PASTILS OR CANDY DROPS Special utensils are required for this purpose—namely, a round-bot tom sugar boiler with pointed spout and a large piece of wrought iron or other metal with a hole in the center large enough to receive the bottom of the sugar boiler. The object is to prevent the heat from reaching the sides of the boiler and burning or discoloring the paste. The sugar for drop candy is not boiled but heated or baked, hence only a very small quantity of water is to be used.
As a general rule, 2 ounces of wa ter with the necessary liquid flavoring will take up about 15 ounces of sugar, or 2 ,ounces of fruit juice or pulp will be required for 15 ounces of su gar without the addition of any other liquid. Small quantities only should be made at a time, to facilitate mak ing the whole into drops before it hardens.
Pound the best quality of lump sugar and sift first through coarse and afterwards through a fine sieve. Place a little over 3i ounces of su gar in an earthen vessel and add i ounce of water, to which the neces sary flavoring matter has been added. If the sirup is too liquid, the drops will not form properly, and if too thick the sirup will not pour easily. Mix the sugar to a stiff paste and place it over a moderate fire. As soon as the sides begin to bubble, showing that the sirup is melting on the bottom, stir it a minute or two in the middle, and the moment it will run remove it from the fire, stirring constantly, and drop pastils the size of large peas' in close rows upon a sheet of tin. To cut off the pastils the right size, hold the pan in the left hand and use a curved wire sim ilar in shape to a hairpin.
Let stand for two hours, then hold the sheet over the stove, moving it back and forth to finish drying. But do not have the heat strong enough to remelt the candy, and remove them as soon as they are hard and brilliant, as otherwise they will lose their flavor.
Or pastils may be dropped on a sheet of stiff paper and left two hours to set firmly. Then the paper may be turned over a sieve and the bottom moistened with a soft brush dipped in water. Loosen the drops if necessary with a knife, and let them fall in the sieve. Then move the sieve gently back and forth, over a slow fire, until they are dry. Pas tils may be kept in closely stop pered glass bottles or fruit jars to exclude air and moisture. Use the above directions for all of the follow ing recipes: Peppermint Pastils. — Four drops of essence of peppermint, ounce of water, 3i ounces of sugar.
Raspberry Pastils.—Half an ounce of raspberry juice, 3/ ounces of su gar. Or a little less of the raspberry
juice may be found sufficient in some cases.
Currant Pastils. — Half an ounce of red currant juice, 4 ounces of sugar.
Rose Pastils. — Four drops of es sence of roses, 4 drops of prepared cochineal, I ounce of water, 31 ounces of sugar.
Orange Pastils.—The juice of 2 or anges strained, I ounce of orange sugar, 3/ ounces of sugar.
Ginger Pastils. — One teaspoonful Jamaica ginger, / ounce of lemon juice, 3/ ounces of sugar.
Clove Pastils.—Four ounces of oil of cloves, f ounce of water, 4 ounce of sugar.
Candy Drops.—In addition to the regular pastils, the following reci pes for candy drops are recom mended: Orange Drops.—Extract and strain the juice of 1 orange, grate up the rind, stir in a pinch of tartaric acid and thicken with confectioners' sugar to a stiff paste; roll into balls the size of marbles. These may be coated with chocolate if desired.
Acid Drops.— To 8 ounces of pounded and sifted sugar add 2/ ounces of water. Place in pastil su gar boiler and proceed as for pastil drops. When ready to remove from the fire stir in ounce of tartaric acid. As soon as this is stirred in form into drops as for pastils.
Cinnamon Drops.—Four drops of oil of cinnamon, / ounce of water, 3f ounces of sifted sugar. Add a few drops of prepared cochineal to color rose pink.
Coffee Pastils. — Extract the strength of 1 ounce of coffee by boil ing down in / pint of water for 6 minutes, strain and use / ounce of this liquid to 3f ounces of sugar.
Cocoanut Drops.—Beat up 1 pound of fresh grated cocoanut and / pound of white sugar with the whites of 6 or more eggs to a stiff froth. There must be sufficient white of egg to moisten the whole. Drop on buttered plates in pieces the size of maca roons. ' Currant and Raspberry Paste Drops.—Use 1 pound of currants or raspberries, or equal parts of each, boil and sift the pulp. Add an equal bulk of coarse sifted sugar. Boil down until it will harden in water. Drop on clean tin from a pastil sugar boiler in wafers the size of macaroons. Let sand for 2 hours to dry, and wrap up each piece in waxed paper, or pack between layers of paper and keep in a dry place.
Ginger Drops.—Pound and sift Chi nese ginger and stir in / ounce of water in quantity according to taste. To this add 3f ounces of sifted sugar and make into pastils.
Lemon Cream Drops.—Extract and strain the juice of 1 lemon and grate the rind. Stir in a pinch of tartaric acid, thicken with confectioners' su gar to a stiff paste, and form into balls as large as marbles.