Barley Sugar, and Burnt Almonds

Boil one and a half pounds of fine loaf sugar, broken into small lumps, over the fire with a pint of water.

Skim carefully until the sugar looks like glue and becomes brittle and snaps when dropped into cold water.

Add the juice of a lemon and six drops of essence of lemon.

Boil the sugar up just once.

Place the bottom of the pan in cold water until the first heat has subsided.

Pour the preparation upon a marble slab slightly smeared with butter.

Draw the sugar together with a knife, keeping it as much as possible in a lump.

When cool enough to handle, cut pieces about the size of an egg and roll them into round sticks.

Twist the sticks slightly.

Place them on an oiled sheet and leave until cold and stiff.

Sift sugar lightly over them.

For burnt almonds, bleach a pound of almonds by scalding in hot water until the skins slip off.

Dry the almonds and warm them slightly.

Boil three-quarters of a pound of sugar with half a pint of water until the surface looks like large pearls or globules.

Add a few drops of prepared cochineal, a few drops of vanilla or other suitable essence, and the almonds.

Stir gently with a wooden spoon to detach the sugar from the bottom and sides of the saucepan.

Keep the almonds from sticking to the pan and turn them over and over so they are well coated, or charged, with sugar.

When they give out a cracking noise, remove the pan from the fire and stir gently until the sugar looks grained almost like sand.

Turn the almonds, sugar and all, onto a wire sieve and cover with paper for five minutes.

Pick out the almonds and put the grained sugar back into the sugar-boiler with just enough water to dissolve it.

Boil again to the point previously reached, then throw the almonds in and stir until they receive another coating, keeping them separate.

For chocolate candy, boil one and a half cakes of Walter Baker's chocolate, three pounds brown sugar, half a pound butter, one cup cream and one bottle vanilla until very thick, stirring constantly.

Pour into buttered tins or plates.

To test, drop a little from a spoon into a cup of ice water; if it hardens it is done.

For chocolate caramels, beat or grate a quarter pound of Walter Baker's chocolate.

Put it on the fire with a quarter pound butter, one teacup of milk and one and a half pounds of brown sugar.

Stir without stopping for twenty minutes, then pour into a greased dish.

For another chocolate candy, boil half a cake of Walter Baker's chocolate, one pound brown sugar, a cup of syrup, a cup of cream and a piece of butter the size of an egg for about twenty minutes.