BONBONS To prepare bonbons it is necessary to have suitable lead molds oiled with the oil of sweet almonds, or starch prints of various shapes and sizes. These are filled by means of a suit able funnel with sirup in the state known as the blow.
To test the sugar, dip the skimmer, strike it against the sides of the pan, and blow through the holes. If small bubbles and gleams of light may be seen, it is in the right condition. Add a few drops of any desired flavoring matter, and if coloring matter is de sired add the color just as the sugar is taken from the fire. If the bon bons are to be white, let the sugar cool a little, and stir it in the pan until it grains and shines on the sur face.
Allow the molds to cool, and let stand two or three days. As soon as the melds are cold remove the bon bons on waxed paper, and let stand two or three days to dry.
Chocolate and Vanilla Cream Bon bons. — Strain through a piece, of muslin 1 ounce of fine picked gum arabic, soaked in gill of wa ter. Add a few drops essence of va nilla, and stir in as much icing sugar as it will take, working it into a stiff but soft and yielding paste. About 1 pound of sugar will be required. Dissolve 2 ounces of French choco late with a tablespoonful of water in an oven. Beat up the mixture, and work smooth, and add to it the white of 1 egg beaten as for icing.
Mold suitable drops of vanilla cream fondant; place these on a sheet of waxed paper or plain paper brushed with fine sugar, and let stand until hard. Dip these creams in the chocolate coating in the usual way.
Almond Bonbons. — Mold almond paste into any desired shape, and dip them into melted fondant.
Cocoanut Marshmallow Bonbons. —Cut fresh marshmallows into quar ters or any desired shape, dip in melted fondant, roll in grated cocoa nut, and set on waxed paper to hard en. The fondant may be of various tints and flavors for variety. Use if possible fresh coarsely grated cocoa nut, as if too fme it will not adhere well to the fondant. Or desiccated
cocoanut may be used, if necessary, but is not equally good.
Cocoanut Maple Bonbons.—Grate fine 1 fresh cocoanut and stir it into a pound of soft maple cream or fon dant. Mix the mass with the hands until thoroughly incorporated. Roll and cut out with a small candy cut ter, roll into round balls with the palms, let stand to harden slightly, and dip in cream fondant or choco late as preferred.
Cocoanut Strawberry Bonbons.— To 1 freshly grated cocoanut add about four times as much, by bulk, stiff fondant, mix thoroughly with the hands, and mold into conical shapes the size of strawberries. When dry dip into melted fondant flavored with strawberry and tinted pink. Afterwards roll in red sugar sand.
Maple Bonbons.—Use maple sugar instead of granulated to make a cream or fondant in the usual man ner.
Or use part maple sugar and part granulated sugar. Form this fon dant, when of a soft and creamy con sistency, into any desired shape, let stand to harden, dip in melted cream or fondant, and place on waxed pa per to harden.
Jelly Cream Bonbons.—Obtain a starch tray having molds with two sections, one smaller than the other. Cook a suitable quantity of apple jelly to a stiff consistency, and with this by means of a funnel fill one half of the mold. Let cool and fill the re mainder of the mold with the melted fondant of the consistency of ordi nary cream. A variety of different tints and flavors and molds of differ ent shapes and sizes may be used to produce different effects.
Pineapple Bonbons.—Dip in melt ed fondant pineapples cut into fancy shapes and place on waxed paper to harden.
Walnut Bonbons.—Mix equal parts of chopped black walnuts with a soft fondant, mold to any desired shape, dip in chocolate, maple or cream fon dant and arrange on waxed paper to harden.