The Boston cooking-school cook book

melted, add sugar, milk, and molasses. Heat to boiling-point, and boil seven minutes. Add chocolate, and stir until chocolate is melted; then boil seven minutes longer. Remove from fire, beat until creamy, add nuts, raisins, and vanilla, and pour at once into a buttered tin. Cool slightly, and mark in squares. The nut meats and raisins may be omitted. Pralines 1⅞ cups powdered sugar 1 cup maple syrup ½ cup cream 2 cups hickory nut or pecan meat, cut in pieces Boil first three ingredients until, when tried in cold water, a soft ball may be formed. Remove from fire, and beat until of a creamy consistency; add nuts, and drop from tip of spoon in small piles on buttered paper, or mixture may be poured into a buttered tin and cut in squares, using a sharp knife. Creamed Walnuts White 1 egg ½ tablespoon cold water ¾ teaspoon vanilla 1 lb. confectioners’ sugar English walnuts Put egg, water, and vanilla in a bowl, and beat until well blended. Add sugar gradually until stiff enough to knead. Shape in balls, flatten, and place halves of walnuts opposite each other on each piece. Sometimes all the sugar will not be required. Peppermints 1½ cups sugar ½ cup boiling water 6 drops oil peppermint Put sugar and water into a granite saucepan and stir until sugar is dissolved. Boil ten minutes; remove from fire, add peppermint, and beat until of right consistency. Drop from tip of spoon on slightly buttered paper. BOILED SUGAR FOR CONFECTIONS Eleven tests are considered for boiling sugar:— Small thread, 215° F. Large thread, 217° Pearl, 220° Large pearl, 222° The blow, 230° The feather, 232° Soft ball, 238° Hard ball, 248° Small crack, 290° Crack, 310° Caramel, 350° Fondant, the basis of all French candy, is made of sugar and water boiled together (with a small quantity of cream of tartar to prevent sugar from granulating) to soft ball, 238° F. The professional confectioner is able to decide when syrup has boiled to the right temperature by sound while boiling, and by testing in cold water; these