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half pint hot water
1oz powdered gelatine
1 lb sugar
quarter level tsp citric acid
few drops of vanilla essence
few drops of almond essence
cochineal
2 oz icing sugar
1 oz cornflour
Put the water in a pan and sprinkle the gelatine into it. Add the sugar and citric acid and heat slowly until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and boil for 20 mins. Remove from the heat and leave to stand for 10 mins. without stirring. Add the essences and pour half the mixture into a tin (8 x 6 ins). Add a few drops of cochineal to the second half and pour on top of the first half in the tin. Leave in a cool place for 24 hours. Turn on to a piece of paper spread with the sifted icing sugar and cornflour and cut with a sharp knife into squares. Toss well in the sugar mixture, wrap in waxed paper and store in an airtight tin.
1lb granulated sugar
1 1/2 pints water
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
3 oz cornflour
7 oz icing sugar
2 oz honey
few drops of lemon essence
few drops of rosewater
few drops of pink food coloring (optional)
icing sugar for dredging
Butter a 7 inch square tin. Put the sugar and 1/4 pint of the water into a saucepan, stir to dissolve the sugar, then bring to a temperature of 235 - 245 deg.F (soft ball stage). Add the cream of tartar and remove from the heat.
Mix the cornflour and icing sugar with a little of the remaining cold water. Boil the rest of the water, then pour on to the blended cornflour and sugar, stirring hard to prevent lumps forming. Return to the saucepan and simmer, beating vigorously, until clear and thick.
Add the syrup gradually, beating over the heat. Continue to boil for 30 minutes; it is essential that the character of the starch be changed by the prolonged boiling with the acid. After 30 minutes the mixture should be a pale transparent straw colour.
Add the honey and flavourings and blend thoroughly, then pour into the buttered tin. If using colouring, pour half the mixture into the tin. Colour the remainder a pale rose pink and pour it on top of the mixture already in the tin.
Leave until quite cold. Dip a sharp knife into icing sugar and cut the mixture into neat pieces. Toss in icing sugar, then cover and leave in the sugar for at least 24 hours. Pack in boxes in a generous amount of icing sugar.
Makes about 1 1/2 lbs. pink and pour it on top of the mixture already in the tin.
These are made from a basic fondant (which you can buy ready made) with a few drops of peppermint essence or oil of peppermint mixed in.
For the fondant
1lb sieved icing sugar
2 egg whites
Whisk the egg whites, gradually mix in the sugar then add flavouring (other flavourings are available) and colouring (if desired). If you are just making one flavour/colour then you can add it to the egg whites which saves lots of kneading.
Roll out fondant, cut into rounds and leave to dry out and harden.
Quite good dipped in melted chocolate too :)
It's actually dead easy to make - cook some peeled and cored quinces with a vanilla pod in water until soft; drain; stick in a blender until smooth; add an equal weight of caster sugar; boil until thick; put into a tray; bake for an hour to encourage setting; cool and slice.
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