> I went ahead and baked the extra-almond batch. They rose less,
> spread out more, became hollow inside, and crumbled to pieces when I
> attempted to remove them from the baking sheet.
>
I thought that they might. the meringe seems to be the "base" of this
confection. the meringe was not able to hold together because the oil
interfered with the egg white's self-adhesion, and the bubbles broke.
Just some ideas off the top of my head
Try putting the almonds on absorbent paper and putting them in a 200
degree oven overnight to reduce the oil content...
Perhaps you can use blanched almonds ( does anybody know if that
actually reduces the oil? I don't know...)
Use an almond extract ( not almond oil ) to "punch up" the flavor (yeah,
I know, not period)
Add another spice to "augment" the Almond flavor, like vanilla bean,
or nutmeg.
Dont double the almonds, just add half again, as much.
I think the recipe called for 12, add 18.
Form what I have seen of a Lot of period confections, any flavor was
rather subtle in the sugar taste. I think there is a recipe for anise comfits
that is essentially a ball of sugar with a tiny anise seed in the middle.
The anise flavor is not that intense until you hit the seed.
> Wasn't it Edison who said optimistically that a hundred failed
> experiments meant that he knew a hundred ways *not* to make a light
> bulb? I feel that I am becoming an expert on how not to make
> melindres. :-)
Keep it up, this is how we found out how to not make Cuskynowles...
;-)
brandu
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