Francatelli Recipes for Bon-Bons, Chapter 36
Welcome to Celtnet's Francatelli Recipes for Bon-Bons — This page gives you the entire contents of the Thirty-sixth Chapter: Bon-Bons from Charles Elmé Francatelli's 1861 volume, The Cook's Guide and Housekeeper's & Butler's Assistant. Each recipe is given here in its original form, with a link underneath to the modern redaction, should you wish to replicate it. This is the first time that Francatelli's book has been made available in its entirety on the internet. Enjoy...
The text presented here is derived directly from Francatelli's book and redacted specifically for this website. Please do not copy or use the content of these pages without first gaining permission.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
No. 1004.—BURNT ALMONDS.
RUB half pound of Jordan almonds in a cloth to rid them from from dust, &c., and put them to get warm in the screen. Boil three-quarters of a pound of sugar nearly to the snap; add a spoonful of vanilla sugar, and a few drops of prepared cochineal ; withdraw the sugar from the fire, throw in the almonds, stir altogether with a wooden spoon, detaching the sugar from the bottom and sides of the sugar-boiler ; and as soon as the almonds become covered with the sugar, turn all out upon a wire sieve, and cover over with paper for five minutes; at the end of this time, pick out the charged almonds from the sugar; put this back into the sugar boiler with just enough water to dissolve it, and having boiled it to the snap, again throw in the almonds, and give them another charge, by stirring them carefully, so as to allow them to take as much sugar as possible, keeping them separate ; and when this is accomplished, turn them out upon the wire sieve ; again pick the almonds from the sugar, and put this into the boiler with a little water, and a few more drops of cochineal, and having boiled it nearly to the snap, stir the almonds in it to give them another charge of sugar, and turn them out upon the sieve to cool ; the burnt-almonds by this time, having received three charges, should be double their original size : they may be served in their natural state, or else wrapped in cossack papers.
No. 1005.—BURNT PISTACHIO PRALINES.
Fresh-imported pistachio-kernels should be selected for this purpose, as they then still retain their beautiful pinky-purple bloom, while the interior of the kernel is of a bright, delicate green.
For the preparation of these, proceed as directed for burnt-almonds.
No. 1006.—ROSE DROPS.
Put half a pound of coarse-sifted sugar into a sugar-boiler, with one ounce of water, a few drops of cochineal, and a few drops of essence of roses; stir this with a small wooden spoon on the fire until the composition has become liquified, and is on the point of simmering ; the sugar must then be stirred a few minutes off the fire, and dropped from the beak or spout of the pan, cutting off the small drops the size of a threepenny-piece upon very slightly-oiled baking-sheets ; and when cold, be easily removed with a thin knife.
White drops, or pastilles, are made in the same manner, suppressing the cochineal, and adding a few drops of peppermint, instead of rose-essence ; they may also be varied by using different essences and harmless colours, such as orange-zest, coffee, or half an ounce of grated chocolate.
No. 1007.—STRAWBERRY DROPS.
To eight ounces of coarse-sifted sugar add two ounces of scarlet strawberries; stir this on the fire until the composition becomes heated almost to the simmering point, and then proceed to lay out the drops as directed in the preceding number.
Note.—Fruit pastilles, or drops, may be prepared in great variety, by using two ounces of the thick juice of any kind of fruit added to the eight ounces of sugar.
No. 1008.—PUNCH DROPS.
To eight ounces of coarse-sifted sugar add some orange-zest, and a small wineglassful of rum ; proceed in the usual way.
No. 1009.—CHOCOLATE BON-BONS.
To half a pound of course-sifted sugar add two ounces of the finest French chocolate dissolved in a wineglassful of water in a separate boiler or stewpan, after mixing this with the sugar in its boiler, stir on the fire until it arrives at almost simmering heat ; and lay out the drops of the size of a sixpenny-piece.
No. 1010.—COFFEE BON-BONS.
To half a pound of sugar add a small cup of very strong coffee ; boil to the snap, and then stir in a very little more coffee, and continue working the composition at the side of the pan with a wooden spoon for about five minutes, and as soon as it begins to thicken, pour it out upon an oiled baking-sheet, and allow it to be about the sixth of an inch thick; and when it becomes set and before it cools, with the back of the blade of a knife, mark it out in oblong squares, measuring one inch by half an inch ; when the bon-bons are quite cold, they will easily be snapped apart.
No. 1011.—LEMON CARAMEL.
Boil a pound of sugar to the snap, and then continue stirring it over a very slow fire until it gradually assumes a very light-brown tint ; then add by degrees a small quantity of any kind of liqueur or essence, or fruit juice, or coffee, &c.; work together, and pour out the composition on a slightly-oiled baking-sheet ; mark, or stamp out the caramel with a knife as directed in the foregoing number, and when cold, separate them. It is most proper to use oil of almonds for this purpose.
No. 1012.—CHERRY RINGS.
Put a pound of the finest loaf-sugar into a boiler with just enough water to dissolve it, and while it is boiling, be careful to skim it thoroughly; add a teaspoonful of wood-vinegar, and a few drops of cochineal; boil to the snap, and then, after the first heat has subsided, pour the sugar out upon a clean marble slab previously very slightly oiled with oil of almonds, and continue working the sugar with two dinner-knives, one in each hand, so as to bring the bulk constantly together in a piled-up form ; and when the sugar has thrown off its heat sufficiently to enable you to handle it without burning yourself, very slightly oil your fingers, gather up the sugar in your hands, and pull it out to half a yardʼs length ; join the ends together, and keep on stretching out the sugar in this manner until it assumes a bright, glassy, delicate-pink surface, and then, as it is pulled out in narrow strips, cut these about three inches long ; twist and join the ends together, so as to form them into rings.
Note.—In order to be successful in this operation, it is essential to be perfectly collected, and very active.
No. 1013.—BARLEY-SUGAR.
Boil a pound of sugar to the snap; add a few drops of essence of lemon, and a teaspoonful of citric acid ; work the sugar on the slab with two knives, by merely lifting it together in a heap; and when sufficiently cooled to admit of its being handled, pull it out in six-inch lengths; twist these to resemble cord, and place them out of hand to cool.
The text presented here is derived directly from Francatelli's book and redacted specifically for this website. Please do not copy or use the content of these pages without first gaining permission.
Francatelli's Chapter XXXVI: Bon-Bons.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
BON-BONS.
RUB half pound of Jordan almonds in a cloth to rid them from from dust, &c., and put them to get warm in the screen. Boil three-quarters of a pound of sugar nearly to the snap; add a spoonful of vanilla sugar, and a few drops of prepared cochineal ; withdraw the sugar from the fire, throw in the almonds, stir altogether with a wooden spoon, detaching the sugar from the bottom and sides of the sugar-boiler ; and as soon as the almonds become covered with the sugar, turn all out upon a wire sieve, and cover over with paper for five minutes; at the end of this time, pick out the charged almonds from the sugar; put this back into the sugar boiler with just enough water to dissolve it, and having boiled it to the snap, again throw in the almonds, and give them another charge, by stirring them carefully, so as to allow them to take as much sugar as possible, keeping them separate ; and when this is accomplished, turn them out upon the wire sieve ; again pick the almonds from the sugar, and put this into the boiler with a little water, and a few more drops of cochineal, and having boiled it nearly to the snap, stir the almonds in it to give them another charge of sugar, and turn them out upon the sieve to cool ; the burnt-almonds by this time, having received three charges, should be double their original size : they may be served in their natural state, or else wrapped in cossack papers.
Fresh-imported pistachio-kernels should be selected for this purpose, as they then still retain their beautiful pinky-purple bloom, while the interior of the kernel is of a bright, delicate green.
For the preparation of these, proceed as directed for burnt-almonds.
Put half a pound of coarse-sifted sugar into a sugar-boiler, with one ounce of water, a few drops of cochineal, and a few drops of essence of roses; stir this with a small wooden spoon on the fire until the composition has become liquified, and is on the point of simmering ; the sugar must then be stirred a few minutes off the fire, and dropped from the beak or spout of the pan, cutting off the small drops the size of a threepenny-piece upon very slightly-oiled baking-sheets ; and when cold, be easily removed with a thin knife.
White drops, or pastilles, are made in the same manner, suppressing the cochineal, and adding a few drops of peppermint, instead of rose-essence ; they may also be varied by using different essences and harmless colours, such as orange-zest, coffee, or half an ounce of grated chocolate.
To eight ounces of coarse-sifted sugar add two ounces of scarlet strawberries; stir this on the fire until the composition becomes heated almost to the simmering point, and then proceed to lay out the drops as directed in the preceding number.
Note.—Fruit pastilles, or drops, may be prepared in great variety, by using two ounces of the thick juice of any kind of fruit added to the eight ounces of sugar.
To eight ounces of coarse-sifted sugar add some orange-zest, and a small wineglassful of rum ; proceed in the usual way.
To half a pound of course-sifted sugar add two ounces of the finest French chocolate dissolved in a wineglassful of water in a separate boiler or stewpan, after mixing this with the sugar in its boiler, stir on the fire until it arrives at almost simmering heat ; and lay out the drops of the size of a sixpenny-piece.
To half a pound of sugar add a small cup of very strong coffee ; boil to the snap, and then stir in a very little more coffee, and continue working the composition at the side of the pan with a wooden spoon for about five minutes, and as soon as it begins to thicken, pour it out upon an oiled baking-sheet, and allow it to be about the sixth of an inch thick; and when it becomes set and before it cools, with the back of the blade of a knife, mark it out in oblong squares, measuring one inch by half an inch ; when the bon-bons are quite cold, they will easily be snapped apart.
Boil a pound of sugar to the snap, and then continue stirring it over a very slow fire until it gradually assumes a very light-brown tint ; then add by degrees a small quantity of any kind of liqueur or essence, or fruit juice, or coffee, &c.; work together, and pour out the composition on a slightly-oiled baking-sheet ; mark, or stamp out the caramel with a knife as directed in the foregoing number, and when cold, separate them. It is most proper to use oil of almonds for this purpose.
Put a pound of the finest loaf-sugar into a boiler with just enough water to dissolve it, and while it is boiling, be careful to skim it thoroughly; add a teaspoonful of wood-vinegar, and a few drops of cochineal; boil to the snap, and then, after the first heat has subsided, pour the sugar out upon a clean marble slab previously very slightly oiled with oil of almonds, and continue working the sugar with two dinner-knives, one in each hand, so as to bring the bulk constantly together in a piled-up form ; and when the sugar has thrown off its heat sufficiently to enable you to handle it without burning yourself, very slightly oil your fingers, gather up the sugar in your hands, and pull it out to half a yardʼs length ; join the ends together, and keep on stretching out the sugar in this manner until it assumes a bright, glassy, delicate-pink surface, and then, as it is pulled out in narrow strips, cut these about three inches long ; twist and join the ends together, so as to form them into rings.
Note.—In order to be successful in this operation, it is essential to be perfectly collected, and very active.
Boil a pound of sugar to the snap; add a few drops of essence of lemon, and a teaspoonful of citric acid ; work the sugar on the slab with two knives, by merely lifting it together in a heap; and when sufficiently cooled to admit of its being handled, pull it out in six-inch lengths; twist these to resemble cord, and place them out of hand to cool.