Dried Eggs
White of eggs poured thinly on platters soon evaporates and becomes a powder like pulverized glass. This is easily soluble, even to the touch of a moist finger, can be kept a long time dry and then dissolved in water and used as well as fresh. If the powder obtained from two cups of white of eggs be dissolved in only one cup of water it can be beaten to froth for icing, etc., in a minute or two whether warm or cold. That is the result of condensation. The yolks of eggs dried alone are not soluble but the entire egg beaten together and dried slowly in water, and more rapidly if mixed with sugar before drying.
The varieties of macaroons "kisses" and meringues that might be given would fill several columns, but there is no need Scores of things of this class with imposing names are but the variations played upon the foundation of a few simple and well known combinations. Any one who has made perfectly the few varieties we have described can easily discover new changes for himself. The proportion of minced almonds in the white macaroons may be doubled; meringues baked on boards may be made extremely small, placed two together with a spot of apricot jam inclosed; some may be dredged while still moist before baking with chopped pistachio nuts, etc., etc. These things are not needed by name to very the hotel bill of fare as some other things that we have to do with are, but are always bunched together as assorted cakes, small cakes or cakes and confectioneries. The following summary will have meaning for those who may have essayed the making of meringues a la creme, or macaroons, and failed. 1 pound of sugar and 4 whites of eggs beaten with a paddle till light--about 1/2 an hour--makes a stiff cake icing and bakes hard and solid in the shape it is dropped on the pan. 1 pound of sugar and 6 whites makes soft or finishing icing, and bakes in meringues that are partly hollow but still dry and hard, rattling together like walnuts. 1 pound and 8 whites makes the thin and fragile meringue we have described and the finer qualities of macaroons, and when the paste beats up easily, as is the case when the conditions are right, another white may be added with advantage.
For twelve whites to a pound whip the whites with a wire egg whisk at first. The acetic acid should be added to the icing only when it is nearly finished. Its effect in whitening and stiffening the icing will be seen at once. The common trouble in making icing or meringue paste is its tendency to run out of shape and drip off the cakes covered with it. This cannot be remedied by the addition of more sugar, which indeed only increases the trouble, but must be prevented by care in the beginning, by having the ingredients cold and not damp and by using enough sugar to the eggs at starting to make a stiff dough that can hardly be stirred, but will get thinner as the sugar dissolves, and the beating done must be rapid beating, not stirring around. Granulated sugar can be made into meringues or icing with more ease and certainty than powdered sugar.
The annexed are candies but match well the meringues and macaroons, with the drawback, however, of being solid sugar and costlier, for their size than the articles of their list. These caramels sell well in the shops.