"The Housekeeper's Valuable Present; Or, Lady's Closet Companion: Being a New and Complete Art of Preparing Confects, According to Modern Practice" by Cook Robert Abbot was an essential book for home-makers to help them hone their skills in the kitchen. This text specifically focused on confections and how to make jam, syrup, and more. Starting with how to boil sugar for these processes and all the way to explaining the delicate art of making cordials, the book was and still is a useful tool for those interested in adding an extra skill to their repertoire.