Originally published in the Australian Women's Weekly
7th December 1935
Home - Made Sweets Make Delightful Christmas Gifts!
KNOWING that our friends like best the gifts we make for them, why not give something festive from your kitchen?
Home-made sweets are a delightful way of coping with a lengthy gift list. Scintillating glass goblets and bowls, pottery jars, or jugs may hold them, and cellophane, pastel tulles may enfold them, or, again, they may be put into gay Christmassy boxes. A sprig of holly, a saucy butterfly bow, and the customary Christmas label make a charming finish.
THE utensils for sweet-making need not be elaborate. The following are the most used: sugar, thermometer, hair-sieve, sugar-scraper, wire fork, palette knife, marble slab, double sauce-pan, spatula.
If it is not possible to obtain these, substitute the following: For a sugar scraper or a palette knife use a long, thin knife; a wooden spoon for spatula; a piece of twisted wire for wire fork; a jam-jar in saucepan instead of double saucepan; a large meat-dish will serve instead of a marble slab.
Remember to place the thermometer in hot water before putting into boiling syrup, otherwise it may burst.
In case graining or overboiling should happen, add half the water used at first, and boil to the desired degree again.
FONDANT.
Half pound crystallised sugar, 3 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon glucose.
Put sugar, water and glucose into a saucepan, place over low flame, and when dissolved increase flame and boil till it reaches 240 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour at once into wetted basin, and beat with wooden spoon till thick. Then take the mixture in your hands and knead until soft and smooth. Turn the fondant onto a board or slab and divide into five or six portions. Take each piece and knead well. Flavor and colour as you desire.
To Flavor: Make a hole in the ball of fondant, put a few drops of the flavouring into the hole, and cover with a piece of the fondant and knead in the hands until the flavouring is thoroughly blended. Vanilla, almond, lemon, maple, and peppermint are nice flavourings.
To Colour: Make a well in the fondant as above and cover with the mixture. Knead until the colour is well blended. If liquid colourings are used, add very sparingly—adding more colour if not deep enough.
RIBBON CREAMS.
Fondant, carmine, green and yellow colouring, lemon, almond, strawberry, vanilla essence.
Divide fondant into 4 equal parts. Colour one portion pink, add strawberry essence, second portion yellow, add lemon essence, third portion green, add almond essence. Leave one portion white, add vanilla essence. Roll each portion into long strips about 2 inches wide, join by brushing with cold water. Press lightly together with rolling-pin. Cut into triangles.
MARBLE BALLS.
Same ingredients as ribbon creams, only break off small portions of each colour and roll together into ball, then damp and roll in fine coconut.
FRUIT ROLL.
Dates, figs, raisins, nuts, fondant.
Mix and chop fruit and nuts finely. Make into a thick roll. Flavor and colour fondant. Roll out. Damp it slightly. Lay on the fruit roll. Then completely coat it with fondant. Leave till set, then cut into slices slantwise.
FRUIT SANDWICHES.
Dates, figs, raisins, almonds, cherries, fondant, colouring, essence.
Chop all the fruits and nuts well, and mix. Divide fondant into two parts, colour one pink, leave one white. Roll out pink portion into a strip, damp with water. Lay on chopped fruit, flatten then cover with rolled strip of white fondant. Leave till set. Cut into shapes.
FIG FONDANTS.
Fondant, figs, flavouring.
Flavor fondant. Roll out thinly. Cut figs into strips, roll in fondant. Cut into lengths, 1½ inches long. Dust with sugar, and set aside to dry. Wrap in greaseproof paper.
COCONUT ICE.
One and a half pounds sugar, ½lb. glucose, 6 tablespoons water, ¾lb. coconut, carmine, essence.
Mix sugar, water, and glucose. Boil to 236 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from heat and beat till nearly white. Divide into two parts. Add 6oz. coconut and essence to each part and carmine to one part; beat till thick. Pour white into greased dish, then the pink. Leave till firm—and cut into blocks.
AUSTRALIAN ROCK.
One pound 14oz. white sugar, 1lb. glucose, 1½ gills water, whites 2 eggs, 4 oz. almonds.
Boil water, sugar, and glucose to 262 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour into basin; beat till white. Add beaten egg-whites, small quantity at a time; add chopped nuts. Beat till thick. Pour into tin, lined with paper. Next day, cut into shapes. Wrap in paper.
FRENCH JELLIES.
Scant pint water, 1oz. packet gelatin, 2lb. soft sugar, colouring, essence.
Soak gelatin in the water for 1 hour. Put the soaked gelatin and sugar in a saucepan, bring very slowly to boil, and continue cooking for 20 minutes, skimming frequently, stirring occasionally. Add the essence. Pour half into wetted sandwich tin. Colour the remainder and pour into another prepared tin. Leave for 24 hours. Turn on to a bed of icing sugar, cut into strips with scissors, then into squares. Cover well with icing sugar and store in airtight tin, with plenty of icing sugar between the layers.
MARSHMALLOWS.
One cup sugar, 3 tablespoons powdered gelatin, raspberry essence, cornflour, 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon glucose, vanilla. essence, chopped nuts, carmine.
Soak gelatin in water. Add sugar and glucose, and boil for 10 minutes; then set aside, and when almost cold beat till white. Add nuts. Divide in two. To half add the vanilla and to the other half add the raspberry essence and carmine. Pour into 2 greased tins and leave till next day. Cut into squares with a pair of scissors and roll in corn-flour. Store in an airtight tin.
TOASTED MARSHMALLOWS.
Marshmallows, browned coconut.
Make marshmallows as given in previous recipe. Leave till next day then cut into squares, and roll in the browned coarse coconut. Leave for a few hours before packing in airtight tins. To brown the coconut: Put the coconut on a swiss roll tin. Place in a cool oven till sufficiently browned, stirring it occasionally to have it evenly brown. Have it quite cold before using.
TURKISH DELIGHT.
One pound sugar, 1½ gills water, ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar, essence, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 2oz. starch.
Put sugar, water, cream tartar, lemon juice into a saucepan. Boil to 230 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix the starch with cold water. Strain into boiling syrup, and boil till it is quite thick. Add essence. Pour into tin which has been sprinkled with icing sugar and corn starch. Next day cut into squares. Roll in sugar and starch.
RUSSIAN TOFFEE.
Quarter-pound butter, 1 tin condensed milk, ½lb soft sugar, vanilla.
Melt butter in an enamel saucepan, then add sugar and condensed milk. Stir over gas continually for 13 minutes from when it comes to the boil. Add vanilla and mix in well. Pour into a well-greased tin. Leave till quite cold, cut into squares, wrap in greaseproof paper, and leave in an airtight tin.
TOFFEE.
Eight tablespoons sugar, 4 tablespoons vinegar, 2 tablespoons butter.
Put sugar, butter, and vinegar into an enamel saucepan. Bring to the boil without stirring. Cook quickly till, when a little is dropped in cold water, it will form a firm bail; or, if a thermometer is used, to 305 degrees. Pour into a greased sandwich tin. When nearly set, mark into squares. When cold, break into the marked squares and pack in an airtight tin or bottle.
Source: Candies for Christmas (1935, December 7). The Australian Women's Weekly (1933 - 1982), p. 43 (THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S WEEKLY HOME MAKER).
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