After reading the introduction to this book, you will understand that it is not written for professional candy-makers, but for those who make candy at home; and consequently it is necessary to go into every little detail, which of course, will make these instructions rather lengthy.

We will endeavor to make them as plain as though we were holding a personal conversation with you, and explain to you, how to put the style and finish to each piece of your home-made candies, that will equal any of the finest grades of candy that are made today.

In reading these instructions, do not get the idea that any single one of these recipes are too difficult for you to make, for you will find they are very simple when once you have begun.

Any of these may be cut down or increased as you desire, but always use the same proportions, and cook the batch to the same degree. Remember, the degree is always the same, no matter how large or small you make your batches.

Do not think it absolutely necessary to get everything in the line of tools that we mention in this book, to have success with your candy, as it is not. For our whole aim is to teach you how to make your candies with as little expense as possible. But to those who wish to go into it a little deeper than others, or who make their candy to sell, it would be well for them to have as many of these tools as possible, for while not being a necessity, are a great convenience.

These candies can be made at an average cost of from eight to fifteen cents per pound for the materials used in them. In bon-bons the cost is considerably lower than in chocolates as you will find out.

This chocolate coating you will use for dipping, is very expensive, but you will find your chocolate creams cost you about fifteen cents per pound in the end; and they are the same grade of chocolates that you pay from sixty to eighty cents per pound for in the best candy shops.

There is no way to cheapen your coating chocolate, but one pound of chocolate will cover two to three pounds of candy, according to the kind of candy to be dipped, as some are heavier than others.

By bon-bons we mean the fancy colored ones with the fancy centers, and coated with bon-bon cream; not chocolate coated ones, as we call those chocolate bon-bons.

The cooking question, which is three-fourths of candy-making, is here solved by the use of the thermometer, which accompanies this book. By cooking your candy with a thermometer, you are not only exempt from burning or overcooking your batches, but your candy will always be exactly the same; and after you have made the bon-bon cream alone, you would not take many times the cost of this book for your thermometer, if you thought you could not procure another.

If at any time you have trouble with any recipe, look and see if you have followed the instructions exactly as written, and if you have and it does not act right, drop us a line, enclosing a stamp for reply, telling us in as few words as possible, how it acts and where it is not right, and we will write at once where your trouble is. If one of your batches shows signs of turning to sugar or gets gritty, simply try it again and use a little more glucose than called for in the recipe. But we know that if you follow the instructions and read every recipe carefully before making it, that you will never have any trouble, as we make these candies ourselves every day, and we know that these recipes are correct. Therefore we repeat, that you must be exact in your weighing and the degree you cook the batch to, if you wish success.

These candies can be seen at any time, at either of Mr. Ned. R. Goldberg’s stores in Canton, O.

In giving you the following recipes we will no doubt shatter a great many ideas that you now have in regard to home candy making; especially as to the style of cooking, size of batch, and length of time you keep your fondants after being made.

In making your Christmas candies, commence from three to four weeks before hand, and make your chocolate creams first, as they will keep perfectly for that length of time, and even longer. Make your bon-bon cream at least two weeks before Christmas, and let it have a few days to season before making it into bon-bons. It will keep for six weeks in cold weather if necessary and all you have to do is to dampen the cloth about twice a week, and keep it in a cool, dry place; if you wish to make bon-bons or wafers at any time, just go to the crock, take out as much as you need, replace the cloth, and it is ready for the next time.

If you have a fair sized slab, you can make at least a five-pound batch of fondant at one time, but if you use a platter to cool it on, we would not advise you to make more than about two pounds at a time, as it will not cool quick enough, and is then liable to grain.

If you ever have a batch of fondant so grainy that you cannot use it, simply cream it up and use it for fudge or caramels in place of sugar as the recipe calls.