November 4th is National Candy Day. Some say that it is easy to celebrate this day by raiding a childs left-over Halloween bag. I have several books to observe this day in better ways than using left-over trick or treats..
First is this paperback pamphlet “The Candy Book” edited by Ruth Berolzheimer from the Culinary Arts Institute, published 1941.
This gives a quick introduction to making candy, but really, this is a small textbook. You get a list and description of candymaking equipment, sirup test if you don’t use a candy thermometer, candy temperature chart, and then pages of “What Every Candymaker Wants to Know.” And of course the recipes!
I then would like to display a very old cookbook “Professor H. Blits’ Methods of Canning Fruits and Vegetables by Hot Air and Steam, and Berries by the Compounding of Syrups, and the Crystallizing and Candying of Fruits, Etc., Etc.” by H.I. Blits, published 1890. The cover is quite faded.
This is actually the first of three books in one. It is very interesting the chapter on canning and candying fruits. Very detailed.
The second book inside is “Cooking and Housekeeping Simplified, Including Entertaining”. There is a chapter on Cakes, Puddings and Pies, Custards and Creams, and of course Candies. The candy chapter has recipes for: Fondant, Walnut Cream Candy, Molasses Candy, Butter Scotch, Cream Candy, Honey Candy, Sugar Candy, Honey Creams, Chocolate Caramels, Caramels, Cocoanut Caramels, Cocoanut Balls and Kisses.
There is a third book printed within, as well. “The Universal and Lightning System of Memorizing: Cultivating and Strengthening the Mind and Memory” also by H.I. Blits. Very entertaining on how to remember important numbers and things. All three books in one. It is a keeper.
Last year, I was with some very good friends on a cruise in the Mediterranean. A fellow traveler recommended we take a side trip up in the mountains to a candy factory near Grasse, part of the French Riviera. She could not have picked a better trip. Confiserie Florian near Gourdon was delectably beautiful.
Their specialty treat was candied clementines. We watched the chef handmaking these. And chocolates…there were dark, white, milk, all covering rice puffs, almonds, caramel, orange peel, ginger, cream filled. They were endless. And as we were near Grasse-the flower and perfume capital of the world, they also sold crystallized rose petals, violet flowers, and verbina to eat.
I felt like we were on top of the world, even before we made it to Gourdon, where we could look down on the French Riviara. Of all the bags of candy we bought, only one made it back to the ship. And it was gone by the next day. What an adventure!
Candy is dandy, but life is sweeter with such good friends around. And I have a confection to make, they have mint the world to me. And by the way, we never missed a single dessert the whole trip.
Librarytomes 