For inexperienced candy makers, and the children who want to make their own sweets, there are several varieties of uncooked candy that can hardly fail to come out successfully.

Confectioners sugar, which is finer than powdered sugar, must be used where called for, or the candies will not harden properly. This sugar should be kept in a closely covered jar or pail and be sifted before using, to free it from lumps. If the lumps are very hard, a large sheet of clean paper should be spread on the table and the sugar rolled on it with a rolling pin until smooth, then sifted through a fine sieve.

Uncooked Cream Fondant

2 tablespoons heavy cream I teaspoon corn syrup

1 cup confectioners' sugar Flavors

Colors

Put cream and light-colored corn syrup in a bowl, add sifted sugar gradually, stirring until smooth, and add as much sugar as is necessary to make a stiff paste. Add flavoring or coloring as desired and use as a filling for dates, fruits, nuts, or as centers for bonbons or chocolates.

It may be warmed (but not made hot) over hot water, and nuts, cherries, grapes, sections of orange, and fondant centers be dipped in it. It will have to be kept over the hot water, stirred constantly, and frequently put for a few moments over the fire.

Uncooked Egg Fondant

White 1 egg

½ tablespoon cold water

J teaspoon vanilla

2 cups confectioners sugar

Put egg white, water, and flavoring in a bowl, and beat until well blended. Sift sugar and add one spoonful at a time, stirring until well mixed, before each addition. Continue adding a spoonful at a time until mixture is very stiff, then take out on a board, and knead with the hands until perfectly smooth. Use as stuffing for dates, for nut creams, or for centers for chocolates and bonbons.

Fondant may be colored by the addition of pink, green, yellow, lavender, or orange color paste, and other flavors may be used instead of vanilla.

Utensils Used in Making Candy.

A Variety of Uncooked Candies.

Uncooked Candies

Almond Creams

Almonds Fondant

Plain or colored granulated sugar

Blanch almonds (see page 166), and place one on each side of a small ball of fondant, or cover almonds with fondant, shape like a very small egg, and roll in granulated sugar.

Cherry Creams I

Fondant

Candied cherries

Take fondant, cooked or uncooked, of any color or flavor? roll out one eighth inch thick, shape with round cutter one and one half inches in diameter, and roll around cherry, leaving a small portion exposed. Place in paper cases. Vanilla, coffee, and pistachio fondant look particularly well with the cherries.

Cherry Creams II Select as many firm, smooth, candied cherries as are desired. Cut each cherry, starting at the open end, into four sections, and separate into petals. Make a tiny hole at the other end, and insert a strip of angelica one and one half inches long for a stem. Place a small ball of fondant between the petals, and arrange on a doily, or use on top of a box of bonbons.

Cherry Creams III Cut candied cherries almost in two; between the halves of each cherry place a flat ball of fondant, press together gently, and roll in coarse granulated sugar.

Uncooked Cocoanut Creams

3 tablespoons heavy cream

Lavender color paste

I cup confectioners' sugar

½ teaspoon violet essence or vanilla 1 cup shredded cocoanut

Color the heavy cream a deep shade of lavender, add flavoring and cocoanut, and let stand ten minutes. Then add sifted sugar, heat over hot water until softened, and drop from the tip of a fork on wax paper, in rough balls the size of a chocolate cream. Leave until firm. Color paste may be omitted, or other colors may be used instead of lavender.

Coffee Creams

4 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons ground coffee

1½ cups confectioners sugar

Put water and coffee in a saucepan, bring to the boiling point, boil two minutes, and strain through double cheesecloth. Add sufficient confectioners' sugar to stiffen, and knead until smooth. Use for walnut, pecan, or cherry creams, as centers for chocolates or bonbons, or roll out . one fourth inch thick, cut with a small round cutter, and roll in granulated sugar.

Date Creams

Dates

Fondant

Chopped nuts

Wash dates and remove stones. Fondant, either cooked or uncooked, may be used. Flavor and color fondant as desired, roll in small cylinders, put into the dates where the stone was removed, and roll in granulated sugar. Pile on a bonbon dish, or pack in layers in a candy box with waxed paper between each layer. Chopped nuts may be mixed with the fondant, or the edge of the fondant projecting from the date may be dipped in chopped nuts.

Uncooked Fudge

7 pounces sweet coating chocolate I tablespoon butter I cup confectioners' sugar

2 eggs

1 cup English walnut meats 1½ teaspoons vanilla

Melt chocolate over hot water, add butter, sugar, yolks of eggs beaten until thick and lemon colored, whites of eggs beaten stiff, walnuts cut in pieces, and vanilla. Spread in buttered pan, and when firm cut in squares. This fudge is always soft and creamy.

Ginger Creams

2 tablespoons ginger syrup Confectioners' sugar

4 tablespoons chopped preserved ginger

Mix syrup from a jar of preserved ginger with two tablespoons of the chopped ginger, and add sifted confectioners' sugar until stiff enough to knead. Knead until smooth, shape in small balls, and decorate with small pieces of preserved ginger.

Lemon Creams

2 tablespoons lemon juice Few drops lemon extract

Sifted confectioners' sugar Yellow color paste

Mix lemon juice and extract, and add sugar slowly until stiff enough to knead, adding color paste to make a delicate yellow. Knead with the hands until smooth, roll one fourth inch thick, and cut out with a small round cutter.