This section is from the book "The Epicurean", by Charles Ranhofer. Also available from Amazon: The Epicurean, a Complete Treatise of Analytical and Practical Studies on the Culinary Art.
For Pink, have powdered sugar from which icing sugar has been sifted, spread it on a baking-sheet covered with white paper, lay the tin on top of a very moderate fire, and pour into it sufficient carmine to give it the necessary color; mix and rub it slowly between the hands until the moisture contained in the carmine be entirely evaporated, then sift it through a sixteen mesh sieve (Fig. 97).
Prepare the sugar the same as for the pink, using Breton vegetal yellow.
The same as the pink, coloring with Breton vegetal orange, or yellow and red mixed to imitate orange.
The same as the pink, coloring it with red and ultramarine blue, or else with Breton vegetal lilac or violet.
Blue - Breton vegetal blue and ultramarine blue.
Breton vegetal green, or else spinach green or watercress green.
There are very few cities where powdered sugar is unobtainable, also icing sugar (confectionery sugar), but in case it has to be prepared at home the following remarks will be found useful. Pound some lump sugar to the finest powder, pass it through an ordinary sieve. then through an icing sieve called a drum; this latter includes two sieves, one for passing ordinary sugar and another much finer for passing the icing sugar, meaning exceedingly fine powdered sugar almost impalpable.
 
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