No. 3891 — Homemade Tragacanth Confections: Strawberries, Mint Cakes and Mushrooms

To make strawberry-shaped sweets, take 2 zolotniks tragacanth gum (the source gives a price of 10 kopecks) and soak it overnight in just enough cold water to cover the pieces.

Next day place 2 pounds, or 4 glasses, sifted sugar on a board. Strain the soaked gum through cloth over the sugar, squeezing with two sticks until all the softened material passes through.

Using a knife, work the gum into the sugar to form dough as stiff as bun dough and firm enough to roll out. Flavour with three drops cinnamon oil, three or four drops rose oil, or a similar quantity of lemon oil.

Shape small balls into strawberries and pierce the centre of each with a pointed wooden stick. Place on paper on a plate and leave to dry.

Hold each dry candy on the stick, dip into lightly coloured cochineal solution and immediately dust with fine white sugar sifted through a sieve.

The cochineal colouring was obtained from a pharmacy or prepared as in recipe No. 2635. The source alternatively dissolves a sheet of red gelatin in a small glass water.

For mint sweets, make the same tragacanth-and-sugar dough with three or four drops mint oil. Roll out and stamp little discs using a thimble with its end removed.

For mushroom-shaped sweets, colour part of the dough pale yellow with a little saffron powder and shape tiny stems. Let dry.

Tint the remaining dough with a little chocolate, shape caps and immediately insert one dried stem into each cap.