Peppermint Cream Candy
After Betsey let the sugar and water come to the boiling point she added the cream of tartar dissolved in one teaspoon of hot water and continued to boil until a little of the syrup dropped in cold water had nearly reached the hard ball stage, then she added the butter.
When it had quite reached the hard ball stage Betsey took it from the fire, dropped in the four drops of peppermint and poured the candy into a buttered pan to cool.
Greasing her finger-tips just as she did for the lemon and vanilla cream candy, Betsey proceeded to pull until white and then cut it in small pieces.
Betsey's Orange Cream Candy
Betsey called this her own recipe, because, while it was made exactly like the "Lemon," "Vanilla," and "Peppermint Cream Candy," she said to mother one day, "Why can't I use orange flavoring and have still another change?" Mother told her there was no reason at all why she couldn't, and that she was glad to see Betsey thinking out new combinations for herself.
So Betsey was delighted, and once more mother wrote it out, for, as Betsey said, "It was much easier to have it right before you under its own name than to keep turning back to the recipes that had gone before."
The sugar and water were brought to the boiling point, the cream of tartar was dissolved in one teaspoon of hot water and added; these she let boil until a little dropped in cold water was almost hard, then Betsey put in the butter. When it was quite hard she took it from the fire, added the orange flavoring and poured at once into the buttered pan to cool.
Betsey found she had time to wash her saucepan, spoon and other dishes before she needed to grease her fingers, and thus made the kitchen more tidy and attractive while she pulled the candy.
Lemon Cream Taffy
After Betsey began to think for herself she acted in such an important manner that mother smiled to see how rapidly her little daughter was advancing.
The sugar, water and vinegar were measured carefully into the saucepan, well mixed, then placed upon the stove to boil. One thing in particular that Betsey learned from her own experience was never to let any candy she was making boil too hard; an even steady boil made the candy much nicer, and, besides, it did not then "spit" all over the stove and make the unpleasant odor of burned sugar in the house.
Betsey tried the candy in cold water and just before it formed a hard ball she added the butter; when it formed a ball that was quite hard she removed the saucepan from the fire, added the lemon flavoring and poured into the buttered pan.
With fingers well greased she pulled the candy, as soon as it was cool enough to handle comfortably, until it was very white, then cut it into small pieces with a pair of scissors.
Orange Cream Taffy
Betsey let the sugar, water and vinegar boil until a little of the syrup, dropped in cold water, formed a hard ball. The butter was added just before it was done and the orange flavoring as soon as it was taken from the stove.
Pouring the candy into the buttered pan, Betsey let it stand until she could handle it easily, then with well-greased fingers she pulled the candy white and cut it in pieces.
Vanilla Cream Taffy
The sugar, water and vinegar were boiled until a little of the syrup, tried by Betsey in cold water, formed a hard ball. Just before it reached this stage Betsey slipped in the butter.
As soon as it was done Betsey took it from the fire, added the vanilla, poured into the buttered pan, let it cool until she could handle it, then greased her fingers and pulled until it was quite white and cut into small pieces.
Vinegar Candy
When the sugar, vinegar and water had boiled long enough so that a little of the syrup, dropped in cold water, formed a hard ball, it was poured into a buttered pan, let cool sufficiently and pulled. It was very simple, since Betsey did not have to stir this while cooking or add anything extra.
Cream of Tartar Candy
The sugar, water and cream of tartar were put in the saucepan and well stirred, then boiled until a little of the syrup, dropped in cold water, formed the usual hard ball. Betsey found this took about twenty minutes. Then she poured the candy into a buttered pan and let it cool so that she could handle it easily.
With well-greased fingers she pulled the candy quickly, then cut into small pieces or short sticks with the scissors.
Chocolate Taffy
This Betsey found to be delicious. She cooked all of the ingredients together, and when a little of the candy, dropped in cold water, was quite hard, she poured it into the buttered pan. When the candy was cool Betsey marked it into squares.
Most little girls like molasses candy and Betsey was no exception; she thought the recipes that follow were the best of the kind she had ever tasted.
Molasses Candy
Betsey put all the above named ingredients except the soda into her saucepan to boil. When a little of the syrup, dropped in cold water, became brittle, she took the saucepan off the stove, and added the soda; then she poured the candy into the buttered pan.
When it was cool enough to handle Betsey greased her fingers and pulled the candy until it was a shiny golden brown, then with the scissors cut it into short sticks.
Peanut Molasses Candy (not Pulled)
After Betsey put the molasses, sugar and butter together in the pan she let them boil until they formed a hard ball when tried in cold water, then she added the vinegar and continued cooking until it became brittle.
The buttered pan was ready with the peanuts in and the candy was poured over them. Before it became quite cool Betsey marked it in squares.
Betsey thought pulling candy the best kind of fun and after she learned perfectly how not to get all sticky, mother allowed her to invite a few of her little friends to have a "pulling bee."
This pleased Betsey and her little friends very much. One of the little girls said she knew what a "husking bee" was, for once when she was in the country at the time when the corn was full grown, all the friends and neighbors round about had been invited to come and help with the husking.
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 and "Molasses Candy" given on page 28.
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