Little French Cakes

Take half a pound of Valencia almonds, put them in cold water and bring them to the boil, then strain and rinse in cold water and rub them in a cloth to take off the skins; chop them fine (or ground almonds can be used) and mix them with two ounces of Marshall's Creme de Riz, two ounces of castor sugar, two ounces of warm butter, one tablespoonful of orange-flower water, one tablespoonful of brandy, and enough liquid car-mine to make the mixture a pretty salmon colour; work these ingredients all together for about ten minutes with a wooden spoon. Then have some little bouche cups brushed over with warm butter and dusted over with castor sugar and fine flour that have been mixed together in equal quantities, and nearly fill the little moulds with the mixture; bake in a very moderate oven for fifteen to twenty minutes, when the mixture will be firm to the touch; then turn out on to a pastry rack or sieve, and when they are cool mask entirely with Maraschino glace (vol. i.), lightly sprinkle over a little blanched and chopped pistachios, place each of the cakes in a lace-edged paper case, and serve. These are nice for a sweet to be served with ice, or they can be used for dessert or afternoon tea; if being served for the latter they should be quite plain.

Genoise Paste

Take half a pound of good butter, and the finely-chopped peel of one lemon, and work them in a basin with a wooden spoon till white and like cream; then add half a pound of castor sugar and work them together for about ten minutes, and then mix in by degrees five small whole eggs and half a pound of finely-sifted flour, adding one egg and about one tablespoonful of flour at the time, and lastly an eighth of an ounce of Cowan's Baking Powder. This mixture takes about twenty minutes to prepare, and the quantities given above are sufficient for eight to ten persons. This is a very useful mixture, as very many ea3y and pretty dishes can be made from it quickly.

Genoa Cake

Take seven ounces of good butter, the very finely-chopped peel of one lemon, and a pinch of ground cinnamon; work together to the consistency of cream, then mix with it six ounces of castor sugar and work these together for about ten minutes; then add to it six ounces of fine flour and four whole raw eggs, mixing one egg and a little flour in at a time and by degrees; when both are well mixed add three ounces of blanched and finely-shredded almonds, four ounces finely-shredded dried cherries, and an eighth of an ounce of Cowan's Baking Powder. Brush over a saute pan with warm butter, line it with a buttered paper, then dust it over with castor sugar and fine flour mixed together in equal quantities. Pour the mixture into this and bake in a moderate oven for thirty-five to forty minutes; then turn out and when cool cut the cake into fancy shapes or serve it whole, icing it over with Maraschino or Noyeau glace (vol. i.) Serve for afternoon tea, etc.