Harper's cook book encyclopædia

Macaroons. — Blanch '/z lb. of almonds, and pound them in a mortar to a smooth paste, adding the whites of four eggs, a few drops at a time. Put with these ingredients x/z lb. of powdered sugar and a tablespoonful of curagoa. When the mixture is pounded to a smooth but firm paste, form it into balls nearly an inch in diameter, and lay these on paper. Leave a little distance between the macaroons, and bake in a gentle oven until they are hard and set. Keep them in a cool, dry place until wanted. Time to bake the macaroons, about twenty minutes. Grated cocoanut can be used instead of almonds. Chocolate macaroons make an agreeable variety, both in color and in taste, and one of the best recipes for them is ^ lb. of almond paste, % lb. of powdered sugar, the whites of three eggs, a teaspoonful of rice flour, and 4 ozs. of melted chocolate. Beat the eggs to a stiff froth, add to them the paste, the sugar, and the flour by degrees ; beat thoroughly for five minutes, and then stir in the chocolate. Drop and bake as directed for other macaroons. Hickory -nut macaroons are also very good, and they are made in the same way, only substituting finely chopped hickory-nuts for the almond paste, and using the full pound of sugar. Lemon or vanilla is a very satisfactory flavoring. Hazel-nut Macaroons. — These delicious little cakes are prepared as follows: Grate very fine f>l/z ozs. of hazel-nuts (shelled) and 6 x/z ozs. of sweet almonds (shelled and peeled), and add 13 ozs. of sugar and the beaten whites of five or six eggs. Mix the whole thoroughly, and bake quickly in a very hot oven, that the outside may be hard and the inside moist. A pretty variation is to shape them like cones. Maple Cream Cake. — The whites of two eggs, the yolks of three eggs, one and a half cupfuls of flour, four tablespoonfuls of sweet milk, one heaping teaspoonful of baking-powder. Beat thoroughly. Pour into wellbuttered tin, and bake in a quick oven. Maple Layer Cake. — Yolks of three eggs, white of one, one cupful of white sugar, one-quarter cupful of butter, one-third cupful of sweet milk, three teaspoonfuls of baking-powder, one cupful of flour. Beat thoroughly. Bake in two or three tins for layers. Filling : Whites of two eggs, beaten stiff; add shaved maple sugar until it is like ordinary frosting; add teaspoonful of melted butter, and spread on layers of cake. Marble Cake. — The white : Two cupfuls of white sugar, one of butter, one of sweet milk, four of flour, whites of eight eggs, well beaten; one teaspoonful of baking-powder. Cream butter and sugar ; add milk, then flour, alternating with white of eggs. For the brown : Take one large cupful of brown sugar, half a cupful of butter, two-thirds of a cupful of milk, two and a half cupfuls of flour, with a teaspoonful of baking-powder rubbed into it ; yolks of eight eggs, two teaspoonfuls of powdered cloves, Meringues Molasses Fruit Cake four of cinnamon, same of allspice, and one nutmeg, grated. If not dark enough, add more cinnamon and allspice. Drop in the baking-pan some of the white, then the brown, having the white to finish off on the top. Try to drop it in so that the cake shall be well streaked through.