The household (of the Detroit free press)

Prepare a strong decoction, by boiling two ounces of the dried herb in a pint and a half of water for about half an hour ; strain this, and add three and one-half pounds of brown sugar; boil over a hot fire until it reaches the requisite degree of hardness, when it may be poured out in flat tin trays, previously well greased, and marked into sticks or squares with a knife, as it becomes cool enough to retain its shape. VINEGAR CANDY. To one quart of good New Orleans molasses, add one teacup of good cider vinegar; boil until it reaches the point where a little dropped into cold water becomes very hard and brittle. Pour into shallow platters until cool enough to be handled, and form into a large roll, which may be drawn down to any size and cut off in sticks. LEMON AND PEPPERMINT DROPS. Take of dry granulated sugar a convenient quantity ; place it in a saucepan having a lip from which the contents may be poured or dropped. Add a very little water, just enough to make with the sugar a stiff paste ; two ounces of water to a pound of sugar is about the right proportion. Set it overthe fire and allow it to nearly boil, keeping it continually stirred. It must not actually come to a full boil, but must be removed from the fire just as soon as the bubbles denoting that the boiling point is reached begin to rise. Allow the syrup to cool a little, stirring all the time ; add strong essence of peppermint or lemon to suit the taste, and drop on tins or sheets of smooth white paper. The dropping is performed by tilting the vessel slightly, so that the contents will run out, and with a small piece of stiff wire the drops may be stroked off on to the tins or paper. They should be kept in a warm place for a few hours to dry. In the season of fruits delicious drops may be made by substituting the juice of fresh fruits, as strawberry, raspberry, lemon, pineapple or banana, or any of these essences may be used. SUGAR CANDY. Six cups sugar, one of vinegar, one of water, one spoonful of butter and one teaspoonful of soda dissolved in a little hot water. Boil altogether without stirring. When it becomes hard, not brittle, by dropping a little into cold water, flavor with lemon, wintergreen or peppermint and turn out on buttered plates to cool. It is nice " pulled " or left on the plate and cut in Squares. BUTTER SCOTCH. One cup of butter, one cup of molasses, one cup of sugar and a pinch of soda ; try by wetting the finger in water, then plunging it into the candy and again into the water. CORN STARCH CANDY. A cup of water to a cup of sugar ; two teaspoonfuls of corn starch to a cup of water ; set the sugar and water on the fire to boil ; do not stir after it begins to boil ; dissolve the corn starch in a little water, and when the candy will harden in water, put in the corn starch, stirring rapidly ; when done, pour out in a pan, add flavoring and pull. CREAM CANDY.