Sixty to the Pound.

(3364). Africans (Africains)

Make a small lady finger preparation (No. 3377); pour it in a linen bag furnished with a quarter of an inch socket, and lay the cakes on paper in the shape of small rounds an inch and a quarter in diameter; place this paper on a baking sheet, and bake the cakes in a slow oven. As soon as they are done remove them from the sheet and let get cold on the paper, then take the biscuits off, scoop them out on the flat side, and fill in the empty space with pastry cream (No. 46); fasten them together in pairs and dip them entirely in icing (No. 102) flavored with vanilla, rose, coffee or chocolate, removing them with a fork. Drain well on a wire grate, then set them at the oven door an instant to gloss.

(3365). Amarettes (Amarettes)

Mix fifteen ounces of sweet almonds with one ounce of bitter almonds, a pound of sugar and four egg-whites, and crush to make a very fine paste; lay this in a vessel, add two more egg-whites and half a pound more sugar; stir well together until the paste is smooth. Mold it with the hands into olive shapes, and range them on a baking sheet covered with paper; leave to rest for four hours in the heater, then bake in a hot oven. After removing from the fire, and while yet hot, detach from the paper, gum over and roll them in finely chopped pistachios, then lay at once on a grate and return to the oven to dry the gum.

(3366). Barcelonnettes (Barcelonnettes)

Pound eight ounces of almonds with a pound of sugar, four eggs and a gill of rum; make a very fine paste and put it in a vessel to add to it six egg-yolks, one at a time, beating them in until the whole becomes very light. Then sift in eight ounces of flour, mixing it in lightly, and lastly ten egg-whites whipped to a very stiff froth. Butter some small molds the shape of small channeled tartlets; glaze them over with icing sugar and fecula, half of each, and fill them three-quarters full with the preparation pushed in through a pocket; scatter chopped almonds over the tops, bestrew lightly with powdered sugar, and cook in a very slack oven; unmold as soon as done.

(3367). Birds' Nests (Nids D'Oiseaux)

Put four egg-whites in a vessel and beat them up with six ounces of icing sugar to obtain a rather light icing, then add a pinch of cinnamon and a large handful of citron cut in small sticks, and some shredded almonds, having half of each. Mold this preparation with the hand into inch-diameter balls and range them on a buttered and floured baking sheet; press a small roller in the center of each to form a hollow in imitation of birds' nests; dry these for one hour in the heater and bake in a very slack oven. After removing fill the centers with apricot marmalade (No. 3675.). Cover this over with thick kirsch water icing (No. 103) pushed through a cornet, and scatter over the top small candies imitating eggs, and a little green sugar (No. 172).

(3368). Hazel-Nut Biscuits (Biscuits Aux Noisettes)

Crush twelve ounces of roasted hazel-nuts with a pound of sugar and three eggs to make a very fine paste; lay it in a basin and add half a gill of orange flower water and sixteen egg-yolks, one at a time, then beat vigorously until very creamy. Add ten ounces of flour and twelve firmly whipped egg-whites. Pour this preparation on a paper-covered baking sheet; spread it to a three-quarters of an inch thick layer and push in a slack oven to cook. Unmold the cake as soon as done on a grate and leave in a cool place for a few hours. Then pare it very straight and soak it lightly on the underside with Curacoa; cover the top with reduced apricot marmalade ( No. 3675 . then cut the cake into small lozenge-shapes two inches long and dip them at once in Curacoa fondant (No. 58); bestrew with chopped and lightly roasted hazel-nuts.