Pralines

1 7/8 cups powdered sugar 1 cup maple syrup 1/2 cup cream

2 cups hickory nut or pecan meat, cut in pieces

Boil first three ingredients until, when tried in cold water, a soft ball may be formed. Remove from fire, and beat until of a creamy consistency; add nuts, and drop from tip of spoon in small piles on buttered paper, or mixture may be poured into a buttered tin and cut in squares, using a sharp knife.

Creamed Walnuts

White 1 egg

1/2 tablespoon cold water

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 lb. confectioners' sugar

English Walnuts

Put egg, water, and vanilla in a bowl, and beat until well blended. Add sugar gradually until stiff enough to knead. Shape in balls, flatten, and place halves of walnuts opposite each other on each piece. Sometimes all the sugar will not be required.

Peppermints

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup boiling water

6 drops oil peppermint

Put sugar and water into a granite saucepan and stir until sugar is dissolved. Boil ten minutes; remove from fire, add peppermint, and beat until of right consistency. Drop from tip of spoon on slightly buttered paper.

Boiled Sugar For Confections

Eleven tests are considered for boiling sugar: -

Small thread,

215° F.

Large thread,

217°

Pearl,

220°

Large pearl,

222°

The blow,

230°

The feather,

232o

Soft ball,

238o

Hard ball,

248°

Small crack,

290°

Crack,

310°

Caramel, 350°

Bonbons

The centres of bonbons are made of fondant shaped in small balls. If White Fondant is used, flavor as desired, - vanilla being usually preferred. For cocoanut centres, work as much shredded coacoanut as possible into a small quantity of fondant; for nut centres, surround pieces of nut meat with fondant, using just enough to cover. French candied cherries are often used in this way. Allow balls to stand over night, and dip the following day.

To Dip Bonbons. Put fondant in saucepan, and melt over hot water; color and flavor as desired. In coloring fondant, dip a small wooden skewer in coloring paste, take up a small quantity, and dip skewer in fondant. If care is not taken, the color is apt to be too intense. During dipping, keep fondant over hot water that it may be kept of right consistency. For dipping, use a two-tined fork or confectioners' bonbon dipper. Drop centres in fondant one at a time, stir until covered, remove from fondant, put on oiled paper, and bring end of dipper over the .top of bonbon, thus leaving a tail-piece which shows that bonbons have been hand dipped. Stir fondant between dippings to prevent a crust from forming.