A Fabulously Rich Old Recipe
Minetry’s Miracle
I’ve been going through an old recipe folder filled with bits of crumbling paper that I tore from newspapers and magazines long ago. (Some are from my childhood, dating back to the fifties.) One, in particular, caught my eye because it was what I considered the height of elegance at one point in my life. The date’s vanished, but it was something Craig Claiborne published in the New York Times, probably in the sixties. I remember it as really, really rich. This will make 16-20 servings, and I’m thinking of making it for New Year’s Eve.
4 dozen amaretti
1 cup bourbon
1 pound butter
2 cups sugar
1 dozen eggs, separated
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate,melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
2 dozen ladyfingers
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, whipped.
Soak the macaroons in the bourbon. Set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy Beat the yolks until light and mix into butter/sugar mixture. Add the chocolate, vanilla and chopped pecans.
Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold them in.
Line a 10 inch spring from pan with the split ladyfingers. Fill it with alternating layers of soaked macaroons and chocolate mixture. Chill for at least 8 hours. Remove the sides of the pan, decorate with whipped cream, and serve.