21. Nought is simply caramel containing almonds or nuts of any kind. The proper pi’oportion is 1 unit of pounded white sugar to 2 of blanched almonds or nuts✪ Nought either whole or split. Put both sugar and almonds into a copper pan, and proceed as for caramel. Great care is required to avoid burning. When the sugar has melted clear and of a light brown, it may be used for forming baskets or variously shaped moulds. Have the moulds ready oiled and quite hot. Pour a spoonful of the nougat on to an oiled stone slab (.si/), and with a cut lemon squeeze it flat ; as soon as it can be handled, press it into the mould, which must be hot. If a small mould, the one piece will do, and the edges ma}' be cut and trimmed with scissors. But for a large mould, several pieces will be re>- quiired, and expedition is necessary, or they will not join. Nougat moulds can be filled with trifles, creams, &c. The nougat pan must be kept hot while the moulding goes on. 22. Sugar, to Boil. — For confectionery purposes, sugar must be of the best. If necessary, the syrup must be cleared with white of egg, and strained. When boiled until small pearl-like bubbles sliow on the surface, it is called pearl sugar. This is also wliat Y 33 S The Indian Housekeeper and Cook s called a “syrup of twenty-eight degrees,” and can be made accurately by 2 units of sugar to 1 of water, boiled furiously for one and a half minutes. 1 he next degree is thread sugar, when a drop can be drawn out into a thread between the wetted fore- finger and thumb. After this comes blow sugar, when by blowing through the holes of a skimmer dipped in the .syrup, little bladders form 011^ the reverse side. Ihe next is feather sugar, or wlien the syrup flies offpn feathery scraps when the skimmer is given a sudden flirt. Then comes crackle sugar, when a portion of the syrup put into cold water does not melt, but becomes brittle. The last is caramel. 1 his is simply melted sugar, whence all the water has been driven by boiling. It is impossible to say how long it takes for sugar to pass from one degree to another. All depends on the fire. 23. Walnut Toffee. — Forty units milk boiled down to 10, add 10 of white sugar, and 1 of butter. Then add about 10 of walnuts✪ Walnut Toffee, peeled and well dried. Boil all together till, like cream tofiee, it leaves the side of the pan. Add raspberry essence, and pour out into w'ell-oiled plates. 24. Walnut Bonbons. — Carefully break some quite fresh walnuts, so that the kernels may remain whole. Peel and divide in two. Pound 4 units of peeled and baked pistachios with 4 of finely-sifted sugar and 1 of white of egg✪ Walnut Bonbons. Use this as a mixture to stick the walnuts together again. Dip in caramel flavoured with cura^oa, or in glace icing, and put away between la)'ers of white paper ; or use Massepain as the mixture between the walnuts, and green the icing with sj)inach. CHAPTER XXXVIII JAMS, PRESERVES, PICKLES, CHUTOIES, LIQUEURS

AI-modernized reading of the original text

21. Nought is simply caramel containing almonds or nuts of any kind. The proper proportion is 1 unit of pounded white sugar to 2 of blanched almonds or nuts either whole or split. Put both sugar and almonds into a copper pan, and proceed as for caramel. Great care is required to avoid burning. When the sugar has melted clear and of a light brown, it may be used for forming baskets or variously shaped moulds. Have the moulds ready oiled and quite hot. Pour a spoonful of the nougat on to an oiled stone slab (say), and with a cut lemon squeeze it flat ; as soon as it can be handled, press it into the mould, which must be hot. If a small mould, the one piece will do, and the edges may be cut and trimmed with scissors. But for a large mould, several pieces will be required, and expedition is necessary, or they will not join. Nougat moulds can be filled with trifles, creams, &c. The nougat pan must be kept hot while the moulding goes on. 22. Sugar, to Boil. — For confectionery purposes, sugar must be of the best. If necessary, the syrup must be cleared with white of egg, and strained. When boiled until small pearl-like bubbles show on the surface, it is called pearl sugar. This is also what Y 33 S The Indian Housekeeper and Cook called a "syrup of twenty-eight degrees,” and can be made accurately by 2 units of sugar to 1 of water, boiled furiously for one and a half minutes. 1 he next degree is thread sugar, when a drop can be drawn out into a thread between the wetted forefinger and thumb. After this comes blow sugar, when by blowing through the holes of a skimmer dipped in the .syrup, little bladders form on the reverse side. The next is feather sugar, or when the syrup flies off in feathery scraps when the skimmer is given a sudden flirt. Then comes crackle sugar, when a portion of the syrup put into cold water does not melt, but becomes brittle. The last is caramel. This is simply melted sugar, whence all the water has been driven by boiling. It is impossible to say how long it takes for sugar to pass from one degree to another. All depends on the fire. 23. Walnut Toffee. — Forty units milk boiled down to 10, add 10 of white sugar, and 1 of butter. Then add about 10 of walnuts, peeled and well dried. Boil all together till, like cream tofiee, it leaves the side of the pan. Add raspberry essence, and pour out into well-oiled plates. 24. Walnut Bonbons. — Carefully break some quite fresh walnuts, so that the kernels may remain whole. Peel and divide in two. Pound 4 units of peeled and baked pistachios with 4 of finely-sifted sugar and 1 of white of egg. Use this as a mixture to stick the walnuts together again. Dip in caramel flavoured with curacao, or in glace icing, and put away between layers of white paper ; or use Massepain as the mixture between the walnuts, and green the icing with spinach. CHAPTER XXXVIII JAMS, PRESERVES, PICKLES, CHUTOIES, LIQUEURS

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