BOILED CHESTNUTS.
Make a slight incision in the outer skin only, of each chestnut, to prevent its bursting, and when all are done, throw them into plenty of boiling water, with about a dessertspoonful of salt to the half gallon. Some chestnuts will require to be boiled nearly or quite an hour, others little more than half the time: the cook should try them occasionally, and as soon as they are soft through, drain them, wipe them in a coarse cloth, and send them to table quickly in a hot napkin.
Obs.—The best chestnuts are those which have no internal divisions: the finest kinds are quite entire when shelled.
ROASTED CHESTNUTS.
The best mode of preparing these is to roast them, as in Spain, in a coffee-roaster, after having first boiled them from seven to ten minutes, and wiped them dry. They should not be allowed to cool, and will require but from ten to fifteen minutes’ roasting. They may, when more convenient, be finished over the fire as usual, or in a Dutch or common oven, but in all cases the previous boiling will be found an improvement. Never omit to cut the rind of each nut slightly before it is cooked. Serve the chestnuts very hot in a napkin, and send salt to table with them.
ALMOND SHAMROCKS.
(Very good, and very pretty.)
Whisk the white of a very fresh egg to a froth sufficiently solid to remain standing in high points when dropped from the whisk; work into it from half to three-quarters of a pound of very fine dry sifted sugar, or more should it be needed, to bring the mixture to a consistency in which it can be worked with the fingers. Have ready some fine Jordan almonds which have been blanched, and thoroughly dried at the mouth of the oven; roll each of these in a small portion of the icing until it is equally covered, and of good form; then lay them on sheets of thick writing paper, placing three together in the form of the shamrock, or trefoil, with a small bit of sugar twisted from the centre almond to form the stalk. When all are ready, set them into a very slow oven for twenty minutes or longer: they should become quite firm without taking any colour. They make an excellent and very ornamental dish. To give them flavour and variety, use for them sugar which has been rasped on the rinds of some sound lemons, or Seville oranges, or upon citron, and dried before it is reduced to powder; or add to the mixture a drop of essence of roses, and a slight colouring of prepared cochineal. A little spinach-juice will give a beautiful green tint, but its flavour is not very agreeable. Filbert or pistachio nuts will answer as well as almonds, iced in this way.
SMALL SUGAR SOUFFLÉS.
These are made with the same preparation of egg and sugar as the almond-shamrocks, and may be flavoured and coloured in the same way. The icing must be sufficiently firm to roll into balls scarcely larger than a nut: a little sifted sugar should be dusted on the fingers in making them, but it must not remain on the surface of the soufflés. They are baked usually in very small round paper cases, plaited with the edge of a knife, and to give them brilliancy, the tops are slightly moistened before they are set into the oven, by passing the finger, or a paste-brush, just dipped in cold water, lightly over them. Look at them in about a quarter of an hour, and should they be quite firm to the touch in every part, draw them out; but if not let them remain longer. They may be baked on sheets of paper, but will not preserve their form so well.