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by Mary Elizabeth Hall (Author)
The years of work in candy-making that have made possible this book, I now look back upon with a certain feeling of satisfaction. The satisfaction comes from the knowledge that because of the discovery that is here recorded, the candy of the future will be purer, more wholesome, more nourishing than that of the past has been. Even if the processes that are here set forth fail of the widest adoption, I have still the satisfaction of knowing that just so far as they are adopted will there be greater healthfulness of confectionery.
Another reason for the satisfaction that I feel is my knowledge that my discovery has opened to the home candy-maker a whole new world. Previously many of the better sorts of confectionery-particularly of the decorative kinds-were out of her range, either because of the cost of the necessary ingredients or the difficulty of their purchase or handling; particularly under a heavy disadvantage has been the village or country cook who has not had the service rendered by the specialty stores of the great cities.
Many colors and flavors are made available by this discovery. The use of beets, for instance, has added to the candy-maker's palette a very attractive new shade. Each vegetable contributes at least one new flavor. Novel as are candies made from vegetables, they must not be thought faddish. Caramels, marshmallows and bon-bons and all the rest are here; tastes that have already won favor are here, and many new ones as well.
In places, perhaps, the directions that follow may seem over detailed. Invariably, however, I have tried to give information about all the points that would come to the mind of the amateur confectioner. I have tried to tell the why as well as the what. Moreover, the processes at times may seem, perhaps, a bit over long. It should be noted, however, that vegetable candy?making is no more complicated, if as much so, as is the making of any other confectionery. Good candy invariably means effort, and intelligent painstaking effort at that.
