Perfection in baking

Boil five pounds of granulated sugar, one pound of glucose and one quart of water to a light ball (242 degrees). As soon as it commences to boil, wash down on the sides, and cover. Do not let it boil too slowly. Then sprinkle your marble slab with ice water, and pour the syrup on it. When partly cooled off, work with large wooden spatula until it is all creamed and hard. Have a clean tub ready, throw the fondant in and pound it down solid until it is all smooth; cover over with a wet cloth. Before using melt it on stove or in hot water bath, adding a little plain syrup, and flavor to taste. Coffee Icing. Boil four ounces of best Java coffee, ground, with one pint of water down to half a pint, keeping it covered. Then strain and add two tablespoonfuls burned sugar color and three pounds of fondant. Stir over the fire until soft and smooth. Use at once. Pistachio Icing. Peel one ounce of pistachio nuts and pound them to a paste in a stone mortar; mix with fondant and melt. Rose, Almond or Strawberry Icing. Dissolve fondant over a fire with a little syrup, the proper extract to flavor, and coloring. Or mix XXXX confectioner's sugar with hot water, and add flavor and coloring. L,emon Frosting. A very fine frosting for sponge cakes and cup cakes is made by adding the juice of one or two lemons to fondant or water icing. Gelatine Icing. Dissolve one ounce of good gelatine in one pint of water, mix with four pounds of confectioner's powdered sugar, and beat up like meringue with an egg beater; add vanilla or lemon. — 92 — Snow-fluke Icing. Dissolve two ounces Quaker Icing Powder in one pint of hot water ; add five or five and one-half pounds of fine sugar, one ounce of •glycerine; beat all very light. This icing gets very light and keeps soft. Royal Icing. For decorating. Beat up the whites of three eggs with sufficient XXXX confectioner's sugar and eight drops of acetic acid and a little bluing. Have everything — bowl, spatula, etc., perfectly clean. Boiled Frosting for Honey Cakes. Boil six pounds of granulated sugar with one quart of water to a thread (236 degrees). Rub with stiff brush over the top of the cakes, commencing on one corner, dipping the end of brush in the sugar, but do not disturb sugar in the kettle more than necessary, so it will not die off too soon. Rub hard and quick over the cakes, until it creams. Cream for Filling. Bring two quarts of milk to a boil with five ounces of sugar. Stir into this quickly two ounces of corn-starch, stirred smooth with two eggs, and one teaspoonful of vanilla. As soon as it thickens, take off from the fire. Apple Filling. Mix together the juice and grated rind of one lemon and two peeled apples grated, with sufficient powdered confectioner's sugar. Stir over fire until it boils down a little, then add more sugar until stiff enough. Lemon Jelly Filling.. Boil one pint of water, the juice of three lemons and one-half pound of powdered sugar. Stir into it slowly two and one-half ounces of corn-starch dissolved in a little water, a pinch of salt, and one grated lemon peel. As soon as it starts to thicken, take off from the fire, and spread on the cakes, while warm. Juice of oranges, canned apples, or peaches, can be used upon the same way. — 93 — Whipped Cream.