A Little Candy Book for a Little Girl

Betsey's mother told the little girl a "pulling bee" was the same idea exactly, for they were to come and help pull the candy after it was cooked.

Each little girl put on one of mother's big aprons and carefully washed her hands, then Betsey read the names of the different recipes out loud and mother said they might choose two to make.

They chose "Betsey's Orange Cream Candy" on page 22 (#x2_x_2_i125) and "Molasses Candy" given on page 28 (#x2_pgepubid00018).

Mother stayed with them in case they needed her help, although Betsey took full charge.

Betsey certainly managed well, for she kept each little girl busy doing her share, and when the candy was cooked and ready to pull the real fun started.

Despite Betsey's careful teaching, mother's help was much needed in assisting some of the little girls, who just could not help getting all sticky.

The afternoon passed so quickly and the candy was so good that the little crowd voted it to be the best time they had ever had.

The following week Betsey made:

Molasses Kisses

The molasses, water, sugar, honey and corn syrup Betsey measured carefully into the saucepan, and cooked them until when tried in cold water the syrup formed the usual hard ball. Pouring the candy into the buttered pan, Betsey let it cool until she could handle it easily. With well-greased fingers she pulled the candy, then cut in pieces and wrapped in wax paper.

Brown Sugar Candy (Pulled)

Betsey put the sugar, corn syrup and butter in the saucepan and let them boil without stirring until a little of the syrup, dropped in cold water, became brittle. Taking the saucepan from the fire, she added the lemon juice and poured the candy into a buttered pan, greased her fingers well, and pulled when sufficiently cool. Then with the scissors she cut in small pieces.

Once when Betsey's mother was a young girl she visited a large farm in northern Vermont and it was there she had her first butternuts.

Betsey thought the recipes for butternut candy that follow were the best ever.

Lemon Butternut Candy

After Betsey boiled the sugar and water without stirring until thick enough to spin a fine thread, she added the flavoring, placed her pan in cold water, and then stirred it very quickly until it was white, added the nuts, and poured into a buttered pan.

When it was cold she cut the candy into small squares.

Orange Butternut Candy

Putting the sugar and water in the saucepan, Betsey let them boil without stirring until it would spin a fine thread from the tip of the spoon. The orange juice was added, and the pan placed in cold water and stirred very quickly until it was white. Now Betsey added the nuts and poured into a buttered pan, and when cold she cut the candy into small squares.

Vanilla Butternut Candy

Like the "Lemon" and "Orange Butternut Candy," Betsey put the sugar and water on to boil without stirring. When a fine thread spun itself from the tip of the spoon she removed the saucepan from the fire, added the vanilla flavoring and stood it in cold water.

Stirring the candy very quickly until it was white, Betsey then added the nuts and poured it into a buttered pan. When it was cold she cut the candy into small squares.

Another candy that Betsey was very fond of was peanut brittle, and she was eager to make some of her own.

Mother told her it was very easy to make if you were only careful not to let the sugar burn and worked quickly, so one day Betsey made this

Peanut Brittle

For this Betsey had to have a slow fire. Mother told her to put the sugar into the iron frying-pan, and explained how it would first lump, then gradually melt, and that when it was a clear pale coffee color it was ready to pour quickly over the nuts.

Betsey had put the peanuts in a buttered pan on the back of the range so as to be ready the minute the sugar was properly melted.

Here is another candy with peanuts that Betsey liked.

Peanut Candy

The sugar, syrup and water Betsey boiled until it was crisp or brittle when tried in cold water. Just before taking from the fire she added the butter and nuts, then poured into buttered pans.

Betsey also made

Plain Peppermints

After the sugar, milk and cream of tartar were put in the saucepan Betsey set it on the back of the range until it looked clear and watery. Then she brought it forward and when the boiling point was reached, let it boil one minute, or while she counted sixty. Taking it from the fire, she added the oil of peppermint drops and beat until the candy was creamy, then quickly dropped from tip of spoon on waxed paper.

Sometimes this hardened before Betsey could get it all dropped, but putting the saucepan back on the stove, it would melt and she could finish the dropping.

Cocoanut Drops

Betsey cooked the sugar and water until it formed a hard ball when tried in cold water, removed from fire, added the cocoanut and beat to a cream. Like the peppermints, she dropped quickly on waxed paper.

CHAPTER II

POPCORN GOODIES

Betsey was glad when mother decided on "Popcorn Goodies," for she found it such splendid fun popping the corn.

How Betsey loved to watch the kernels burst into the pretty white snowflakes!

Her first attempt was just plain hot buttered popcorn.

Mother was busily explaining this recipe to Betsey when Dorothy, Betsey's dearest friend, came over to spend the afternoon. Mother invited the little guest to share the fun of popping the corn, and on observing how well the little girls worked together then and there gave Dorothy a standing invitation to join in the candy-making whenever she could find the time, and, you may be sure, the invitation was eagerly accepted.

Hot Buttered Corn

Mother saw that the fire was just right, not too hot nor too cold.

She told Betsey that if it was too hot the kernels of corn did not heat evenly and you were apt to burn them; so Betsey followed every instruction, and as the corn popped so also did Betsey's eyes pop with excitement to see the little kernels turn inside out.

The half-cup of corn she found made about six cups of popped corn.

Betsey's mother was very particular about having her use only the corn that popped perfectly; the imperfect corn was thrown away.

While Betsey was popping the corn, the butter had been standing in a large bowl in the warm kitchen, so that it was soft and creamy (mother said it was not so nice if you let the butter melt to oil), and while the corn was still warm, Betsey added it to the creamy butter, stirring all the time, then with the salt shaker she shook the fine salt through the corn.

This buttered corn was so good it was quickly eaten, so Betsey often made double quantity, and many a cold winter's day she and her dearest friend popped corn. Sometimes Betsey made

Brown Sugar Popcorn Candy