Gingerbread

Chop up the almonds, finely, and roast them on the baking sheet. Stir up the granulated sugar with 7 egg yolks for 1/4 hour then fold in the stiffened egg whites. Add candied orange and lemon peel, cinnamon, just slightly more clove, the cardamom, grated lemon peel, white pepper, a little mace and the flour. Mix well and leave to stand in a refrigerator overnight.

The next day, take the bicarbonate of soda and work into the dough until it becomes slippery and pliable. With either a knife blade or the back of a metal spoon, dipped in water, spread the dough into rectangular wafers, nice and thin. Leave a little raised border around the edge.

Decorate with almond halves or candied lemon peel, sprinkle with sugar, and bake at moderate heat 180C, gas mark 4, 350F for about 20 minutes.