Prunes In Brandy

Pack the plums in layers in a wide-mouthed bottle strewing a liberal quantity of powdered sugar over each layer; fill it up with the best brandy, cork, and stand the bottle in the corner on a warm stove. After a few hours time, remove the bottle, and after letting it stand for a short time, the plums are ready for use, although they are somewhat improved by longer keeping.

Raspberry Brandy

Blanch about twenty bitter almonds, and cut them into small pieces. Pick carefully over two pounds of ripe raspberries to remove all the stems and leaves, and place them in a quart bottle with the almonds and one pound of crushed sugar. Fill the bottle up with brandy and cork it tightly, and keep it in a warm place for a month. Shake the bottle occasionally, If possible the bottle should be exposed to the sun. At the end of that time it may be removed to a dry store-cupboard. The brandy ought to be kept ten or twelve months before it is used.

Candied Nectarines

Cut the nectarines to extract the stones, put the fruit in a pan with half their weight of crushed loaf sugar and one gill of water to each pound of sugar; boil over a good fire until the syrup is clear, carefully removing the scum as it rises. Skim out the nectarines, put them on flat dishes, cover, and let them remain for a day. Put the pan with the sugar over the fire and boil until it is thick, then add the fruit and boil slowly until quite hot. Take them out again, put them on a dish and let them remain for one day longer. Boil the syrup again, add the fruit, and let it remain for a short time. Place them on a sieve to dry, sprinkle them over with powdered sugar turning frequently until dry and candied when they will be fit for use. Candied nectarines will keep for some time.

Candied Or Crystallized Nuts

Put one breakfast cupful of sugar and same of water into a sugar boiler, and boil to the crack degree (see Sugar Boiling). Put the boiler into a saucepan of boiling water to keep the syrup hot, and dip in the required quantity of blanched nuts, sticking them on the point of a needle, or thin skewer to do so; then put them on a slightly buttered dish and let them cool. If not sufficiently coated with the syrup, dip them again. When dry they are ready to serve.

Candied Pears

Peel and core some pears and let them simmer in syrup, with a little lemon juice in it, for ten minutes; turn the pears out, pour the syrup over them, cover the basin and leave them till next day. Strain the syrup off the pears, boil it and pour over them again. Repeat this operation the two following days, giving in all four boilings. Drain the pears on a cane sieve, then, when quite free from moisture, put them a little apart from each other on wire trays, rest them on dishes and put them in a screen at a slow heat to dry them. Take the pears off the trays when cold and dry and pack them in boxes lined with white paper

Candied Plums

Stone and cut in halves some good plums of a nice shape, lay them in a shallow dish, dredge plenty of powdered sugar over and put in a moderate oven, keeping the door closed for half an hour; then remove and lay the plums separately on glass plates to dry.