The Italian Cook Book Part 24

b.u.t.ter, a small piece.

Four eggs.

Taste of lemon peel.

A pinch of salt.

Skin the almonds in warm water and ground or pound very fine with all the sugar, to be mixed one tablespoonful at a time.

Cook the farina in the milk and before removing from the fire add the b.u.t.ter and the almonds, which will dissolve easily, being mixed with the sugar. Then put the pinch of salt and wait until it becomes lukewarm to add the eggs that are to be beaten whole previously. Pour the mixture in a baking tin greased evenly with b.u.t.ter, sprinkled with bread crumbs and of such a size that the tart has the thickness of an inch or less. Put it in the oven, remove from the mold when cold and serve whole or cut into sections.

201

PUDDING OF RICE MEAL

(Budino di farina di riso)

Milk, one quart.

Rice meal, seven ounces.

Sugar, four and a half ounces.

Six eggs.

A pinch of salt.

Taste of vanilla.

First dissolve the rice meal in half a pint of the milk when cold, and pour it in the rest of the milk when it is boiling. This is done to prevent the formation of lumps. When the meal is cooked add the sugar, the b.u.t.ter and the salt. Remove from the fire and when it is lukewarm mix the eggs (beaten) and the taste of vanilla. Then bake the pudding like all the others and serve warm.

202

BREAD PUDDING

(Budino di pane)

Soft bread crumb, five ounces.

b.u.t.ter, three and a half ounces.

Four eggs.

Taste of lemon peel.

A pinch of salt.

Cut the bread crumb into pieces and soak in cold milk. Then rub though a sieve. Melt the b.u.t.ter in a double boiler (in a vessel immersed in boiling water) and mix with the eggs until b.u.t.ter and eggs are incorporated to each other. Add the bread crumb and the sugar and mix well. Pour the mixture in a mold greased with b.u.t.ter and sprinkled with bread crumb ground fine and bake like other puddings.

203

POTATO PUDDING

(Budino di patate)

Potatoes, big and mealy, one and a half lb.

Sugar, five and a half ounces.

b.u.t.ter, one and a half ounces.

Flour, a tablespoonful.

Milk, half a pint.

Six eggs.

A pinch of salt.

Paste of cinnamon or lemon peel.

Boil or steam the potatoes, skin and rub through a sieve. Place them back again on the fire with the b.u.t.ter, the flour and the milk, all poured little by little, stirring well with the ladle, then add the sugar, the salt and the cinnamon or lemon peel (just a taste) and mix everything together well. Remove from the fire and, when the mixture is lukewarm or cold add the eggs, first the yolks, then the whites beaten.

Bake like all other puddings and serve hot.

204

LEMON PUDDING

(Budino di limone)

One big lemon.

Sugar, six ounces.

Sweet almonds with 3 bitter ones, six ounces.

Six eggs.

Cook the lemon in water, for which two hours will be enough. Remove dry and rub through a sieve. Before rubbing, however, taste it, because if it has a bitter taste it must be kept in cold water until it has lost that unpleasant taste. Add the sugar, the almonds skinned and ground very fine and the six yolks of the eggs. Beat the whites of the eggs and add them to the mixture that will then be put in a mold and baked like all other puddings.

205

PUDDING OF ROASTED ALMONDS

(Budino di mandorle tostate)

Milk, one quart.

Sugar, three and a half ounces.

Sweet almonds, two ounces.

Lady-finger biscuits, two ounces.

Three eggs.

First prepare the almonds, that is to say skin them in warm water and toast them on the fire over a plate of iron or a stone, then grind very fine. Boil the sugar and the lady-fingers, broken in little pieces in the milk, mixing well. After half an hour of boiling, keeping always stirred, rub the mixture through a sieve. Then add the toasted and ground almonds. When it is cold add the beaten eggs, pour it in a smooth mold, whose bottom will be covered with a film of liquified sugar and cook in a double boiler, that is to say put the mold well closed in a kettle full of boiling water.

When cooked let it cool and place in ice-box before serving.

206

CRISP CAKE IN DOUBLE BOILER

(Croccante a bagno maria)

Sugar, five and a half ounces.

Sweet almonds, three ounces.