CAKES.

For the recipes of strawberry, peach and other fruit short-cakes, look
under the head of BISCUITS, ROLLS AND MUFFINS. They all make a very
delicious dessert when served with a pitcher of fresh sweet cream,
when obtainable.

SALTED OR ROASTED ALMONDS.

Blanch half a pound of almonds. Put with them a tablespoonful of
melted butter and one of salt. Stir them till well mixed, then spread
them over a baking-pan and bake fifteen minutes, or till crisp,
stirring often. They must be bright yellow-brown when done. They are a
fashionable appetizer and should be placed in ornamental dishes at the
beginning of dinner, and are used by some in place of olives, which,
however, should also be on the table, or some fine pickles may take
their place.

ROAST CHESTNUTS.

Peel the raw chestnuts and scald them to remove the inner skin; put
them in a frying pan with a little butter and toss them about a few
moments; add a sprinkle of salt and a suspicion of cayenne. Serve them
after the cheese.

Peanuts may be blanched and roasted the same.

AFTER-DINNER CROUTONS.

These crispy _croutons_ answer as a substitute for hard-water crackers
and are also relished by most people.

Cut sandwich bread into slices one-quarter of an inch thick; cut each
slice into four small triangles; dry them in the oven slowly until
they assume a delicate brownish tint, then serve either hot or cold. A
nice way to serve them is to spread a paste of part butter and part
rich creamy cheese, to which may be added a very little minced
parsley.

ORANGE FLOAT.

To make orange float, take one quart of water, the juice and pulp of
two lemons, one coffeecupful of sugar. When boiling hot, add four
tablespoonfuls of cornstarch. Let it boil fifteen minutes, stirring
all the time. When cold, pour it over four or five oranges that have
been sliced into a glass dish and over the top spread the beaten
whites of three eggs, sweetened and flavored with vanilla. A nice
dessert.

LEMON TOAST.

This dessert can be made very conveniently without much preparation.

Take the yolks of six eggs, beat them well and add three cupfuls of
sweet milk; take baker's bread, not too stale, and cut into slices;
dip them into the milk and eggs and lay the slices into a spider, with
sufficient melted butter, hot, to fry a delicate brown. Take the
whites of the six eggs and beat them to a froth, adding a large cupful
of white sugar; add the juice of two lemons, heatin