Good Charlotte

A no-cook icebox dessert built entirely on whipped cream and confectioner's candy, written when you bought sweets by the dime rather than the ounce. Two things in the original need sorting out before you start: the money measurements and the sherry, which is listed but never mentioned again.

• The sherryIt appears in the ingredient list and then vanishes from the method. Fold it in with the sugar, a little at a time, while the cream is still slightly soft — added all at once to stiff cream it will thin and weep. One-third cup is about 5 tablespoons.
• "10 cts. worth"Genuinely ambiguous, and there is no dependable way to convert a dime's worth of candy counter goods into weight. Figure about 4 oz marshmallows and 4 oz orange paste as a starting point, and adjust to taste rather than trusting the figure.
• Orange pasteA firm candied orange confection sold by weight at the candy counter, closest today to orange fruit jellies or candied orange peel. Chop it small; large pieces sink and turn stringy in cold cream.
• MarronsCandied chestnuts in syrup, still sold in jars as marrons glacés or marrons au sirop. Drain them well and blot dry, or the syrup will slacken the cream.
• Double creamBritish-style double cream runs 48 percent fat; American heavy cream at 36 percent whips perfectly well here but gives a lighter, less dense set. Have the cream, bowl and beaters cold.
• The almondsBlanch, grind coarsely, then toast in a dry pan or a 350F oven until fragrant and pale gold — and cool them completely. Warm nuts will melt the cream on contact.
• SettingThere is no gelatin or egg, so this never firms beyond stiff whipped cream. Chill at least two hours and serve the same day; held overnight it is likely to weep and slacken.
• YieldA pint of cream whips to roughly a quart, so six to eight servings in glasses or a mold lined with plastic wrap.