Starch Moulds. — These are little plaster of Paris casts, which are used for making impressions in starch when moulding fondants. Several are generally fixed together on a strip of wood. If these are not to be had, impressions may be made in the starch with the end of a spoon, the stopper of a bottle, or seal, or thimble, &c. Nougat Frames. — Small wooden frames which are used for shaping nougat and other sweets. They are not expensive. Rubber Mats. — These are also used for moulding fondants, &c. They are somewhat costly. Marzipan Moulds. — Little fancy moulds used when making up marzipan in various shapes. The simple ones are made of tin, very small, and in a variety of patterns. Others are double, made of a special metal mounted on plaster of Paris. Saccharometer or P6se Syrop. — An instrument used for measur- ing the exact quantity of sugar in a syrup. It is only necessary in the higher branches of confection- ery, where a very accurate test is required. It consists of a glass tube with a bulb at the end con- taining quicksilver. The tube is marked off in degrees from 0° to 50°, and, contrary to the ther- mometer, it reads from the top downwards. The syrup that is being tested should be put into a tin or glass test tube, or a tall narrow bottle will do, and the saccharometer dropped into it. Sundries. — A hair sieve, a gill and pint measure, 2 or 3 wooden spoons, 1 large and 1 small pointed Saccharometer knife, a palette knife, 1 or 2 egg brushes, and a rolling-pin will all be found useful in the sweet-maker’s outfit. MATERIALS FOR SWEET MAKING Sugar. — Must be of the best quality, and for the finer sweets cane sugar only should be used. Good granulated sugar is suitable for most kinds of sweets. Buy it from a reliable grocer and store it in a dry place. Glucose, or starch sugar, is used in various sweets to prevent the sugar graining and to make them keep. It is quite wholesome, and has no unpleasant taste. Chocolate. — Both sweetened and unsweetened chocolate will be required. Buy a good quality of plain chocolate, but not necessarily an expen- sive one. Butter. — Choose a good quality, and for the finer sweets fresh butter will be required. Cocoa Butter. — This is melted and added to chocolate to make it of the right consistency for coating. Colourings. — Pure vegetable colourings are the best to use. Carmine, green, yellow, coffee-brown, and blue are useful colours to have. Essences. — Buy these in as concentrated a form as possible. Almond, ginger, lemon, orange, rose, and vanilla are useful ones to have. Gelatine. — Use French sheet gelatine or other of a good make, and without a gluey taste. Ir is better always to keep to the same make, as they vary somewhat in strength. Cream of Tartar and Tartaric Acid. — These are sometimes used instead of glucose to prevent sugar graining. Lemon juice and acetic acid can be used in the same way. Starch. — This is used principally for moulding sweets. What is known as confectioner’s starch should be bought. It must be kept in a warm place, and dried and sieved before use. Nuts. — When possible it is best to buy these ready shelled. Most nuts are improved by toast- ing a few minutes in the oven before they are used, as this helps to bring out the flavour. Italian chestnuts are the best for marrons glacis.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Starch Moulds. — These are little plaster of Paris casts, which are used for making impressions in starch when moulding fondants. Several are generally fixed together on a strip of wood. If these are not to be had, impressions may be made in the starch with the end of a spoon, the stopper of a bottle, or seal, or thimble, &c. Nougat Frames. — Small wooden frames which are used for shaping nougat and other sweets. They are not expensive. Rubber Mats. — These are also used for moulding fondants, &c. They are somewhat costly. Marzipan Moulds. — Little fancy moulds used when making up marzipan in various shapes. The simple ones are made of tin, very small, and in a variety of patterns. Others are double, made of a special metal mounted on plaster of Paris. Saccharometer or Pèse Sirop. — An instrument used for measuring the exact quantity of sugar in a syrup. It is only necessary in the higher branches of confectionery, where a very accurate test is required. It consists of a glass tube with a bulb at the end containing quicksilver. The tube is marked off in degrees from 0° to 50°, and, contrary to the thermometer, it reads from the top downwards. The syrup that is being tested should be put into a tin or glass test tube, or a tall narrow bottle will do, and the saccharometer dropped into it. Sundries. — A hair sieve, a gill and pint measure, 2 or 3 wooden spoons, 1 large and 1 small pointed Saccharometer knife, a palette knife, 1 or 2 egg brushes, and a rolling-pin will all be found useful in the sweet-maker’s outfit. MATERIALS FOR SWEET MAKING Sugar. — Must be of the best quality, and for the finer sweets cane sugar only should be used. Good granulated sugar is suitable for most kinds of sweets. Buy it from a reliable grocer and store it in a dry place. Glucose, or starch sugar, is used in various sweets to prevent the sugar graining and to make them keep. It is quite wholesome, and has no unpleasant taste. Chocolate. — Both sweetened and unsweetened chocolate will be required. Buy a good quality of plain chocolate, but not necessarily an expensive one. Butter. — Choose a good quality, and for the finer sweets fresh butter will be required. Cocoa Butter. — This is melted and added to chocolate to make it of the right consistency for coating. Colourings. — Pure vegetable colourings are the best to use. Carmine, green, yellow, coffee-brown, and blue are useful colours to have. Essences. — Buy these in as concentrated a form as possible. Almond, ginger, lemon, orange, rose, and vanilla are useful ones to have. Gelatine. — Use French sheet gelatine or other of a good make, and without a gluey taste. Ir is better always to keep to the same make, as they vary somewhat in strength. Cream of Tartar and Tartaric Acid. — These are sometimes used instead of glucose to prevent sugar graining. Lemon juice and acetic acid can be used in the same way. Starch. — This is used principally for moulding sweets. What is known as confectioner’s starch should be bought. It must be kept in a warm place, and dried and sieved before use. Nuts. — When possible it is best to buy these ready shelled. Most nuts are improved by toasting a few minutes in the oven before they are used, as this helps to bring out the flavour. Italian chestnuts are the best for marrons glacis.

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