Macaroons

This is a receipt in the older style: proportions only, with the method assumed. The proportions themselves are sound — equal weights of sugar and almonds bound with egg white is the classic almond macaroon — but everything about handling and baking has to be supplied.

• The proportions in cupsHalf a pound of sugar is about 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated; half a pound of blanched almonds is roughly 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups whole, or something over 2 cups once ground. Weigh rather than measure by volume, since ground almonds pack unpredictably.
• Pounded almondsBlanch the almonds in boiling water, slip the skins, dry them thoroughly, then grind. Commercial almond flour or ground almonds is the direct substitute; if you grind your own in a processor, pulse with a spoonful of the sugar to keep the nuts from turning to paste.
• Egg whites are a variableEggs in period receipts were often smaller than modern large eggs, so three whites may be more than this quantity needs. Beat them to soft peaks and fold in only as much as it takes to make a stiff, sticky paste that holds its shape on a spoon — you may not need all of the third white.
• No oven temperature givenBake at 300-325F. Almond macaroons scorch on the bottom and go bitter well before the interior sets, so keep the heat low and slow; 15-20 minutes for small mounds, until pale gold and dry to the touch but still soft inside.
• Line the panPeriod receipts for macaroons often directed wafer or rice paper. Parchment does the same job. This batter sticks badly to bare metal.
• Rest before bakingLetting the spooned mounds stand uncovered 20-30 minutes lets a skin form, which helps them hold their shape rather than spreading flat.
• YieldSeveral dozen small cookies at a rounded teaspoon each, depending on how they are sized. They improve overnight in a tin and go stale-hard within a few days.