Many persons prefer the hard candies to the soft varieties. Most of these hard candies are boiled to the crack stage or hard crack stage, which is from 280 to 310 degrees. In testing these candies in cold water it is always advisable to remove from the fire while doing so, for when the syrup gets to the turning stage it will burn very soon if not watched. Other hard candies will be found classified under the chapter on nut candies, such as peanut brittle, nut nougats, etc.

Chocolate Chips

Place in a saucepan one cupful of brown sugar, one-half cupful of New Orleans molasses (the light colored molasses), and one tablespoonful of butter. Boil to the crack stage, then remove from the fire and flavor with one teaspoonful of vanilla. Pull into long thin sheets, and cut into small pieces. When cold dip into melted chocolate flavored with a little vanilla.

Cinnamon Jibb

Place in a saucepan one cupful of golden corn syrup, one-fourth cupful of butter, a tablespoonful of cinnamon, and one-half cupful of water. Boil to the crack stage. Pour into buttered pans, and mark off into squares. When cool break up.

Fig Brittle

Take two cupfuls of light brown sugar, one cupful of golden corn syrup and one-half cupful of water. Cook to the crack stage, and then stir in figs that have been cut up into bits. Pour into a buttered pan, and mark off. When cool break up. Date brittle can be made in the same manner.

Butter-Scotch

Take two cupfuls of light brown sugar, one-half cupful of butter, one-fourth cupful of water and one tablespoonful of vinegar. Boil to the crack stage. Pour into buttered tins, mark off into squares, and when cool break up. A tablespoonful or two of molasses improves butter-scotch for many persons.

French Butter-Scotch

Take two cupfuls of granulated sugar, one-half cupful of maple sugar, one-half cupful of butter, one tablespoonful of vinegar, and one-fourth cupful of water. Cook to the crack stage or to 280 degrees, then remove from fire and add one teaspoonful of vanilla, and one-fourth teaspoonful soda. Mark into strips, and when cold cut with a pair of shears.

Maple Panocha

Take one cupful of maple sugar, one cupful of light brown sugar, two tablespoonfuls of butter, and one-half cupful of water. Boil to the crack stage. Pour over pecan meats that have been placed on a buttered pan. When cold break in any manner desired.

Horehound Candy

Take two cupfuls of brown sugar, one cupful of corn syrup, and one-half teaspoonful of cream of tartar. Pour over this the horehound liquid made by steeping two ounces of dried horehound (which can be obtained at the drug store) in one pint of hot water. Boil down to a cupful before adding to the sugar. If you do not wish it to be very strong of horehound don't use quite so much. Boil to the hard crack stage or about 300 degrees. Pour into a buttered pan or pans. Mark deeply into small squares while still warm, and when cool it will break easily.

Chocolate Taffy

Take two cupfuls of sugar, one cupful of golden corn syrup, one-half cupful of boiling water, and one-fourth teaspoonful of cream of tartar. Boil to the soft ball stage, then add two ounces of unsweetened chocolate shaved fine. Boil to nearly the crack stage or about 270 degrees, then add one teaspoonful of vanilla. Pour out on a buttered platter, cool and pull. Cut into small pieces, using shears or sharp knife, and place on buttered plate or paraffine paper.

Molasses Taffy

Take two cupfuls of sugar, and one-half cupful of New Orleans or baking molasses, and one-half cupful of corn syrup, and a third teaspoonful of cream of tartar. Boil to about the crack stage. Turn out on a greased platter, and when cool enough pull until light colored. Cut in small pieces.

Nut Taffy

Take two cupfuls of light brown sugar, one-half cupful of corn syrup, one-half cupful of water, and one-fourth teaspoonful of cream of tartar. Boil to the hard ball stage. Add one teaspoonful of vanilla, and one cupful of nut meats, chopped. Pour out on a platter, and pull as soon as cool enough.

Lemon Stick Candy

Take two cupfuls of granulated sugar, one-half cupful of white corn syrup, one-half cupful of water, and the juice of one lemon. Boil all together with half the rind of the lemon to the crisp or crack stage. Flavor with one teaspoonful of extract of lemon, and color with yellow coloring. Pour out on a buttered platter, and when cool enough pull into sticks, and cut about four inches long.

Peppermint Stick Candy

Make the same as the lemon stick, but omit the lemon, and use one-fourth teaspoonful of cream of tartar. After removing from fire flavor with peppermint. Divide the candy into two portions, and color one with red coloring. Pull each part separately, then twist the red candy around the white till you have it in form of a stick. Cut into sticks, and if desired form into canes.

Strawberry Drops

Take two cupfuls of granulated sugar, one-half cupful of corn syrup, the juice of one lemon, and a fourth cupful of water. A tablespoonful of vinegar can be used instead of lemon juice if desired. Boil to the hard crack stage. Color with red coloring and flavor with strawberry flavoring. Drop from a spoon in drops about the size of a nickel onto waxed or greased paper. By flavoring with different flavoring and using different colorings you may have a variety in these drop candies.

Honey Peppermint Tablets

Take one cupful of honey, one cupful of sugar and one-half cupful of white corn syrup, one-fourth teaspoonful of cream of tartar and one teaspoonful of butter. Boil to the crack stage, then remove from fire and add one teaspoonful of peppermint extract. Drop from a spoon onto oiled paper, about the size of a nickel or quarter. This candy can be pulled if preferred, and cut into pieces.

Maple Tablets

Melt together in a saucepan one cupful of maple sugar and one cupful of light brown sugar, four tablespoonfuls of butter, one teaspoonful of lemon juice and one tablespoonful of water. Boil to the hard crack stage, and drop on oiled paper in drops about the size of a nickel. When partly cool stick two of the drops together.

Fruit Tablets

Take one cupful of sugar, one-half cupful of corn syrup and one-half glass of currant or any kind of jelly. Boil to the crack stage, add a teaspoonful of vanilla, almond or the kind of flavoring that goes best with the jelly used. Drop from a spoon on oiled or waxed paper, and when partly cool put two drops together.

Rose Nougat

Take two cupfuls of granulated sugar, one-half cupful white corn syrup, one-half cupful of water and a fourth teaspoonful of cream of tartar. Boil to the crack stage. Add one-half cupful of finely chopped candied cherries, and color a rose color with fruit or vegetable coloring. Let stand for a few moments until partly cool, then pour over the whites of two stiffly beaten eggs. Beat well and pour into a buttered mold. Cut into squares. One-half cupful of finely chopped almonds can be added if desired and flavored with one-half teaspoonful of almond extract.

Raisin Stickies

Take one cupful of sugar and one cupful of golden corn syrup and one cupful of finely chopped raisins, and one-half cupful of water and boil to the crack stage. Add one-half teaspoonful of cinnamon and one teaspoonful of vanilla. Pour into buttered pans, and when partly cool, mark off into sticks about an inch across. Twist each stick until twice the original length and cut in two. Place on paraffine paper until cool.

Vanilla Taffy

Place in a saucepan two cupfuls of white sugar, one cupful of white corn syrup, and one-half cupful of water. Bring to a boil, then add one teaspoonful of glycerine and a fourth teaspoonful of cream of tartar. Boil to about 260 degrees or to a little more than the hard ball stage and not quite to the crack stage. Pour on a greased platter or a slab, and add a tablespoonful of vanilla. Dip your hands in corn-starch and as soon as it cools enough to be handled pull until it is white and waxy. If a hook is used you can make nicer and whiter taffy. Remove from hands or hook and lay on waxed paper, and when cold break up; or it can be cut into small pieces while still warm. In summer taffy should be wrapped in waxed paper, since it is liable to become very sticky.

Salt Water Taffy

This is made the same as the vanilla taffy except that a tablespoonful of butter is added and one teaspoonful of salt. This can be flavored and colored to suit the taste and pulled like the vanilla taffy. In making taffy fold over the edges as it cools and keep folding the batch up until cool enough to pull.

Taffy Dreams with Nut Centers

Place in a saucepan two pounds of granulated sugar, one cup of water and one-half teaspoonful cream of tartar or a tablespoonful of lemon juice. Boil to the hard ball stage. Place some nut meats in a bowl and pour enough of the syrup over these so that they will be well coated. Set these in a cool place while pulling the remainder of the taffy. Put the syrup over the fire and boil until nearly the crack stage, then remove and flavor with vanilla or almond, or any flavoring desired. Pour over a large platter or a marble slab. Cool quickly, and then dip your hands in corn-starch and pull the candy until white. Form into a sheet about six inches wide while still warm. Lay on a tin or slab and spread the nut mixture in the center. Fold the edge of sheet over, pinch the edges together so that the nut part cannot be seen. Now stretch the candy by pulling it gently and quickly through the palms of both hands. Cut into pieces with a sharp knife and lay on waxed paper. Nut and fruit combined can be used for the centers, or fruit alone. In this case pour the syrup over them to make them stick together as above.

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