Page:The White House Cook Book.djvu/408

 372 CUSTARDS, CREAMS AND DESSERTS.

each meringue. Spread some clean paper on the board, turn the me- ringues upside down and put them into the oven to harden and brown on the other side. When required for table, fill them with whipped cream, flavored with liquor or vanilla and sweeten with pounded sugar. Join two of the meringues together and pile them high in the dish. To vary their appearance, finely chopped almonds or currants may be strewn over them before the sugar is sprinkled over; and they may be garnished with any bright-colored preserve. Great expedition is necessary in making this sweet dish, as, if the meringues are not put into the oven as soon as the sugar and eggs are mixed, the former melts and the mixture would run on the paper instead of keeping its egg- shape. The sweeter the meringues are made the crisper will they be ; but if there is not sufficient sugar mixed with them, they will most likely be tough. They are sometimes colored with cochineal; and if kept well-covered in a dry place, will remain good for a month or six

weeks.

JELLY KISSES.

KISSES, to be served for dessert at a large dinner, with other suit- able confectionery, may be varied in this way: Having made the kisses, heap them in the shape of half an egg, placed upon stiff letter paper lining the bottom of a thick baking pan ; put them in a moderate oven until the outside is a little hardened ; then take one off carefully, take out the soft inside with the handle of a spoon, and put it back with the mixture, to make more ; then lay the shell down. Take an- other and prepare it likewise; fill the shells with currant jelly or jam; join two together, cementing them with some of the mixture ; so con- tinue until you have enough. Make kisses, cocoanut drops, and such like, the day before they are wanted.

This recipe will make a fair-sized cake basket full. It adds much to their beauty when served up to tint half of them pale pink, then unite white and pink. Serve on a high glass dish.

COCOANUT MACAROONS.

MAKE a "kiss" mixture, add to it the white meat, grated, and fin- ish as directed for KISSES.

ALMOND MACAROONS.

HALF a pound of sweet almonds, a coffeecupful of white sugar, the whites of two eggs ; blanch the almonds and pound them to a paste ;

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