This section is from the book "Centennial Cookery Book", by Woman's Centennial Association. Also available from Amazon: Centennial Cookery Book.
"Sweetmeats, messengers of strong prevailment in unhardened youth."-Shakespeare.
For all candy making it is important to have suitable kettles to boil in. Copper or porcelain lined are the best; iron will discolor the candy. Use a gas or coal oil stove as the heat can be better regulated. Granulated sugar is best. Candy should not be stirred while boiling. Cream of Tartar should not be added till the syrup is boiling. butter should be put in when candy is almost done. Flavoring is best put in when candy is poured in the plates to cool.
Two cups sugar, 1 cup vinegar. Boil but not stir until it crisps in cold water, turn on buttered pans, thin. When cold break and eat.
One cup sugar, 1 cup molasses, 1 tablespoonful sweet milk, 1 tablespoonful essence lemon, butter size of an egg.
Two pounds coffee sugar, 1 teacup water, 4 teaspoonfuls vinegar, 1 teaspoonful butter, 2 teaspoonfuls vanilla. Do not stir, and do not cook too long. Dry by dropping in cold water.
Two cups of brown sugar, 1/4 cup of water, 2 tablespoons of vinegar, a small piece of butter, boil 10 minutes and then put 1/2 cup of chocolate in the mixture, pour on buttered plates, when cool cut in squares.
Four cups of confectioner's sugar, 1 cup of Cream (flavoring), boil 6 minutes, beat till cool, when cool mould, and roll in 1 cake of melted chocolate. The creams of English Walnuts may be made in the same way.
Take equal amount of egg and water in 2 tumblers of the same size, put in enough confectioner's sugar to stiffen, flavor with vanilla, press in squares and put a piece of english Walnut on top.
Wash and open the figs and put a ball of Cream (such as used for chocolate drops) inside each fig.
Two pounds coffee sugar, 2 pounds almonds blanched and split, 1 pound raisins stoned, 1/2 pound figs, cut size of almonds, 1/4 pound citron, teacup of Cream, butter size of an egg. Mix with a little water as if making starch, add butter, Cream and vanilla. Boil until it begins to thicken, then put in the fruit and stir until creamed and white. Pour into wet napkin and roll up as if a boiled dumplin. Do not eat until entirely cold. It will slice like fruit cake.
One pound sugar, 1 cup water. Boil slowly 1/2 hour, clear with a little hot vinegar. Test by dropping into water, and when brittle, flavor strongly with lemon. Pour into buttered tins and when cool mark off into squares.
One quart of molasses, 1/2 cup of vinegar, 1 cup of sugar, butter the size of an egg, 1 teaspoonful of soda dissolved in hot water and stirred in just before removing from the fire, flavor to taste. When sufficiently cool pull until white.
Five cups of sugar, 6 tablespoons of water, 4 tablespoons of vinegar, 1 tablespoon butter. Boil (without stirring) till it crisps in cold water. Line buttered pans with peanuts and pour the candy over them. When nearly cold mark off into squares.
 
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