CHERRY SOUP.--Like most soups that are either sweet or sour, this is a
German recipe. Put a piece of butter, the size of a large egg, into a
saucepan. Let it melt, then mix it with a tablespoonful of flour, and stir
smoothly until it is lightly browned. Add gradually two pints of water, a
pound of black cherries, picked and washed, and a few cloves. Let these
boil until the fruit is quite tender, then press the whole through a sieve.
After straining, add a little port, if wine is allowed--but the soup will
be very nice without this addition--half a teaspoonful of the kernels,
blanched and bruised, a tablespoonful of sugar, and a few whole cherries.
Let the soup boil again until the cherries are tender, and pour all into a
tureen over toasted sippets, sponge-cakes, or macaroons.


CHESTNUT SOUP, OR PUREE OF CHESTNUTS.--Take four dozen chestnuts and peel
them. This will be a very long process if we attempt to take off the skins
while they are raw; but in order to save time and trouble, place the
chestnuts in a stew-pan with a couple of ounces of butter. Place them on a
slack fire and occasionally give them a stir. Heat them gradually till the
husks come off without any difficulty. Having removed all the husks, add
sufficient stock or water to the chestnuts, and let them boil gently till
they are tender. Then pound them in a mortar and rub them through a wire
sieve. Add a very little brown roux, if the soup is to be brown, and a few
drops of Parisian essence (burnt sugar), or a little white roux and a
little cream if the soup is to be white. Add also a little pepper and
salt, sufficient butter to make the puree taste soft, and a little powdered
sugar. Fried and toasted bread should be served with the soup.