In this country commercial glucose is manufactured from the starch of the Indian corn. The starch is suspended in water, the whole placed into large steam tanks together with some hydrochloric acid, the steam is turned on to these tanks and the whole brought up to a heavy pressure. By this means the starch is partially converted into dextrose, a sugar, and dextrin, a gum. When the conversion has reached the proper point the pressure is removed, the hot liquid is neutralized with sodium carbonate, filtered and evaporated to a thick liquid. The resulting compound contains about 35 per cent. dextrose, about 45 per cent.

dextrin, a small percentage of ash and the rest water.

A word of caution should be given concerning the time of eating sugar.

Obviously if candy is consumed before meals it will destroy the appet.i.te and interfere seriously with the meal. Obviously, also, it is unwise to eat heavily of candy before retiring. Notwithstanding her enthusiasm for vegetable candies the writer feels these cautions should be just as much observed with vegetable candy as with any other.

The whole question of the amount and form of sugar to be given to children, is one of utmost importance. Children lose more heat from the skin for every pound of body weight than do the adults, and because of this fact, require proportionately more heat. This heat can come only from food and sugar is the food which produces this heat most directly and most cheaply. This need for a heat producing food, it could be urged, could be readily met by the use of fat. The difficulty is that fat, and particularly fat meat, is generally disliked by the child.

Because of this distaste, his desire for all sorts of sweet things has undoubtedly a physiological basis. It is necessary, however, to observe very carefully the digestibility of sugar and sweetened foods in order to decide to what extent sugar is to replace starch in the dietary. The effect of sugar upon the appet.i.te for other foods must be given particular care. Mrs. Mary Hinman Abel, president of the American Home Economics a.s.sociation, says that, until a child's stomach is capable of digesting starch, the needed carbohydrate is furnished in the sugar of milk. The child a year old who drinks two quarts of milk per day takes in this way about three ounces of sugar. "As the stomach becomes able to digest starch," Mrs. Abel continues, "the child is less and less dependent on the sugar of milk, replacing it with the carbohydrates of vegetable origin, while the proteids and fat found in eggs, meat, and cereals take the place of those const.i.tuents that were at first exclusively furnished in milk. Milk, however, remains through childhood a valuable source of all these food principles.

"The fact that sugar has a high food value is not the only point to be considered. The child will easily obtain the needed carbohydrates in other forms and will thrive if the digestion remains sound and its relish for wholesome food unimpaired. For instance, one often hears it said that a certain child does not relish milk. In such cases it might be found that the child's appet.i.te, being sated by sugar in other foods, is no longer attracted by the mild sweetness of fresh milk, delicious as it is to the unspoiled palate. It would be well, perhaps, in this instance, to cut down the allowance of sugar in the hope of restoring the taste for so invaluable a food as milk. Dr. Rotch insists that the infant, even in its second year, should never be allowed to taste sweets. He says, 'When these articles are withheld it will continue to have a healthy appet.i.te and taste for necessary and proper articles of food.' Even much later, for the same reasons, the introduction of large amounts of sugar into the daily food of children is to be carefully considered. Children do not require a variety of flavors to stimulate the appet.i.te, but the taste is easily perverted and the backward step is difficult to take. Those who have studied the food habits of children seem to agree that sugar should from the very first be withheld from the dish that forms the staple food of the child--that is, the mush or porridge of oatmeal or some preparation of wheat or corn. This article of diet, eaten only with milk or cream, falls into the same cla.s.s as bread and milk, and forms the simple, wholesome basis of a meal. The sugar given the child is better furnished in the occasional simple pudding, in the lump of sugar, or home-made candy, not that its food value is better utilized, but the whole food of the child is thus more wholesome."

Mrs. Mary Hinman Abel concludes her discussion with the statement: "Sugar is a useful and valuable food. It must, however, be remembered that it is a concentrated food and therefore should be eaten in moderate quant.i.ties. Further, like other concentrated foods, sugar seems best fitted for a.s.similation by the body when supplied with other materials which dilute it or give it the necessary bulk."

It is this fact, from the point of view of the diet.i.tian, that commends vegetable candy so highly. The vegetable base gives the necessary bulk and dilution--in addition to adding other valuable food elements.

SECTION TWO

VIII

DECORATIVE CANDIES

I. FROM POTATO PASTE

Now that the use of vegetable bases is reduced to principles, the amateur confectioner need have no difficulty in working out in candy attractive and novel designs suitable to all special days and uses. And the best of it is--thanks to such a humble vegetable as the potato--she can follow her own ideas and fashion in confectionery a pattern that is all her own. Moreover, she can take comfort in the thought that in her product there is none of the highly injurious ingredients unfortunately all too common in some decorative candies.

As the foundation for one sort of decorative confectionery, potato paste must be made. Steam or boil Irish potatoes, drain them, and force them through a fine sieve,--the finer the better. With one-half cupful of Irish potato, so prepared, mix one tablespoonful of corn starch.

Gradually and carefully work in enough confectioner's sugar so that the mixture can be rolled.

The "fine sieve," be it noted, plays a conspicuous and important part in the making of candy from vegetables. Moreover, it should be borne in mind that no vegetable particle will either soften in or cook up into syrup. While cooking, the vegetable particles are just as individual as though they were in separate vessels; consequently they must be kept circulating as uniformly as is possible through the syrup in order to prevent the acc.u.mulation of ma.s.ses of vegetable matter of sufficient bulk and weight to sink to the bottom of the sauce pan and cause the mixture to burn. Moreover, should the mixture escape burning, it would develop gluey spots that would make the finished product lacking in the smoothness that is the ideal of the candy-cook.

Flavor and color this paste to suit, place it on a surface well dusted with confectioner's sugar and roll it to the desired thinness. Cut it in shapes to suit. Cooky cutters or any other tin cutters may be used.

More often, however, the amateur confectioner will prefer her own design.

Cut a pattern of the desired design from paper, or, if it is to be used repeatedly, from paste board. Oiling the pattern not only gives it a firmer edge and prevents tearing but also allows any sugar or paste that may have adhered to it easily to be wiped off. Lay the pattern over the paste, and, with a sharp pointed knife, cut along the edges. Lift the newly cut forms carefully with a thin knife and transfer them for drying to an oil cloth or, if this cannot be done, to a waxed paper or a tin very thinly dusted with confectioner's sugar. Do not move them again until they are dry. If it is desired to pack the candy, cook a crystal--a "crystal" is a syrup of one part water and three parts sugar--to two hundred and twenty degrees and after it has cooled five minutes, dip the confection into it.

It is not essential that the forms be dipped into the crystal nor is the crystal absolutely necessary to any of the confections that are often coated with it. All this is explained in Chapter V--Crystallization.

A knife which is of almost constant use in making decorative candies and which is particularly satisfactory for lifting small forms is a palette knife such as artists use for mixing their colors. It is thin, flexible and sufficiently sharp for cutting fondant. Also the blade lends itself to use in many different positions because its curved shape allows the hand a degree of freedom not possible with the ordinary knife. The palette knife is much better for freeing or lifting forms from a flat surface than a spatula or a case knife.

The imagination of the candy-maker will suggest special designs for special occasions. The fancy of the confectioner will suggest many attractive original forms, besides the traditional red and white hearts for St. Valentine's Day,--note ill.u.s.tration No. 17 in the frontispiece--the green shamrock for March 17, and the hatchet for Washington's birthday. Christmas, New Years, Easter, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Hallowe'en and innumerable local holidays, like Bunker Hill day and Patriots' Day of Ma.s.sachusetts,--all of these special occasions offer abundant opportunity to the candy-maker who realizes that from the paste can be made representations of anything from a firecracker to a regiment of soldiers. Cooky cutters may also be used indefinitely; what child would not like candy in the form of stars, dogs, horses, and trees?

=Green Leaves.=--An excellent ill.u.s.tration of the possibilities of potato paste is given by green leaves. As the basis for them, color potato paste green, by the use of green coloring paste, of the harmless vegetable sort, and flavor fairly strongly with peppermint. Roll the paste thin, cut out the leaves, using the point of a knife or a tin cutter, and model the veins. A small, blunt, wooden tool,--even a clean orange stick will do--should be used to make the depressions that are the veins. After the leaves have dried on waxed paper, dip into a crystal cooked to two hundred and twenty-five degrees. Drain them on a wire rack and dust them evenly with granulated sugar. It is well to use a thin bladed knife to lift the pieces. See the small box in the middle of the ill.u.s.tration facing page 98, and No. 1 in the frontispiece.

II. VIOLETS

=Violets.=--In hot weather violets do not take kindly to the "candying"

process, and in cold they are expensive and hard to get. There are no such limitations, however, to pop-corn and cocoanut. "Violets" made from them are especially good Christmas candies, because they are decorative and can be made a month or six weeks in advance--long before the last rush.

=Pop-corn Violets.=--Using the hard spots for centers, jam and break well-blown kernels of pop-corn until they resemble violets, as they will do with more exactness than would be thought. Boil one cupful of sugar and one-third cupful of water until a syrup is formed; the thermometer should register two hundred and nineteen degrees. After the syrup is cool, dip the pop-corn into it, making sure that the liquid forms an even and complete covering. As a thin crust begins to cover the syrup, keep pushing it down into the liquid. If this is done the syrup can all be used before it has time to harden. Immediately after the surplus has drained off, dredge lightly with powdered sugar, into which has been worked violet coloring paste, previously moistened with a few drops of violet extract, or even water. In this case the colored sugar should be a shade or two lighter than is desired for the finished product, as the syrup darkens the color.

Note No. 2 of the frontispiece.

=Cocoanut Violets.=--Mix the white of an egg, one-half cupful confectioner's sugar--the kind sometimes known as x.x.xX--and one-half cupful of Irish potato prepared as directed above. This makes more candy than the home confectioner ordinarily has use for, but directions for a smaller amount cannot well be given owing to the practical impossibility of dividing an egg. An easy way out of the difficulty, however, is to use as much of this mixture as is desired for the violets and to save the rest for use in making potato fondant, described hereafter.

Flavor this mixture with violet extract. Add the color with the extract, but remember that a little will go a long way. Use vegetable violet coloring paste until the color is a shade or two darker than is desired for the finished product. Stir in cocoanut until all the ma.s.s adheres to the cocoanut. Baker's cocoanut is better than the shredded, but often the shredded must be used, as the other size is becoming more and more difficult to obtain. If the shredded is used, break it so that each piece will not be more than one-half inch long. If the mixture does not then dry readily, stir in more confectioner's sugar.

To fashion the violets, dip the fingers into cold water, take up a quant.i.ty of the preparation about the size of a violet, and model into the shape of the flower. A little practice will enable the candy-maker to form objects that look more like violets than do the flowers themselves after they have been put through the candying process. Sift granulated sugar over each flower, shaking off surplus sugar. Dry on waxed paper. This confection would better be used within two or three weeks.

=Violet Boutonniere.=--From violets, preferably cocoanut, boutonnieres very attractive for favors can be fashioned. Have ready a supply of the violets, candied cress leaves, violet, green or tinsel foil, lace paper mats,--small paper doilies may be subst.i.tuted,--and number twenty-two wire. It is well to cut wires six inches long for they can later be trimmed or bent to form a stem of from three and one-half to four inches long. With a fine needle puncture the back of a cocoanut violet and insert the end of a piece of wire. To make the union firm, place a drop of thick syrup at the point at which the wire enters the mixture. Seven violets so treated will be sufficient for one boutonniere. In a similar manner, wire one less of the crystallized cress leaves. Put all the wires through the center of the mat. Group the violets about one placed in the center. As nearly all mats come with an even number of designs in the edge, it is much easier to arrange the boutonniere if the row of flowers next the mat contains an even number also. The leaves should be so arranged in a row underneath the flowers. Before an attractive arrangement can be made, some little experimenting may be necessary.

Wrap the wires with tissue paper and cover with foil. The making of the boutonnieres is not so difficult as it sounds, though some knack is required for the best results.

See the ill.u.s.tration opposite page 72.

III. FROM POTATO FONDANT

=Uncooked Fondant.=--Potato fondant is another base--even more useful than potato paste--upon which many confections may be built. There are two kinds--cooked and uncooked. To make the uncooked, boil or steam Irish potatoes, drain, and force them through a fine sieve. In all candy-making with potatoes, these directions are of the utmost importance. Unless the potato is carefully forced through a fine sieve, the candy made from it will have hard and gluey spots after it has dried out. Mix one-half cupful of the potato so prepared with the unbeaten white of one egg. Add gradually confectioner's sugar until the whole ma.s.s a.s.sumes the consistency of bon-bon cream. Several uses for potato fondant will be described below, but it may be subst.i.tuted for French fondant in any of the confections of which that is a part.

=Cooked Potato Fondant.=--With one-half cupful of potato, prepared as for the uncooked fondant, very thoroughly mix two cupsful of sugar and thin with two-thirds of a cupful of milk. Place the mixture on an asbestos mat over the fire and cook until thick--to the sticking point.

Pour the ma.s.s on a cold, damp marble and "cut in" like plain fondant.

Knead small quant.i.ties at a time until the whole batch is smooth. Pack in tins lined with wax paper.

The fondant can be used without additional sugar and does not stick to the hands. It is particularly useful as a covering.

=Modeled Candy.=--Modeled candy is easy to make, good to look at and good to eat. When shaped to imitate fruit or vegetables, it is useful as table decoration, and is always welcome for children's parties. Indeed, there is no sort of candy that is surer of a warm welcome by young or old!

The difficulty has been, however, that modeling with almond paste requires the use of ingredients that are very expensive and very often difficult to obtain. This has made experimenting in modeling rather expensive for the unskilled home candy-maker. Potato fondant, on the other hand, is inexpensive and so easily obtained that the amateur need not count the cost of failures while she experiments. By following the directions carefully very little practice in the modeling will give her a facility that removes her from the cla.s.s of unskilled modelers. If she prefers to use almond paste, the home candy-maker may do her practicing with potato fondant. Moreover, many young women have studied clay modeling and to them the modeling of candy is indeed simple. While the modeled candy that is sold in candy stores often--though not always--contains harmful substances, potato fondant is absolutely wholesome.

Potato fondant shows particular superiority over the almond paste in the making of small objects and all fine and thin work. The results are as attractive to the palate as to the eye, although candy modeled from potato fondant does not have the peculiar oily richness of the products fashioned from almond paste.

For one batch take as much of the uncooked potato fondant as the work in hand calls for. Into it work all the sugar that it will take. Stop the kneading just as soon as the mixture shows a tendency to crumble.

Model it into any form desired. It is best not to make the pieces too large. The modeling may be done with the small clay modeling tool now common in kindergartens and technical schools, or with a clean orange stick.

A thin sheet of gla.s.s will be found exceedingly satisfactory upon which to model. As the gla.s.s is thin, intricate flowers of many petals, for instance, can be slipped off with little disturbance. Use a thin knife to loosen and lift only slightly, slipping each model off with as little handling as possible. Another advantage is that the gla.s.s can easily be washed.

=Coloring.=--The vegetable coloring pastes which are sold for use in cooking are harmless. A set of the small jars ordinarily sold for ten cents a jar will probably be enough for any candy that the amateur may make in one season. The colors generally in the set are fruit red, leaf green, golden yellow, caramel, violet, damask, rose, mandarin, orange blue, salmon and chestnut.

These pastes may be used in three ways. They may be cooked or worked into a candy mixture or they may be used very much the same as water color pigments and applied with a brush.

In the first method it is well to remember that the shade should be mixed a little heavier than desired and must be very thoroughly mixed if used in fondant or prepared compounds. The rules of color combination prevail here as everywhere. So if grades of tone or different colors are desired almost any wish may be met by combination of color.

To get just the tone desired, after mixing the colors dissolve a small portion in water and then dip into this liquid a lump of sugar. If the tint is not the right one, it is easily changed.