One big lemon
Sugar, six ounces
Sweet almonds with 3 bitter ones, six ounces
Six eggs

"Cook the lemon in water, for which two hours will be enough. Remove dry and rub through a sieve. Before rubbing, however, taste it, because if it has a bitter taste it must be kept in cold water until it has lost that unpleasant taste.



Add the sugar, the almonds skinned and ground very fine and the six yolks of the eggs. Beat the whites of the eggs and add them to the mixture that will then be put in a mold and baked like other puddings."

This recipe was taken from "The Italian Cook Book: the Art of Eating Well, Practical Recipes of the Italian Cuisine" by Mrs. Maria Gentile. It was published in the U.S. in 1919. For the entire copyright-free cookbook see www.archive.org........ P.S. This recipe is very difficult to do and the results are rather unsatisfactory. However, if anyone attempts to do it, care should be taken to make sure the bitter almonds are very finely ground and well mixed with the sugar and sweet almonds. If the bitter almonds are not well ground they will ruin the taste of the dessert. Still, if the recipe is followed religiously and the bitter almonds are nicely incorporated with the other ingredients then they add a special flavor to this pudding.... Photo and notes: Mary Melfi

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