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, heating well and adding two cupfuls of boiling water.  Serve over the toast as a sauce and you will find it a very delicious dish.

SWEET OMELET.  No. 1.

One tablespoonful of butter, two of sugar, one cupful of milk, four eggs.  Let the milk come to a boil.  Beat the flour and butter together; add to them gradually the boiling milk and cook eight minutes; stirring often; beat the sugar and the yolks of the eggs together; add to the cooked mixture and set away to cool.  When cool, beat the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth and add to the mixture.  Bake in a buttered pudding-dish for twenty minutes in a moderate oven.  Serve immediately with creamy sauce.

SWEET OMELET.  No. 2.

Four eggs, two tablespoonfuls of sugar, a pinch of salt, half a teaspoonful of vanilla extract, one cupful of whipped cream.  Beat the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth and gradually beat the flavoring and sugar into them.  When well beaten add the yolks and, lastly, the whipped cream.  Have a dish holding about one quart slightly buttered.  Pour the mixture into this and bake just twelve minutes.  Serve the moment it is taken from the oven.