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Authors: Alice Bradley

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BOOK: The Candy Cookbook
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Mixtures of white of egg and sugar, with or without chopped nuts, when baked in the oven, are a cross between cakes and candies. To secure the best results, materials should be carefully combined and slowly baked.

Almonds shelled, blanched, and finely ground are the chief ingredient of almond paste. This can be made at home, or can be purchased ready for use in one pound, five pound, and larger packages, at about the same cost. It is the basis of a large variety of macaroons, and is also used for marzipan fruits, flowers, and vegetables.

Meringues or Kisses

4 egg whites

1 cup fine granulated sugar

½ tsp vanilla

Beat whites of eggs until stiff and add, a spoonful at a time, two thirds cup sugar, beating vigorously between each addition, and continue to beat until mixture will hold its shape. Carefully cut and fold in vanilla and remaining sugar. Drop from tip of spoon, or force through pastry bag and tube on tin sheet or wet board covered with a sheet of paper. Bake 30 minutes in a very slow oven, not allowing them to change color until the last few minutes, when they should become a very delicate brown. Remove from oven, invert paper and kisses, and wet paper with a damp cloth, when kisses may be easily removed.

French Meringues

2 cups sugar

⅔ cup water

5 egg whites

1 tsp vanilla

Put sugar and water in saucepan, stir until dissolved, and boil to 242°F (116.7°C), or until a firm ball is formed when tried in cold
water. When syrup is ready, beat whites of eggs until stiff, and add syrup slowly, continuing the beating. Set dish containing mixture in saucepan of cold water, add vanilla, and fold over and over for 5 minutes. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes. Shape with a spoon or pastry bag and tube on a buttered sheet dredged with cornstarch. Sprinkle with pink or yellow sugar, and bake 30 minutes in so slow an oven that the sugar does not discolor. Hearts, wreaths, stars, and roses are attractive shapes.

Mushroom Meringues

Force meringue mixture through pastry bag and plain tube in rounds one and one half inches in diameter, for mushroom caps. Shape stems three fourths inch in diameter and one to one and one half inches high.

Sprinkle all with grated chocolate or cocoa, rubbing it gently on with the finger. Bake in a slow oven, remove paper, and place caps on stems.

Turkey Meringues

Shape meringue mixture on paper with pastry bag and rose tube in the shape of turkeys. Shape the spread tail first on the paper, in front of tail shape the body, building it up in circles and shaping the head last.

Bake, remove from paper, and scoop out soft part, dry in oven, fill with ice cream, stand in a nest of green spun sugar, and serve.

Nut Meringues

To either recipe for Meringues add half a cup of chopped nut meats of any kind, and one fourth teaspoon of salt. Drop from tip of spoon, or force through pastry bag and plain tube, on tin sheet covered with a sheet of paper. Sprinkle with nut meats, and bake like meringues.

Coconut Meringues

2 egg whites

½ cup fine granulated sugar

½ tsp vanilla

Few grains salt

½ cup coconut shredded

Beat whites of eggs until very stiff, add slowly vanilla and one fourth cup sugar, continuing the beating. Fold in remaining sugar, salt, and coconut. Shape with spoon or with pastry bag and tube on tin sheet covered with paper, and bake 30 minutes in slow oven.

Praline Kisses

¾ cup almonds

2 tbsp water

¼ cup sugar

2 egg whites

⅔ cup confectioners’ sugar (icing sugar)

¼ tsp vanilla

1 tsp salt

Blanch almonds, finely shred three eighths cup, and dry slowly in the oven. Put water and sugar in small omelet pan, stir until it boils, add remaining almonds, and cook until the syrup is golden brown. Turn into a pan, cool, and force through grinder. Beat whites of eggs until stiff, add confectioners’ sugar slowly, continuing the beating, then fold in shredded and ground almonds, vanilla, and salt. Shape in cones on a tin sheet covered with paper. Sift sugar over them, and bake in slow oven 25 minutes.

Coconut Cakes

1 fresh coconut

2 tbsp corn syrup

7 tbsp sugar

1 egg white

Grate sufficient fresh coconut to make two cups. This will take about half a coconut.

Put with corn syrup and sugar in top of double boiler, and stir and cook until mixture clings to spoon. Add white of egg, and cook until mixture feels sticky when tried between the fingers. Spread in a wet pan, cover with wet paper, and cool; then chill by setting pan on ice in the refrigerator. Shape into balls, first dipping the hands in cold water. If one and one half tablespoons of mixture are used for each, ten cakes can be made. Heat a tin sheet slightly, and rub over with white wax, paraffin, or olive oil. Place balls on the sheet, and bake in a slow oven about 20 minutes.

Cornettes

Popped corn

1 egg white

⅓ cup sugar

¾ tbsp butter

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp vanilla

Candied cherries

Chopped almonds

Chop sufficient popped corn to make three fourths cup. Beat white of egg until stiff, and add gradually sugar, butter – softened but not melted – salt, and vanilla. Fold in popped corn, drop from teaspoon on buttered sheet, and shape in circular forms with a fork dipped in cold water. Place a piece of candied cherry in the center of each, sprinkle with finely chopped almonds, and bake in a slow oven until delicately browned.

Baked Peanut Candy

1 quart peanuts

1 egg white

1 cup brown sugar

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp vanilla

Shell one quart peanuts or use one cup shelled peanuts; remove skins, and put through coarse meat grinder. Beat white of egg until light; add slowly while beating constantly brown sugar, salt, and vanilla.

Fold in the ground peanuts, drop from tip of spoon on buttered tin sheet, and bake in a slow oven.

Date and Almond Meringues

¾ cup Jordan almonds

½ cup dates

2 egg whites

⅔ cup confectioners’ sugar (icing sugar)

½ tsp vanilla

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp lemon juice

Blanch the almonds, wash dates, and remove stones, and put both almonds and dates through meat chopper together. Beat whites of eggs until stiff, then add gradually, while beating constantly, one third cup sugar, the vanilla, salt, and lemon juice, and fold into the mixture the nuts, dates, and one fourth cup sugar. Drop from tip of spoon on buttered tin sheet one inch apart. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar, and bake in a moderate oven from 12 to 15 minutes.

Cinnamon Circles

1½ cups almonds

2 egg whites

1 cup powdered sugar

⅓ grated lemon rind

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup confectioners’ sugar (icing sugar)

Water

½ tsp vanilla

Chop almonds without blanching. Beat whites of eggs until stiff, add gradually the powdered sugar mixed with lemon rind and cinnamon, and fold in the almonds. Dredge a board or marble slab with flour and then with powdered sugar, turn out mixture, pat with rolling pin, and roll to one fourth inch in thickness. Shape with a small round cutter, place on a slightly buttered tin sheet, and bake in a moderate oven. Cover with frosting made of confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and enough water to make of the right consistency to spread.

Almond Paste

½ lb blanched almonds

1 lb confectioners’ sugar (icing sugar)

2 egg yolks

Rose water

Almond extract

Dry almonds and put through the meat chopper, using a fine grinding knife. Add confectioners’ sugar, and melt slightly over the fire, add yolks of eggs beaten until thick and lemon colored, and cook until mixture is thick enough to spread.

Mix rose water and almond extract in equal portions, and use to flavor the paste to taste.

Use additional rose water to make it the right consistency, working it on a slab with a spatula.

For macaroons it should be a stiff mixture; for shaping into flowers, fruits, etc, it may be a little softer.

Macaroons

½ lb almond paste

1 cup sugar (scant)

4 egg whites

⅓ cup confectioners’ sugar (icing sugar)

Break almond paste into small pieces, and mix with the hand, adding gradually the one scant cup of sugar and the whites of eggs, of which there should be a scant half cup. When perfectly blended, stir in the confectioners’ sugar.

Shape with pastry bag and tube on tin sheets covered with thin paper, and bake in a slow oven. Remove from oven, invert paper and macaroons, and wet paper with a cloth wrung out of cold water, when macaroons may be easily removed.

Christmas Macaroons

Frost macaroons with ornamental frosting, and decorate with a wreath of green frosting leaves tied with a red bow of frosting.

Almond Macaroons

Prepare macaroons as in recipe above, and before baking, sprinkle with almonds blanched, and shredded or chopped.

Almond Cakes

½ lb almond paste

½ cup confectioners’ sugar (icing sugar)

Egg white

Blanched almonds

Put almond paste and confectioners’ sugar through a puree strainer, and work with spatula until well blended. Add just enough unbeaten
white of egg to make mixture of such a consistency that it may be easily formed into balls. Roll each ball in slightly beaten white of egg, press two balls together for each cake, and where balls are joined insert in each ball half a blanched almond. Bake in a very slow oven.

Scrolls

½ lb almond paste

½ cup confectioners’ sugar (icing sugar)

1 small egg white

Chopped nuts

Work almond paste and sugar together on marble slab, add egg gradually, working it in with a spatula until mixture is perfectly smooth. Shape mixture, which should be quite soft, in a long roll. Cut off pieces three inches long, roll in nuts, shape like a scroll, and lay on a buttered tin sheet. Bake 20 minutes in a slow oven, and frost with confectioners’ sugar mixed with two tablespoons water and one teaspoon lemon juice.

True Lovers’ Knots

Put Scroll Mixture into bag with small tube in the end, and shape on buttered sheet like bow knots. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Bake 20 minutes in a slow oven.

Cornflake Macaroons

2 egg whites

1 cup sugar

½ cup shredded coconut

⅓ tsp salt

2 cups cornflakes

Beat whites of eggs until stiff, and add gradually the sugar and salt; then fold in the cornflakes and coconut. Drop mixture from tip of teaspoon on a well-greased tin sheet one inch apart. Bake in a moderate oven until delicately browned. Remove from pan while warm.

Chocolate Almond Macaroons

2 egg whites

¾ cup confectioners’ sugar (icing sugar)

1 oz unsweetened chocolate

½ cup Jordan almonds

Beat eggs until stiff, and add sugar gradually, while beating constantly. Carefully cut and fold in chocolate which has been melted and slightly cooled, and two thirds of the nut meats blanched and chopped. Drop mixture from tip of teaspoon on buttered tin sheet, sprinkle with remaining nuts, and bake in a slow oven.

Peanut Macaroons

2 egg whites

½ cup fine granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla

⅔ cup shelled peanuts

Beat whites of eggs until stiff, and add sugar and vanilla gradually, continuing the beating. Finely chop peanuts, and fold them into the egg mixture. Drop from tip of spoon on buttered and floured tin sheet, one and one half inches apart. Place half a peanut on each macaroon, and bake in a slow oven 12 to 15 minutes.

Pecan Macaroons

1 egg white

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup pecan nut meats

¼ tsp salt

Beat white of egg until stiff, add sugar gradually, continuing the beating. Fold in nut meats, finely chopped and sprinkled with salt. Drop from tip of spoon, one inch apart, on a buttered and floured sheet, and bake in a moderate oven about 12 minutes, or until delicately browned.

BOOK: The Candy Cookbook
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