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Nougat

This is described as a cake, confection or sweetmeat made of almonds or other nuts. When freshly prepared it is so elastic that it can be moulded into cups, baskets or any other shapes. The following recipes give a variety of favorite modes of preparing and using nougat: (1) Put eight ounces of fine powdered sugar into a copper egg-whipping bowl and mix in the whites of three eggs, whipping continually over a clear fire until the paste is of the consistency of thick batter. Add one-half pound of almonds blanched and cut into small pieces, two ounces of chopped candied orange peel, one tablespoonful of vanilla sugar and a few drops of prepared cochineal. Mix thoroughly and spread it out upon two pieces of wafer-paper to about one inch in thickness, cover with two more pieces of paper, using a flat plate or board with a small weight on top to keep them level. Put them in an oven of very moderate heat and bake for a few minutes. Take them out, and when nearly dry cut them up into narrow, oblong squares. They are then ready for use. (2) Put one-half pound of powdered sugar into a copper egg-bowl, add the whites of two eggs and one tablespoonful of orange-flower water. Set the pan over a slow fire and whisk well until the mixture is of the consistency of stiff batter. Mix in one-half pound of almonds, blanched and shred very fine, stir well and put the paste on sheets of wafer-paper spread over a baking-sheet in the form of small ovals. Put them in a very moderate oven and dry slowly. They will be ready for use when firm. Take care to keep them as white as possible. (3) Put a little orange-flower water into a saucepan with fourteen ounces of honey and boil to the ball degree. Meanwhile whisk the whites of two eggs to a stiff froth, add two pounds of blanched and finely-chopped sweet almonds and one-fourth pound of confectioner's sugar and beat them together with the honey into a smooth paste. Put a sheet of wafer-paper on a board, spread the paste over about one-half inch thick, cover with another sheet of paper and put another board on top with a weight on it. When quite cold cut into shapes, and it is ready for use. (4) Blanch five ounces of sweet almonds and cut them into fine threads. Roast the kernels of three ounces of Brazilian nuts and peel them, chop the nuts and one and one-half ounces of candied lemon peel, mix them together with the almonds and three-fourths of a pound of confectioner's sugar. Whip the whites of two eggs to a stiff froth, stir them into the other ingredients and work all to a paste. Spread the nougat on a sheet of wafer-paper, cover with another sheet of the same paper and press well between two sheets of iron or tin, and put the paste in the oven for thirty minutes. Leave the nougat till cold before cutting it up. (5) Blanch four pounds of almonds and put them in a cool oven where they will dry and keep slightly warm. Put two pounds of confectioner's sugar into a copper pan, add one pound of white honey, put the pan on the fire, skimming frequently, and as soon as it begins to boil add four tablespoonfuls of syrup and a few drops of citric acid. When the sugar is at the crack degree, remove the pan to the side of the fire, add a few drops of extract of roses or orange-flower water and a very little vegetable carmine, turn the whole out onto a well-oiled marble slab and with a flat spoon scrape it all into the center until it forms a mass that can be easily worked. Take it up in the hands and work it on a hook in the same way as for twisted sugar, but without allowing it to get cold, and working in the almonds and two handfuls of pistachio kernels. Have ready a low, square-shaped wooden case spread with large slips of wafer-paper, put the mixture in, smoothing it over on top so as to give it an even thickness of about two inches and cover over with more waferpaper. Put the lid on the case with a heavy weight on top so as to push the nougat close down, let it remain for about ten minutes, turn it out of the case, divide it into long squares, cutting it in pieces with the aid of a crescent-shaped cleaving-knife.