Mixtures of white of egg and sugar, with or without chopped nuts, when baked in the oven, are a cross between cakes and candies. To secure the best results, materials should be carefully combined and slowly baked.

Almonds shelled, blanched, and finely ground are the chief ingredient of almond paste. This can be made at home, or can be purchased ready for use in one pound, five pound, and larger packages, at about the same cost. It is the basis of a large variety of macaroons, and is also used for marzipan fruits, flowers, and vegetables.

Meringues or Kisses

Whites 4 eggs

1 cup fine granulated sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

Beat whites of eggs until stiff and add, a spoonful at a time, two thirds cup sugar, beating vigorously between each addition, and continue to beat until mixture will hold its shape. Carefully cut and fold in vanilla and remaining sugar. Drop from tip of spoon, or force through pastry bag and tube on tin sheet or wet board covered with a sheet of paper. Bake thirty minutes in a very slow oven, not allowing them to change color until the last few minutes, when they should become a very delicate brown. Remove from oven, invert paper and kisses, and wet paper with a damp cloth, when kisses may be easily removed.

French Meringues

2 cups sugar 1 cup water

Whites 5 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Put sugar and water in saucepan, stir until dissolved, and boil to 2420 F., or until a firm ball is formed when tried in cold water. When syrup is ready, beat whites of eggs until stiff, and add syrup slowly, continuing the beating. Set dish containing mixture in saucepan of cold water, add vanilla, and fold over and over for five minutes. Cover and let stand for fifteen minutes. Shape with a spoon or pastry bag and tube on a buttered sheet dredged with cornstsrch. Sprinkle with pink or yellow sugar, and bake thirty minutes in so slow an oven that the sugar does not discolor. Hearts, wreaths, stars, and roses are attractive shapes.

Molding in Cornstsrch.

Shaping Meringues or Kisses.

Decorating Candies

Mushroom Meringues

Force meringue mixture through pastry bag and plain tube in rounds one and one half inches in diameter, for mushroom caps. Shape stems three fourths inch in diameter and one to one and one half inches high.

Sprinkle all with grated chocolate or cocoa, rubbing it gently on with the finger. Bake in a slow oven, remove paper, and place caps on stems.

Turkey Meringues

Shape meringue mixture on paper with pastry bag and rose tube in the shape of turkeys. Shape the spread tail first on the paper, in front of tail shape the body, building it up in circles and shaping the head last.

Bake, remove from paper, and scoop out soft part, dry in oven, fill with ice cream, stand in a nest of green spun sugar, and serve.

Nut Meringues

To either recipe for Meringues add half a cup of chopped nut meats of any kind, and one fourth teaspoon of salt. Drop from tip of spoon, or force through pastry bag and plain tube, on tin sheet covered with a sheet of paper. Sprinkle with nut meats, and bake like meringues.

Cocoanut Meringues

Whites 2 eggs

½ cup fine granulated sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla Few grains salt

½ cup Cocoanut shredded

Beat whites of eggs until very stiff, add slowly vanilla and one fourth cup sugar, continuing the beating. Fold in remaining sugar, salt, and cocoa-nut. Shape with spoon or with pastry bag and tube on tin sheet covered with paper, and bake thirty minutes in slow oven.

Praline Kisses

¾ cup almonds

2 tablespoons water

¼cup sugar

Whites 2 eggs

1 cup powdered sugar

¼teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon salt

Blanch almonds, finely shred three eighths cup, and dry slowly in the oven. Put water and sugar in small omelet pan, stir until it boils, add remaining almonds, and cook until the syrup is golden brown. Turn into a pan, cool, and force through meat grinder.

Beat whites of eggs until stiff, add powdered sugar slowly, continuing the beating, then fold in both shredded and ground almonds, vanilla, and salt. Shape in cones on a tin sheet covered with paper. Sift sugar over them, and bake in slow oven twenty-five minutes.

Cocoanut Cakes

1 fresh Cocoanut

2 tablespoons corn syrup

7 tablespoons sugar White I egg

Grate sufficient fresh Cocoanut to make two cups. This will take about half a Cocoanut. Put with corn syrup and sugar in top of double boiler, and stir and cook until mixture clings to spoon. Add white of egg, and cook until mixture feels sticky when tried between the fingers.

Spread in a wet pan, cover with wet paper, and cool; then chill by setting pan on ice in the refrigerator. Shape into balls, first dipping the hands in cold water. If one and one half tablespoons of mixture are used for each, ten cakes can be made. Heat a tin sheet slightly, and rub over with white wax, paraffin, or olive oil. Place balls on the sheet, and bake in a slow oven about twenty minutes.

Corvettes

Popped corn

White 1 egg

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon butter

¼teaspoon salt½teaspoon vanilla Candied cherries Chopped almonds

Chop sufficient popped corn to make three fourths cup. Beat white of egg until stiff, and add gradually sugar, butter, softened but not melted, salt, and vanilla. Fold in popped corn, drop from teaspoon on buttered sheet, and shape in circular forms with a fork dipped in cold water. Place a piece of candied cherry in the center of each, sprinkle with finely chopped almonds, and bake in a slow oven until delicately browned.