No. 1327 Meringue Pagodatique à la Chinoise.
Have ready prepared a meringue mixture of fifteen eggs (No. 1218), with which make six rings upon paper, (laying them out with a paper cornet or funnel, in the bottom of which you have cut a hole of the circumference of a shilling,) the three largest to be eight inches in diameter, the next one six and a half inches, the next five, and the smallest three and a half inches in diameter, and the whole of them an inch in thickness, have some of the preparation in a small paper cornet with a hole at the bottom of the size of a pea, with which ornament the rings, laying small fillets of it over them, then with the large paper cornet lay out four other pieces of an octagonal form, (to imitate the top of a Chinese pagoda, which may easily be accomplished if the mixture is firm, as it may then be laid out into any shape desired,) leaving a ring in the centre, making the largest rather larger than the largest ring, diminishing the size in proportion to the other rings, and piping them according to fancy with the smaller paper cornet with which also form sixteen little bells by pressing an upright dot from it upon paper, and pulling the cornet up quickly, making the four largest half an inch in height and a quarter of an inch in width, and making each four a size smaller in proportion; bake the whole of the preparations (first sifting sugar over them) upon boards in a very slow oven, scarcely allowing them to obtain any colour; when baked and crisp place them in a hot closet until perfectly dry, when take them out, wet the back of the papers lightly with a paste-brush and carefully detach the meringues from them, which again put into the hot closet until quite crisp, then fix the bells, the largest upon the largest octagonal piece at the corners, and the smaller upon the smaller pieces, by running a needle with a piece of white silk through them, and fastening them with a little boiled sugar or isinglass when upon the point of setting; when ready to serve place the three largest rings upon your dish, filling the middle with some whipped cream flavoured with vanilla sugar (No. 1377), then the largest octagonal piece, which also fill with cream, then the next sized ring, and so on until you have built the whole up, finishing with the smallest octagonal at the top, you have also made and baked a pointed meringue of the shape of half a lemon, to fit into the hole at the top, having it decorated to correspond, which place upon the top and serve immediately, or it would become damp, and eat toughish instead of crisp.