Peel neatly six ounces of sweet almonds and two ounces of bitter almonds (No. 1207).

Put in a vessel, cover with cold water, and let them soak for fully one hour. Drain thoroughly through a sieve, and pound them well in a mortar, adding, little by little, a gill of cold water, and continue pounding for ten minutes. Now remove to a vessel and add two gills of lukewarm water, and mix together with the spatula for two minutes. Spread a large napkin over another vessel, pour on the above preparation, lift up the four corners, and holding it with the left hand, squeeze the liquid through with the right. Lay this almond milk aside for further use. Put into a saucepan two gills of cold water, half an ounce of gelatine, a piece of vanilla-bean two inches long and split in two, and four ounces of powdered sugar. Mix well with the spatula for two minutes; remove the spatula, put on the lid, and let infuse for thirty minutes. Then place the saucepan on the hot stove, and stir gently from the bottom, allowing it to boil slowly for four minutes. Remove it from the fire, and let the pan rest on the table for three minutes. Pour in the almond milk, mix again for two minutes, using the spatula, and strain the whole through a fine sieve into another vessel. Have a three-pint, channeled blanc-manger mold; put some broken ice at the bottom of a pail, place the mold on it, arranging more broken ice around the sides, so that the mold be entirely sunk in the ice as far up as the edge. Stir the preparation for one minute, then pour it into the mold, cover the pail with a napkin, and leave it to congeal for one hour. Take up the mold carefully from the pail, wipe off the ice with a towel, and have ready a cold dessert-dish with a folded napkin over. Turn out the blanc-manger onto this; decorate the surface with two ounces of candied cherries and one ounce of angelica, and it is ready for the table.