1205. Allumettes.
—Take three quarters of a pound of feuilletage ([No. 1076]); spread it out twelve inches long to four inches wide. Cover with a thin layer of glace royale ([No. 1206]). Divide it into six even pieces; put them in a pan, and let rest for five minutes. Then place in a moderate oven, and bake for forty minutes, until of a good golden color. Serve either hot or cold.
1206. Glace Royale for Allumettes.
—Put into a small bowl half the white of a raw egg and two ounces of extra fine sugar, and beat well with a spatula. Drop in carefully just one drop, and no more, of lemon juice; beat again for five minutes, until thickened; it will then be ready for use.
1207. How to Peel and Pound Almonds.
—Put the almonds into boiling water; let them soak three minutes; strain, and lay them in cold water to thoroughly cool. Drain well again, and peel by pressing each almond between the thumb and fingers. Then put them into a sieve, and place them at the door of a slow oven to dry for ten minutes. Now pound them gently in a mortar, stirring well to prevent them from getting oily, and taking care to pound them very fine for at least ten minutes. Lay them on a cold dish, and use when needed.
1208. Almond Cake Glacé.
—Put a quarter of a pound of powdered sugar and a quarter of a pound of butter into a bowl; beat well together with a wooden spatula for ten minutes. Break in two eggs; beat well, and break in two more; continue beating, and break in two more (six in all), until well mixed together. Then grate in the peel of the third of a small lemon. Add two ounces of peeled and pounded almonds ([No. 1207]), and a quarter of a pound of flour. Mix gradually together for no longer than two minutes. Butter and sugar a round form holding one quart, and pour the preparation into it. Place it in a slow oven for one hour. See that it gets a good golden color. Take it out; let it get thoroughly cool, and remove from the mold. Lay it on a dish with a folded napkin. Glaze the top lightly with a small hair-bush, as for [No. 1206], until it looks well, and send to the table.
1209. Bitter Almond Macaroons.
—Take a quarter of a pound of sweet almonds, and two ounces of bitter almonds; peel and pound them as for [No. 1207]. Put them into a bowl with twelve ounces of powdered sugar and the whites of two eggs. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spatula for at least five minutes. Then take a pastry-bag ([No. 1079]), slide down to the bottom of it a No. 3 tube (which should not be larger than a five-cent piece), and pour the preparation into the bag. Prepare a pastry baking-pan; lay on it a piece of brown paper the full size of the pan (do not put it on the stove at present); then with the two hands press the preparation down gently into the papered pan, dropping it carefully into bits the size and shape of a silver quarter-dollar, trying to have them as near alike as possible, and taking care that each is entirely separated from the others. Take a damp towel and drop it gently on to the macaroons, so as to shape them perfectly. Then place the pan in a slow oven for twenty minutes. Before lifting them out, be careful that they are a good golden color. Let them get thoroughly cool. To remove the macaroons easily from the paper, wet part of a table; lay the paper over this for two minutes, and the macaroons will detach very easily. The above quantity will make about fifty macaroons. Put aside in a jar those not needed, as they will keep perfectly fresh for several days.