To spin a Silver Web for covering Sweet-Meats.
TAKE a quarter of a pound of treble-refined
sugar, in one lump, and set it before a moderate
fire on the middle of a silver salver, or pewter
plate, set it a little aslant, and when it begins to
run like clear water to the edge of the plate or
silver, have ready a tin cover, or china bowl,
set on a stool, with the mouth downward, close
to your sugar, that it may not cool by carrying
too far, then take a clean knife, and take up as
much of the syrup as the point of the knife will
hold, and a fine thread will come from the point,
which you must draw as quick as possible back-
wards and forwards, and also round the mould,
as long as it will spin from the knife; be very
careful you do not drop the syrup on the web, if
you do it will spoil it, then dip your knife into
the syrup again, and take up more, and so keep
spinning till your sugar is done, or your web is
thick enough; be sure you do not let the knife
touch the lump on the plate that is not melted,
it will make it brittle, and not spin at all, if your
sugar is spent before your web is done, put fresh
sugar on a clean plate or salver, and do not spin
from the same plate again; if you do not want the
web to cover the sweet-meats immediately, set it
in a deep pewter dish, and cover it with a tin
cover, and lay a cloth over it, to prevent the air
from getting to it, and set it before the fire (it
requires to be kept warm, or it will fall) when
your