"The daintiest last, to make the end most sweet."

- Shakespeare.

Fondant.

One quart of white sugar, I pint of boiling water. Pour the water over the sugar and stir until dissolved. Then place the stew-pan over a brisk fire and boil without stirring until it forms a soft ball when dropped in cold water. Keep the sides free from all granules by wiping them down with a wet cloth. Remove from the fire and place the pan in one of cold water until you can dip your finger to the bottom without burning. Beat hard with a spoon until the sugar is too hard to handle. Turn out on a flat tray and work as you would bread. This is the basis of all French candies, and can be flavored and shaped as you like.

"Potatoes."

Use the fondant above, working in as much desiccated cocoa-nut, about 2 cups, as it will hold. Season with Sauer's vanilla extract, and form into small oblong pieces, moulding them in the shape of potatoes with your fingers. Roll in cocoa and stick small pieces of nut in them for eyes. Do not melt the cocoa before using it.

A Good Taffy Pull.

One quart of molasses, 1/2 pound of butter; boil until thick and try in cold water. Just before it comes off the fire.pour in 1/2 cup of vinegar and beat for a minute. Pour on buttered tins and pull when cool enough to handle.

Cocoanut Drops.

One pound of dry cocoanut, I pound of pulverized sugar, whites of 2 eggs. Beat the egg and work it in the sugar and cocoanut. Season with Sauer's vanilla and form in small balls. Bake on buttered tins in a slow oven.

Brown Cocoanut Candy.

One pound of dried cocoanut, 2 ounces of butter, 2 cups of milk, 2 pound of brown sugar, Sauer's vanilla extract to taste. Boil the sugar, milk and butter until it ropes from the spoon; then beat the cocoanut in, and continue beating until hard. Pour on buttered dishes and block in squares.

Maple Creams.

Take one-half as much water as maple sugar, and boil it without stirring. When it is nearly done, drop in a small piece of butter. When it will harden in cold water, take off and beat rapidly until it becomes waxen. Make in small balls and place an English walnut on each side.

Chocolate Caramels.

Four pounds of brown sugar, 1/2 pound of Baker's chocolate, 1/2 pint milk, 1/2 pound of butter, 1 small bottle of Sauer's vanilla extract. Cook until it hardens when beaten well. Pour out on buttered dishes and stir until it sugars.

Cream Chocolate Caramels.

One and one-half pounds of brown sugar, 1/4 pound of chocolate, 1/4 pound of butter, 1/2 pint milk. Flavor with Sauer's vanilla. Cook for 10 minutes from the time it boils hard, and beat until it begins to sugar. Pour in buttered dishes and cut in blocks.

Cocoanut Caramels.

Use the above recipe, beating in 1/2 pound of dried cocoanut when the chocolate begins to sugar. Block in the usual size.

Nut Fudge.

Three cups of white sugar, 1 1/4 cups of cream, 1 cup of chopped nuts, Sauer's vanilla to taste. Boil cream and sugar for 10 minutes. Stir in the nuts - the kind you prefer - and stir briskly for a few minutes. Pour on greased tins and block when cold.

Cream Candy.

Three cups white sugar, 1 cup water, 1 teaspoon vinegar. Cook without stirring until it strings. Then beat until creamy, and add 1 cup of cocoanut and Sauer's extract of vanilla to taste. Cover the bottom of a flat dish (that has been greased) with chopped nuts, raisins, citron and cherries. Pour the candy over them and cut in squares.

Peanut Nugat.

Two cups shelled peanuts, pounded fine; 2 cups of white sugar. Put the sugar in a stew-pan and allow it to melt, stirring all the time. No water is necessary. When it has thoroughly melted, pour in the peanuts and mix quickly together. Remove from the fire at once. Wet the biscuit board well with cool water, also the rolling-pin, and pour the candy on the board. Roll as you would bread dough, keeping the rolling-pin thoroughly wet, until the candy is thin as a wafer. Cut in strips and break in small pieces. This candy requires rapid handling, or it will harden before it can be rolled thin enough.

Marroons.

Cook Italian chestnuts until they are soft. Peel and throw in a rich syrup. Stew until they are well coated in the sugar. Strain out and roll in pulverized sugar. Dry on buttered papers and pack away in sugar.

Peppermint Drops.

Three cups white sugar, I cup water, 8 drops oil of peppermint. Boil for 10 minutes and beat until creamy. Drop on oiled paper, or better yet, a marble slab.

Peppermint Cream Drops.

Use the recipe for fondant, adding enough peppermint to flavor. Shape between your fingers flat round pieces the size of a quarter and allow them to harden. The next day melt enough Baker's chocolate to cover them, and drop them in with a fork. Place on oiled paper to dry. They are firm and creamy, and if shaped well can hardly be told from the confectioner's.

Stuffed Dates.

Pit large dates and fill the centres with pecan nuts. Press three together and roll in powdered sugar. You can fill the centres with fondant, peanuts or almonds, and a very pleasant change for a filling is to use cottage cheese, moistened with butter, salt, pepper and a little sherry. Fill the openings and leave enough through the slit to show the color. Do not put them together or roll in sugar, but serve with coffee and salt wafers.

Marshmallow Creams.

Cut large marshmallows in half. Melt some fondant and dip the halves in it, coating them well. Let it dry a very little and dip in fresh cocoanut. Some can be dipped in melted chocolate after they have thoroughly hardened.

Stuffed Figs.

Take large dried figs and pull them apart, leaving the centre for a filling. Stuff with chopped nuts, citron, conserves, dates and raisins. Pinch the skin firmly together and mould them the shape of fresh figs. Dip in powdered sugar and use as a bonbon.