'Tis an ill cook that cannot lick his own fingers.

- Shakespeare.

THE "sweet tooth" is increasing in size in America. Sugar is a valuable food; and pure candies, rightly used, are good for children. The best time to eat candy is toward the end of a meal. Its abuse is in much munching between meals, which destroys the appetite for more needed food.

Fondant

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup water

1/4 saltspoon cream of tartar

Put the ingredients in a copper or granite saucepan; stir until the sugar is dissolved, but no longer.* Boil until the mixture makes a very soft ball when dropped in cold water. After it has boiled a few minutes sugar will adhere to the sides of the kettle: this should be washed off as soon as it forms, with the hand first dipped in cold water. Pour the mixture slowly on a moist marble slab or large platter; let it cool until pressure with the finger leaves a dent on the surface. If stirred while too warm or if cooked too long it will granulate and must be recooked, adding more water. When it will dent work the mass with a wooden spoon or spatula, keeping the mass in the center as much as possible. Continue to stir until creamy; then work with the hands until perfectly smooth. Put in a bowl; cover with oiled paper to exclude the air and let stand for twenty-four hours.

Make into balls for cream chocolates and centers of walnut creams, date creams, etc., adding flavoring as desired. For cocoa-nut creams stir in grated or dried cocoanut.

Quick Fondant

White of 1 egg

Confectioners' sugar

Flavoring

Beat the egg very stiff; stir in as much confectioners' sugar as the egg will hold; flavor and mold into small balls.

* A candy thermometer does away with much guesswork. Special directions are usually furnished with such conveniences.

Chocolate Creams

Roll fondant into balls; dip them in melted chocolate and stand them to dry on waxed paper.

The necessary utensils are a wire fork and a very small double boiler. The chocolate when melted should come nearly to the top of the inner boiler. Melt the chocolate; cool to about 80° F.; drop a ball of fondant into the chocolate; with a fork push it below the surface; remove carefully with the fork.

Chocolate Cream Mints

Melt fondant over hot water; flavor with oil of peppermint and drop from the tip of a spoon on waxed paper. When cool dip in melted chocolate as directed under the recipe for Chocolate Creams.

Nougat

White of 1 egg

2 tablespoons cold water

1 teaspoon vanilla Confectioners' sugar

2 pounds chopped nuts

Beat the egg to a stiff froth; add the water and stir in enough sugar to make a stiff paste. Turn out on a molding board well dusted with confectioners' sugar, and work the nuts into the paste. Roll out to the thickness of one half inch; cut into strips a half inch wide and an inch and a half long and put on waxed paper to dry.