perfectly melted, pour the almonds
hot and already slightly browned. Now lower the fire and be careful not
to allow the compound to be overdone. The precise point is known when
the mixture acquires a cinnamon color. Then pour little by little in a
cold mold, previously greased with butter or oil. Press with a lemon
against the walls of the mold, making the mixture as thin as possible.
Remove from the mold when perfectly cooled and, if it is difficult to do
so, dip the mold in boiling water.

The almonds can also be dried in the sun and chopped fine, adding a
small piece of butter when they are in the sugar.

194

WAFER BISCUITS

(Cialdoni)

Put in a kettle:

Flour, three ounces.
Brown sugar, one ounce.
Lard virgin, half an ounce.
Cold water, seven tablespoonfuls.

First dilute the flour and the sugar in the water, then add the lard.

Put on the fire the iron for waffles or better an appropriated iron for
flattened wafers. When it is quite hot open it and place each time half
a tablespoonful of the paste. Close the iron and press well. Pass over
the fire on both sides, trim all around with a knife and open the iron
when you see that the wafer is browned. Then detach it from one side of
the iron and hot as it is roll it on the iron itself or on a napkin
using a little stick. This operation must be made with great rapidity
because if the wafer gets cold, it cannot be rolled.

Should the wafers remain attached to the iron, grease it from time to
time, and if they are not firm enough, add a little flour.

These wafer-biscuits are generally served with whipped cream.

195

QUINCE CAKE

(Cotognata)

The ingredients are about six pounds of quinces and four pounds of
granulated sugar.

Put on the fire the apples covered with water, and when they begin to
crack remove them, skin and scrape to put together all the pulp. Rub the
latter through a sieve. Put back the pulp on the fire with the sugar and
stir continually in order that it may not attack to the bottom of the
kettle. It will be enough to boil for seven or eight minutes and remove
when it begins to form pieces when lifted with the ladle.

Now in order to prepare the quince-cake spread it on a board to the
thickness of about a silver dollar and dry it in the sun covered with
cheese cloth to keep away the flies. When it is dry cut it in the form
of chocolate tablets and remove each piece from the board passing the
blade of a knife underne