thick-shelled almonds, seldom yield much more than a quarter of a
pound, and should therefore never be bought for cakes or puddings.

Bitter almonds and peach-kernels can always be purchased with the
shells off.

Families should always save their peach-kernels, as they can be
used in cakes, puddings and custards.


MACCAROONS.

Half a pound of shelled sweet almonds.
A quarter of a pound of shelled bitter almonds.
The whites of three eggs.
Twenty-four large tea-spoonfuls of powdered loaf-sugar.
A tea-spoonful of rose-water.
A large tea-spoonful of mixed spice, nutmeg, mace and cinnamon.

Blanch and pound your almonds, beat them very smooth, and mix the
sweet and bitter together; do them, if you can, the day before you
make the maccaroons. Pound and sift your spice. Beat the whites of
three eggs till they stand alone; add to them, very gradually, the
powdered sugar, a spoonful at a time, beat it in very hard, and
put in, by degrees, the rose-water and spice. Then stir in,
gradually, the almonds. The mixture must be like a soft dough; if
too thick, it will be heavy; if too thin, it will run out of
shape. If you find your almonds not sufficient, prepare a few
more, and stir them in. When it is all well mixed and stirred, put
some flour in the palm of your hand, and taking up a lump of the