KINDS OF CANDIES Among the many sorts of candy turned out by professional confec tioners, certain standard makes or kinds may be noted which admit of a general description. One important distinction is between the cooked can dies, the basis of which is the clari fied sirup boiled to the required de gree, and the uncooked candies.
The secret of uncooked candy con sists in using Confectioners' XXX or other very finely powdered sugar. Ordinary powdered sugar is not suit able for this purpose, as it will be found if tested between the thumb and finger to have a rough grain, whereas the Confectioners' XXX su gar is as fine as starch. Uncooked candies may be made equal to the finest French cream. They should be allowed to stand twenty-four hours or more before being eaten.
Among the standard sorts of cooked candies are fondant or cream, which may be clarified sirup boiled to the soft-ball degree and creamed by dipping or working with a wooden spoon or paddle, or by beat ing up Confectioners' XXX sugar with white of egg and water or milk. These fondants are the foundation of chocolate and other cream candies, and many others.
Bonbon is a general name for fancy candies, the heart or center of which may be made of nuts, fruits, or any sort of sweetmeats, and af terwards dipped in melted fondant either of plain white sugar sirup, or sirup containing chocolate, coffee, or other flavoring matter, and tinted with various coloring matters accord ing to taste.
Creams and cream candies are made of simple fondant with the addition of nuts, fruits, or sweet meats stirred in, or having the fon dant poured over them, or other wise.
Molasses Candy consists of mo lasses in place of sugar sirup boiled down with or without a mixture of sugar or glucose.
Butter-scotch and Taffy may con sist of either molasses or sugar sirup with the addition of butter and fla voring matter.
Pastils or Drop Candy usually con sist of simple clarified sirup with a small quantity of water and flavor ing extract.
Kisses and Marshmallows are sim ple sirup beaten up with the white of egg or gum arabic.
Fruit and Nut candies are mixtures of various sweetmeats with simple fondant.
Macaroons and Ratafias consist of almonds beaten up with simple sirup and white of egg.
Pralines or candied almonds are blanched almonds coated by immer sion in boiling sirup.
Candied Fruit and other sweet meats are made by pouring over them the clarified sirup boiled to the feather degree. This is afterwards withdrawn, leaving the sweetmeats coated with sugar in a form which crystallizes after a while.
Caramels are made of hard-baked candy with the addition of various sweetmeats and flavoring extracts.
Degrees for Kinds of Cindy. The following are general rules as to the state or degree of sugar boiling best adapted to the different sorts of candy, but these may be varied more or less by particular recipes which should, of course, be carefully ob served: Ordinary Fondant or French Cream is boiled to the soft ball.
Sugar, Cream, or Molasses Candy for a " candy pull" to the snap or crack.
Taffy and Butter-scotch the same.
Pastils or Drop Candy.—Boil as little as possible; the candy should merely be dissolved.
Kisses, Marshmallows, and Maca roons are not boiled (except French kisses, which are boiled to the thread), but are beaten up with white of egg and browned in a bak ing oven.
Sirup for Candied Sweetmeats boiled to the feather or flake. Pralines boiled to the pearl. Caramels boiled to the caramel or hard-baked degree.