FoodNetArchive

Paul Richards' book of breads, cakes, pastries, ices and sweetmeats

1907

Page 8 · 2 recipe records on this page

Presented as published in 1907. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
outside yellow skin) on granulated sugar, as much vent graining. «s the sugar will take up. Let dry; crush fine and put away in jars ready for use. 63.— EXTRACT OF VANILIJl. Vanilla bean, 16 ounces; Sugar, 24 ounces; Alcohol, 5 pints; Water, 3 pintsExtract of Vanilla. Cut the vanilla into very small pieces. Mix the alcohol and water and pour onto the cut up beans four pints of the mixture. Put in large bottle and let stand for ten days, shaking it fre- quently. Then strain ofi the liquid and put the vanilla into a mortar with the sugar and pound is into a powder. Mix this with the remaining four pints of the mixed alcohol and water. Let dis- solve well and filter; then mix both liquors to- gether and filter again; then put away for use. 66.— RASPBERRY EXTRACT. One of the best raspberry flavors is obtained from Orris root, which makes nice ices and can also be used to improve the flavor of canned berries. Take two and one half ounces of powdered Or- ris root, and put together with one pint of proof spiritsRaspberry Extract in a well corked bottle; set in a warm place for from four to five days, shake it fre> quently and filter for use. * 67.-SUGAR BOILING DEGREES. Sugar is boiled from Pearl to thread for syrup; Blow and feather for crystalization and con- serves; Ball, crack and caramel for candy and spun sugar work. It is divided into about sixteen different degrees, but without a certain standard for all, which is caused from the use of more or less glucose in the different recipes. The degrees can be ascertained by the use of the thermometer and also by the finger test. I give here eight of the degrees most generally used for syrups and candy making: DEGREES OF THERMOMETER. Pearl and small thread, 218 to 220 degrees. Large thread Blow - . - Softball - Hard ball - Small crack Hard crack - Caramel - The finger test: Put five pounds of sugar to boil with one quart of water on a good fire in a copper basin, and let come to a boil. Take off with a skimmer the scum which rises. Then, with a wet sponge, wash down the sides to pre- 228 230 " 240 242 '■ 244 250 " 255 260 28s " 3IS 320 " 360 Be careful that the fire does not brown the sugar on the sides of the pan and dis- color the sugar. Small thread: When the syrup has boiled for some time, dip the top of the finger in the syrup, and test between the thumb and forefinger. If it can be drawn into a fine thread which breaks if drawn out, it has reached the proper degree. Large thread: Continue boiling and try again as before, until the thread can be pulled to the full spread of the fingers before it breaks. Blow degree: Dip the skimmer in the sugar and blow through the holes. If bubbles appear, it has reached the degree. Soft ball: To test the ball degree, take a pan with ice water. First dip the finger in the water, then in the sugar, and as quick as possible back in the water. (A stick may be used in place of the finger for this purpose). Try the sugar, and if it can be formed into a soft small ball it has reached the degree. Hard ball: A little more boiling, and by the same test it will form a larger and harder ball. Small crack: The boiling is continued. Test again and press the sugar flat between the fing- ers; if it breaks, or bites hard and does not stick to the teeth, it has attained the proper degree. Hard crack: If the sugar breaks short and crisp with a snap, it has reached the degree. Caramel: In a few moments more the sugar will turn to a golden color, and this is the cara* mel degree. Take off the fire and turn out on the marble at once. A little mere boiling and the sugar begins to smoke, turn dark brown, then black and burn. At this stage it is used for coloring. Water is added and it is boiled into a syrup and put in bottles for use. «