Mrs. Lincoln's Boston cook book

To Blanch Almonds and other Nuts. — Remove the shells, cover with boiling water, and let them stand till the dark skin will rub off easily. Then put them in cold water, rub off the skins, and dry between towels. Corned Meat, — Fresh meat may be kept some time by corning it slightly. Wipe carefully, and remove any parts that are not sweet and fresh, then rub all over thickly with salt. Or make a brine with rock salt and cold water ; use salt enough to float the meat, then cover, and put a heavy weight on the cover to keep the meat under the brine. Three days' time is sufficient for corned meat. To MaJce Paper Boxes, — These can be obtained, in a variety of forms, from the confectioner ; but plain ones may be made in this way Take a piece of stiff white paper, five inches square. Find the centre of the square by folding two opposite corners together and creasing lightly in the middle, then open and fold the other two in The Boston Cook Book. 437 the same way. Fold the two sides over till they meet in the centre, then fold the two ends. Open, and cut in the fold down to the line at each end, but not on the side. Fold the sides over on the outside about one quarter of an inch ; then fold the middle part of the end in the same way. Then turn the ends of the side pieces round behind the end, and let them meet in the middle, and fold the edge of the end over them. Fasten the ends with a few stitches or with paste. A border of fancy perforated paper may be pasted on the edge. A Pastry Bag, — One third of a yard of yard-wide rubber sheeting will make three bags one foot square. Fold two opposite corners together, stitch along the edge, and make a triangular bag. Cut off at the point to make an opening large enough to insert the end of a tin tube. It is convenient to have three bags, with openings of different sizes, — - one for eclairs, one for lady fingers, and one for frosting. The tube for eclairs is three fourths of an inch wide at the small end ; that for lady fingers, three eighths of an inch ; and the frosting tubes, of various sizes, some of them quite small. Fit the tube into the opening, and fill the bag with the mixture. Draw the edges together, and twist the top tightly to keep out the air. Hold the bag in the left hand, with the tube close to the place where the mixture is to be spread ; press with the right, and guide the mixture into any shape desired. A slight pressure is sufficient. When no longer needed, wash the bags in cold (never in hot) water, and dry carefully. Vanilla Sugar. — One pound of lump sugar and one ounce of Mexican vanilla beans. Cut the beans in small pieces, and pound in a mortar, with the sugar, till fine like flour. Sift through a fine strainer, pound the remainder again, and sift till all is fine. Keep in a tightly corked bottle. Use a tablespoonful for a quart of icecream. Or cut the beans into small pieces, and split them that the seeds may be exposed. Put an ounce of the beans in a small jar with a pound of sugar. Sift the sugar as required, and use as above ; add more sugar, The Boston Cook Book. keep closely covered, and use as long as there is any flavor in the sugar.