The household cook book

Nut Caramels. — Make the same as chocolate caramels and when it is cooked (to the "crack" degree) stir in about 1 lb. of nuts, chopped fine; use walnuts, or walnuts and almonds mixed; then finish as with the chocolate caramels. Vanilla Caramels — Cream 2 tablespoons of butter, and work in 1 cup brown sugar; then mix in 1 cup cream and 1 cup New Orleans molasses, and treat as directed for chocolate caramels, flavoring with 1 teaspoon of vanilla just before pouring out to cool. This can be made into strawberry caramel by flavoring with strawberry instead of vanilla, and working in a little red coloring. FRENCH CHOCOLATES — Melt some confectioner's sweetened chocolate in a cup set in hot water, and into it drop nuts of various kinds, or small pieces of candied fruit; lift out each piece with a fork and lay it on oiled paper to harden. A great variety of delicious and popular candies can be made thus, and they will keep longer than the French chocolates sold in the stores. HOARHOUND CANDY— Boil about 1 oz. of the herb in 1^ cups water; then strain it, stir in 3 cups brown sugar, and when it boils add 2 tablespoons of vinegar; boil until it is brittle when tested in cold water; pour it into greased pans, and mark into squares with a greased knife when partly cold. HONEY CANDY.— Take 2 cups coffee A sugar, water enough to dissolve it, and 4 tablespoons of strained honey; boil until brittle on being dropped in cold water; stir in a teaspoon of nut kernels, and pour it to cool in greased pans. Or, for a variety, leave out the nuts and pull it while cooling. PEANUT CANDY— Take 1 cup coffee A or granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon of water, and boil till it will harden in cold water; add a pinch of cream tartar, and stir in 1 cup of shelled peanuts; finish as directed for hoarhound candy. The Peanut is a native of India but is now extensively grown in America. It will yield from 60 to 90 bushels or even more to the acre. It is an oily nut containing a good deal of nutrition, but it is rather difficult of digestion. BUTTERNUT BALLS — Take some butternuts or beachnuts, pound them very fine in a mortar, and add a little allspice and nutmeg. Make a frosting as for cakes, and stir in enough of the mixture to make it thick enough to handle. Grease the hands, form this mixture into balls, and set on greased tins, allowing room for them to spread as they dry. FIQ CANDY. — Take 1^ cups water and 1 lb. coffee A or granulated sugar; boil until it is brittle when dropped in cold water; add 1 teaspoon each of butter and vinegar, and pour it into greased pans on which slices of figs have been laid; put slices on top also. CRYSTALLIZED POPCORN — Take 1 teacup coffee A or granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons of water and 1 tablespoon of butter; boil to the "hard ball" degree, and then throw in 3 quarts of nicely popped corn; stir briskly until the candy is evenly distributed over the corn; take the kettle from the fire (be careful the corn does not burn) stir until it cools a little, and each grain will be separated and coated with crystallized sugar. Nut meats of any kind may be crystallized the same way.