. 455

MOLASSES CANDY.

PUT one quart of West India molasses, one cupful of brown sugar, a piece of butter the size of half an egg, into a six-quart kettle. Let it boil over a slack fire until it begins to look thick, stirring it often to prevent burning, Test it by taking some out and dropping a few drops in a cup of cold water. If it hardens quickly and breaks short between the teeth it is boiled enough. Now put in half a teaspoonf ul of baking soda, and stir it well; then pour it out into well-buttered flat tins. When partly cooled, take up the candy with your hands well buttered then pull and double, and so on, until the candy is a whitish yellow. It may be cut in strips and rolled or twisted.

If flavoring is desired, drop the flavoring on the top a& it begins to cool, and when it is pulled, the whole will be flavored.

STRAWBERRY CONSERVE.

PREPARE the fruit as for preserving, allowing half a pound of loaf sugar to one pound of fruit. Sprinkle the sugar over the fruit at night; in the morning, put it on the fire in a kettle and boil until the berries are clear. Spread on dishes and put in the sun until dry ; after which roll the fruit in sugar and pack in jars.

PEACH CONSERVE.

HALVE the peaches and take out the stones ; pare. Have ready some powdered white sugar on a plate or dish. Boll the peaches in it several times, until they will not take up any more. Place them singly on a plate, with the cup or hollow side up, that the juices may not run out. Lay them in the .sun. The next morning roll them again. As soon as the juice seems set in the peaches, turn the other side to the sun. iWhen they are thoroughly dry, pack them in glass jars, or, what is still nicer, fig-drums. They make an excellent sweetmeat just as they are ; or, if wanted for table use, put over the fire in porcelain, with a very little water, and stew a few minutes.

PEACH LEATHER.

STEW as many peaches as you choose, allowing a quarter of a pound of sugar to one of fruit ; mash it up smooth as it cooks, and when it is dry enough to spread in a thin sheet on a board greased with but- ter, set it out in the sun to dry; when dry it can be rolled up like

�� �