Almond Paste may be prepared in two ways: either in the cold or by cooking the almonds. To prepare al mond paste in the cold, pound the dry kernels of sweet almonds to a fine powder in an earthenware or marble mortar. This will require time and patience. When the al monds are sufficiently fine, add just enough elder-flower, rose, or orange flower water to make a paste of the desired consistency and perfume with some essential oil—as the attar of roses, bergamot, neroli, or any other desired. Preserve in covered glass jars.
Or, to prepare paste of bitter al monds, take equal parts of bitter and sweet almonds and proceed as before. It is not necessary to add perfumes, as the scent of the bitter almonds is sufficient.
Or add to either of the above 2 ounces of powdered spermaceti or 1 ounce of grated castile soap for each pound of almonds.
Or the white of I egg to each pound of almonds.
Or, to prepare almond paste by cooking, chop or grind 24 ounces of blanched bitter almonds, which may be done by passing them through a meat cutter, cover with 8 ounces of elder-flower or orange-flower water, and cook over a slow fire, stirring constantly until the almond kernels burst and assume the consistency of paste. If the fire is too brisk or the mass is not constantly stirred, the almonds will burn and the quality of the paste will be impaired. It must be borne in mind that much of the oil of bitter almonds is volatilized by heat, and care must be taken not to breathe the fumes, which are poison ous. Before removing from the fire, stir in 4 ounces more of orange flower or elder-flower water, and rub up the paste in a mortar to the proper consistency, adding 16 ounces of alcohol and 3 ounces of attar of roses or any other essential oil de sired. Rub through a hair or other
fine sieve and bottle for use.
Or, for honey-almond paste, heat in a double boiler 4 ounces of pure white honey, strain through cheese cloth, and add 4 ounces of bitter white paste, 8 ounces of expressed oil of bitter almonds, and 2i yolks of eggs. Add the egg and the oil grad ually, and beat vigorously with an egg beater or otherwise, as in prepar ing mayonnaise.
Or rub up together in a mortar 2 ounces of sweet and bitter almonds with 1 ounces of oil of almonds, and add ounce of ground castile soap. Stir in 12 drops of attar of roses and oil of bergamot.
Or rub up to a smooth paste in a mortar 4 ounces of bleached sweet almonds; add the white of 1 egg and equal quantities of rose .water and alcohol to make a paste of the right consistency.
Or rub to a smooth paste 4 pounds of bitter almonds with elder-flower or lavender water, and beat up with this 1 pound of pure strained honey, 4 ounces of fine orris powder, 8 ounces of almond powder, and 2 ounces of oil of jasmine.
Or rub up in a mortar 4 ounces of powdered almonds, and beat into these 3 ounces of oil of almonds and 3 ounces of lemon juice, and dilute with equal parts of alcohol and rose water to make a paste of the right consistency.
Or cover the whites of 4 eggs with rose water and bring to a boil, stir ring in ounce of alum and ounce of oil of almonds. Evaporate the water with gentle heat, and stir con stantly until the paste is of the right consistency.