The household cook book

The above fondant will form the foundation for all your French candies. It can be colored with cochineal, saffron, etc., and flavored with any flavoring desired. In working these candies there is a chance for displaying one's taste and skill. It can be made into rolls, and pieces sliced off, or made into cubes, or formed into any shape to imitate French candies. As French candies are nearly all made by hand, you can notice their forms and imitate them. We explain some of the most popular forms for these candies, and you can easily devise others; there is no limit to the varieties which can be produced by varying the flavors, using noyeau, maraschino, tea, coffee, and other flavors less common than the vanilla and lemon. Variegated effects are produced by using fondant, variously colored, and so on. Melting Fondant. — In melting fondant put some of it in a cup and set it in a dish of boiling water, instead of setting it directly on the stove; when melted, the cup can be held in the hand while the dipping or dropping is being done. It is sometimes said that the cup must be kept in hot water during the "dipping, but we have not found this necessary, for as soon as it hardens too much to use readily it can be set back in the hot water and softened again. If very hot, it may be too thin; if so, stir a minute till it thickens. If it is too thick, cautiously add a little hot water, 1 or 2 drops at a time, as a little too much water will spoil it for dipping candies, although it can be used for dipping fresh fruits. In using a fork for dipping candies, grease it well, and do not stick it into the article, but drop the ball or nut into the melted fondant and lift it out with the tines of the fork, using them like a spoon; rest it a second, to drain, on the edge of the bowl, and then deftly drop the coated candy onto the oiled paper. ORANGE OR LEMON CREAMS — Grate the yellow rind of an orange carefully into a plate, and add the juice of ^ an orange and ^ a lemon, and just a dash of tartaric acid; then mix it with enough confectioner's powdered sugar to make a stiff paste, form it into little balls, and set away to dry for a few hours; then melt a little fondant in a cup as before directed, and drop in each little ball, lift it out with a fork, and lay it on oiled paper. If the cream gets too thin to cover the balls well, let it cool a minute; if it gets too thick warm it again. Lemon Creams are made by using lemon in the same way. BALLS. — Fondant can be melted and an equal amount of almond paste stirred into it; this can be formed into balls, and these balls dipped into melted fondant as directed for orange creams. By flavoring this melted fondant with coffee, tea, etc., various effects can be produced, which will be novel and attractive.