HOME-MADE SWEETS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 20, Issue 496, 24 December 1948, Page 22

HOME-MADE SWEETS

OW that sugar is off the ration list, a reasonable amount of wholesome sweetstuff can be made at home. These recipes will be found especially useful at Christmas parties and family gatherings. A Few Hints Use a saucepan large enough for your candy to boil without boiling over. For stirring and beating it is best to use 4 long-handled wooden spoon-they do not get hot. An electric beater is grand for those sweets which need beating after. cooking. Fudge should be beaten until it loses its gloss and until a little dropped from a spoon holds its shape. Cocoa ‘may be substituted for unsweetened chocolate in the proportions of 3 tablespoons cocoa and 2% teaspoons of butter for each ounce of unsweetened chocolate, Don’t scrape the saucepan too closely when turning your candy out into a plate. You may cause the whole to go sugary. Fudge Without Butter Mix 2 cups sugar with 1 cup water in a large saucepan, and bting to the boil. Add 1 cup sweetened condensed milk and boil on low heat till the mixture will form a firm ball when tested in cold water. Stir constantly to prevent burning. Remove from heat, and add as much chocolate cut into small pieces, as desired; also a cup of chopped walnuts. Beat until thick and creamy. Pour into buttered tin or plate. Cut into squares when cool. Coconut Ice | This is an old New Plymouth recipe; 4 cups sugar; 2 cups desiccated coconut; 1 cup milk. Boil milk and sugar over low heat for 5 minutes; add the coconut and boil for 3 minutes, stirring all the time. Take from heat and stand the pan in cold water while you beat until it begins to thicken. Pour on to buttered plates. Don’t beat too long or it will become hard. 3 Cocoa Fudge One teaspoon milk, 1 tablespoon butter; 114lb. sugar, .2 dessertspoons cocoa; few drops vanilla, Boil about 25 minutes; remove from heat and beat till fairly thick. Then pour on to buttered dish and cut in squares when nearly . cold. Very nice with almonds added. Swiss Caramel Rinse out a saucepan with cold water, leaving about a teaspoonful in it. Put in 2oz. butter, 14% tablespoons golden syrup, and llb. sugar. When these have all melted together stir in 1 tin of sweetened condensed milk, and boil all very | slowly for 20 minutes, stirring all the time. Remove from heat and stir in about 2 teaspoons of vanilla and lb. to 1lb. of chopped walnuts. Pour out into buttered dish and score through when nearly cold. Toffee Apples | Boil till crackly 1 cup each of brown and white sugar, and 4% cup each of

water and vinegar. Remove from heat and dip im apples, on skewers. Dry. Wrap in greaseproof paper. Russian Toffee One tin sweetened condensed milk; 1lb. white sugar; 30z. butter; 20z. chopped nuts; ¥% teaspoon flavouring essence (vanilla, or as desired), Place all except the flavouring in thick saucepan over moderate heat. Stir until dissolved. Boil for 15 minutes, taking care it does not burn. Remove from heat and add flavouring. Beat till creamy. Pour into buttered dish and mark into squares before it is quite cold. Mice Take some fat: soft prunes, slit them one end, and remove the stone. Stuff with almond, or fondant, or cream cheese, or anything liked. Put in a strip

of liquorice from a liquorice strap, and press the opening shut, thus securing his tail firmly. Press the front to look like little mice-a nose, with two little bits of liquorice for ears, and silver cachous for eyes. Arrange on pedestal dish with tails hanging down, their noses towards a piece of cheese in the centre, Turkish Delight One pound of sugar, loz. gelatine; 1% pint cold water. Soak the gelatine in half the water until dissolved; put the sugar into the rest of the water in a pan until melted, add gelatine, and boil for 20 minutes. Pour into well-buttered soup plates. Colout one with cochineal and flavour with lemon or any other flavouring and leave till set. When set, cut in squares and roll in icing sugar. Old English Butterscotch One pound of best brown sugar; 4oz. butter; 1 tablespoon water; 20z. cream; a good pinch of cream of tartar. Dis-i solve sugar in the water, bring to the boil, then add cream of tartar. Continue boiling for 30 minutes without stirring. Take off fire and when it ceases to bubble, stir in cream and butter. Pour in buttered tins, mark in squares while warm, and when cold, wrap in waxed paper. Store in airtight tins, Home-made Marshmallows Two level tablespoons gelatine; 2 cups sugar; 1 teaspoon flavouring; 6 ‘tablespoons cold water; 1 cup boiling ‘water. Soak the gelatine in cold water. Boil sugar and boiling water until a little droppéd in cold water forms a stiff ball: Pour over gelatine; when cool, beat for 15 minutes, add flavouring, pour into dish which has been lightly greased and dusted with cornflour. When set, cut into squares, roll in icing sugar.