Make a dish that reflects the historical idea of "foreign"- either foods with a loose connection to foreign lands, named after faraway places, or attributed to foreigners.
Maccaroons
My French Charlotte recipe includes several components that must be created before the final creation can be assembled. In this case, I'm starting with Maccaroons.
These macaroons are more like the coconut ones we are all familiar with, rather than the filled cookies popular at bakeries at present.
The Recipe:
From: The Lady's Receipt Book; A Useful companion for large and small families by Eliza Leslie, 1847
Ground Nut Maccaroons
Take a sufficiency of ground-nuts, that have been roasted in an iron pot, over the fire; remove the shells; and weigh a pound of the nuts. Put them into a pan of cold water, and wash off the skins. Have ready some beaten white of egg. Pound the ground-nuts, (two or three at a time,) in a marble mortar, adding, frequently, a little cold water, to prevent their oiling. They must be pounded to a smooth, light paste; and, as you proceed, remove the paste to a saucer or a plate. Beat, to a stiff froth, the whites of four eggs, and then beat into it, gradually, a pound of powdered loaf-sugar, and a large tea-spoonful of powdered mace and nutmeg mixed. Then stir in, by degrees, the pounded ground-nuts, till the mixture becomes very thick. Flour your hands, and roll, between them, portions of the mixture, forming each portion into a little ball. Lay sheets of white paper on flat baking-tins, and place on them the maccaroons, at equal distances, flattening them all a little, so as to press down the balls into cakes. Then sift powdered sugar over each. Place them in a brisk oven, with more heat at the top than in the bottom. Bake them about ten minutes.
Almond maccaroons may be made as above, mixing one-quarter of a pound of shelled bitter almonds with three-quarters of shelled sweet almonds. For almond maccaroons, instead of flouring your hands, you may dip them in cold water; and when the maccaroons are formed on the papers, go slightly over every one, with your fingers wet with cold water.
Maccaroons may be made, also, of grated cocoa-nut, mixed with beaten white of egg and powdered sugar.
The Date/Year and Region:
Mid-Atlantic, 1840-1870
How Did You Make It:
I went the easy route of buying prepared almond meal.
2 cups almond meal
2 egg whites
1.5 cups powdered confectioner's sugar
dash of powdered nutmeg
Separate the eggs. Stir the whites to a froth and discard the yolks.
Add the almond meal, sugar, and spice to a bowl.
Blend to a tacky batter.
Form into balls the size of a walnut.
Bake at 375* for 15 minutes.
About 30 minutes
Total Cost:
About $6.00 for the almond meal, the rest I had on hand. I had plenty of almond meal left for other tasty creations.
How Successful Was It:
A terrific sweet treat, like coconut macaroons only better 'cause they aren't coconut. :-p
How Accurate Was It:
I would say the ground meal would give a fair approximation of hand grinding, so fairly accurate.
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