Bonbon Centers

Cut candied fruits or nuts into small pieces, and work with a bit of fondant into small balls; let stand a few hours before dipping. Keep centers small so that bonbons will not be too large when finished.

Fondant Bonbons

Melt fondant over hot water; flavor and color as desired ; dip bonbon centers one at a time, and remove with a fork or confectioners' dipper; place on an oiled slab or platter until cold.

Chocolate Bonbons

Melt bitter chocolate in a cup over hot water, and dip centers the same as for Fondant Bonbons (see No. 687). Dot chocolate (sweetened) may be used if preferred. Confectioners' chocolate is best for dipping, but cooking chocolate is satisfactory if half a teaspoon of butter is melted with each four squares.

Quick Mints

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup boiling water

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar 3 drops oil of spearmint

Put sugar into a smooth, clean saucepan, add boiling water, and stir until dissolved; add cream of tartar, and boil to 234° F., or about five minutes; cool slightly, add flavoring, beat until creamy, and drop from a teaspoon on an oiled slab or platter. If mixture thickens before all is used, add a few drops of boiling water. Oil or essence of wintergreen, lime, orange, etc., may be used instead of spearmint, and mixture may be colored lightly to correspond with flavoring.

After-Dinner Mints

1/3 cup boiling water 4 drops oil of spearmint

2 cups sugar 1/4 cup molasses

Put sugar and molasses into a smooth, clean saucepan, add boiling water, heat gradually to the boiling point, and boil to 258° F., or until candy becomes brittle when tested in cold water; add flavoring, pour on an oiled slab or platter, and when cool enough to handle pull until nearly white; pull into long strips about half an inch in diameter, and cut in small pieces with scissors; roll in powdered sugar, and keep in a covered jar for several days before using.

Mint Paste

1 box granulated gelatine 2/3 cup cold water

1 cup boiling water

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice Grated rind 1 orange 5 drops oil of spearmint Green coloring

Soak gelatine in cold water five minutes; dissolve in boiling water; add sugar, and stir until dissolved; add lemon juice, and boil twenty minutes; add rind, flavoring, and coloring; pour into a small pan and let stand for several hours; cut into cubes and roll in confectioners' sugar. Oil of wintergreen, cloves, or cinnamon may be used in place of spearmint, and other coloring may be used.

Apricot Paste

Follow recipe for Mint Paste (see No. 694), omitting spearmint and coloring, and adding one cup of stewed and strained dried apricots (without juice); roll in confectioners' sugar, or dip in melted fondant or chocolate.

Turkish Delight

1 box granulated gelatine 2/3 cup strained orange juice 1 cup boiling water

2 cups sugar

3 tablespoons lemon juice Grated rind 1 orange

1/4 cup nut meats cut fine

1/2 cup candied fruit cut fine

Soak gelatine in orange juice five minutes; dissolve in boiling water, add sugar and lemon juice, and stir until sugar is dissolved; boil twenty minutes; add rind, and, when nearly cold, add nuts and fruit and pour into a small pan; let stand several hours, cut in cubes, and roll in confectioners' sugar. Paste may be colored pink by adding red gelatine to the orange juice.

Fruit Wafers

1/2 pound prunes 1/2 pound figs

1/2 pound dates

Juice and grated rind 1/2 lemon

Confectioners' sugar

Soak prunes and figs in cold water over night, drain and wipe dry; cut prunes from stones, stone dates, and put all fruit through food chopper, using finest cutter; add lemon rind, juice, and sugar enough to knead to a firm paste; roll on a sugared board to one-fourth-inch thickness, and cut in small rounds, squares, or diamonds. Or form paste into small balls, and roll in coconut or chopped nut meats. One-half cup of finely chopped nut meats may be added to the paste. This is an excellent filling for stuffed dates.

Spiced Raisins

2 cups large raisins seeded 1/2 tablespoon butter 2 tablespoons vinegar

2 tablespoons water 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon mace

1/4 teaspoon clove

Cook very slowly until raisins are plump and liquid has evaporated. Cool, and roll in granulated sugar.

Stuffed Dates

Wash one pound large dates, dry, and remove stones; stuff with plain fondant, or fondant mixed with candied fruits or nuts; or stuff with a seeded raisin, or a piece of date, fig, or pineapple. Roll in confectioners' sugar.

Stuffed Prunes

1 pound large prunes

1/2 pound dried apricots

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Wash fruit, soak over night, drain and dry; remove stones from prunes with a knife; put apricots through food chopper, mix with sugar, and fill prunes; roll in confectioners' sugar.

Marrons Glaces

2 cups sugar 1 1/2 cups water

1 tablespoon corn syrup 1 pint chestnuts

Shell one pint of chestnuts (see No. 243) and simmer in a syrup made of sugar and water until chestnuts are tender but not broken. Drain from syrup; cook the syrup with the corn syrup to 310° F., or until syrup begins to discolor. Remove saucepan from fire, place in a saucepan of hot water, put chestnuts on a dipping needle or long pin, and dip in syrup until thoroughly coated; place on an oiled platter.

Nuts And Fruits Glace

2 cups sugar

1 cup water

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Boil sugar, water, and cream of tartar to 310 F. Follow directions for dipping Marrons Glaces (see No. 700). Cherries, strawberries, orange sections, grapes, or mint and rose leaves may be dipped in the same way.