Dried fruits are rich in sugar, which is the reason that they can be kept for a long time. Some of them need little preparation to make them take the place of candy.

Nuts furnish the foodstuffs in which fruits are deficient. When fruits and nuts are combined, very nutritious candies are obtained. A few combinations are given in this chapter, and others can be made as fancy and circumstances dictate.

A study of the food values on page 15 will show what an important place these combinations may hold in the diet, even taking the place on a tramp or a railroad journey of bread and meat. A basket of salted nuts and stuffed fruits makes a gift that is always appreciated.

To Blanch Almonds Cover shelled almonds with boiling water, let stand two minutes, drain, cover with cold water, again drain. Brown skins can be easily slipped off with the fingers. Dry the nuts on a towel or piece of cheesecloth. Pistachio nuts and English walnuts may be blanched in the same way.

Salted Mixed Nuts

Beat the white of one egg slightly, add nut meats of many kinds, and stir until they are entirely covered with the egg. Remove nuts from the egg and put in a dripping pan, sprinkle with salt and bake in a hot oven until nuts are heated through. Keep oven door open while baking, and stir nuts often, that they may not burn.

Salted Almonds

1 cup Jordan almonds

½ cup olive or cooking oil

Salt

Cover almonds with boiling water, let stand two minutes, drain, cover with cold water, again drain, and remove brown skins. Dry on a towel. Heat oil in very small frying pan; when hot, put in enough almonds to cover bottom of pan, and stir until delicately browned. Remove with spoon or small skimmer, taking up as little oil as possible. Drain on brown paper, and sprinkle with salt. Repeat, until all are fried. Cottonseed oil, peanut oil, or half lard and half clarified butter may be used instead of olive oil.

Salted Peanuts

1 cup raw peanuts

½ cup cooking oil

Remove skins from peanuts and fry same as salted almonds.

Salted Pecans

1 cup pecan nut meats

½ cup cooking oil

Use whole nut meats and fry same as Salted Almonds. Be careful that they do not remain in the fat too long. As they are dark, the color does not show when they are sufficiently cooked.

Spiced Nuts

Prepare salted nuts, and when sprinkling with salt sprinkle also with powdered clove, powdered cinnamon, or a mixture of spices. Popcorn may be prepared in the same way. Use instead of salted nuts.

How To Color Almonds

Blanch and chop almonds, spread on white paper, and add a few drops of color. Rub together until pieces are all colored alike, then dry carefully, and keep in covered glass jar. Green chopped almonds may be used instead of pistachio nuts, if the latter are not obtainable.

Sugared Peanuts

1 cup shelled roasted peanuts 1 cup sugar

½ cup water

½ teaspoon vanilla

Remove brown skins from peanuts, put nuts in a saucepan, and keep in a warm place. Put sugar and water in another saucepan, stir until sugar is dissolved, and boil without stirring to 238° F., or until candy forms a soft ball when tried in cold water. Hold pan of peanuts several inches above the fire and shake vigorously while slowly pouring syrup over the nuts. Occasionally stir the nuts, then add remaining syrup drop by drop until all is used. Nuts should be evenly covered with a coating of sugar. If coating is not thick enough, more sugar and water may be boiled and added as before.

Sugared Almonds

1 cup shelled almonds 1 cup sugar

½ cup water

½ teaspoon vanilla

Proceed as in making Sugared Peanuts, blanching the almonds or not, as preferred.

Stuffed Dates

Wash and stone as many dates as are needed and stuff with any of the following:

English walnut meats, broken in pieces Pecan nut meats, broken in pieces Salted peanuts, chopped Peanut butter Candied ginger, cut fine Candied pineapple, cut fine Roasted almonds Brazil nuts, brown skin removed

After stuffing, roll the dates in granulated or powdered sugar, and arrange on a doily, or pack in layers in a box between wax paper.

Fried Stuffed Dates

¾ pound dates

2 tablespoons butter

½ cup chopped nuts½teaspoon vanilla

1 cup Cocoanut

Wash and dry dates, remove stones, and saute in butter on both sides. Stuff dates with chopped nuts flavored with vanilla, and roll dates in shredded Cocoanut. Wrap in wax paper and twist the ends, or pack in layers in a box lined with wax paper.

Stuffed Figs I

16 figs

8 maraschino cherries

16 pecan nut meats Granulated sugar

Use figs that come in boxes, baskets, or in glass jars. Wash them, dry on cheesecloth, make an opening in each, and stuff with half a maraschino cherry, and one nut meat broken in pieces. Roll in granulated sugar, and put in paper cases.

16 figs

½ cup salted almonds

Granulated sugar

Use figs that come in boxes, baskets, or in glass jars. Wash them, dry on cheesecloth, make an opening in each, and stuff with salted almonds finely chopped. Roll in granulated sugar, and put in paper cases.

Stuffed Figs III

16 figs

8 marshmallows

16 walnut meats Granulated sugar

Use figs that come in bags, baskets, or glass jars, rather than pressed figs; wash and dry them, make an opening in each, stuff with half a marsh-mallow and a chopped walnut cut fine. Roll in granulated sugar, and place in paper cases.

Stuffed Prunes

1 pound selected prunes

Confectioners' sugar

Selected prunes may be purchased in glass jars, with from twenty-eight to forty-five prunes in a pound. Remove stones, stuff half the prunes, each with another prune, and roll in confectioners' sugar. If preferred, fondant or chopped salted nuts may be used for stuffing.