ALMOND SHORTBREAD.

MRS. W. COOK.

One pound ground sweet almonds, eight ounces sugar, eight ounces sifted flour, eight ounces good butter. The yolks of eight eggs, about eight drops of essence of ratafia. First see that the ground almonds are fresh. Mix them with the flour and sugar and then very, very carefully add a few drops of ratafia. Mix everything thoroughly. Make a space in centre, and in this drop the yolks of the eggs. Then melt the butter, add that and mix up the whole together until it is a nice firm stiff paste. This should now be rolled a great many times; cannot be rolled too much. When sufficiently rolled to appear like a strip of cream coloured satin a quarter of an inch thick, cut in small squares with a sharp knife. Pinch the edges of each square and in centre of each cake, put a split half of blanched almond. Butter baking tins and bake in a moderate oven to a fine pale yellow tint. These are delicious and are particularly good in summer eaten with fruit.