Lift each slice carefully with a wide spatula and dip in beaten egg to cover both sides.

Carefully transfer each slice to a frying-pan in which plenty of butter is quietly sizzling.  Fry golden-brown on both sides.

Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.

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Preheat oven to 350F.  Butter sides of an 8 1/2-inch spring form pan, line base with a circle of baking parchment; butter the parchment.  Using a nut mill, grind almonds to powder, stir in baking powder; set aside.

Beat egg whites until they start to stiffen, sprinkle with half of the sugar, a little at a time, and continue beating until stiff and glossy.

Beat butter with remaining sugar, then beat in egg yolks, brandy, and almond extract.  Using a large rubber spatula, fold in potato, ground almonds and egg whites.

Spoon into prepared pan; bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a tester comes out dry.  Let cool in pan for 10 minutes.

Run a knife blade around edge before releasing sides of pan.  Place cake, on the base, on a rack and let cool completely.Cake will sink slightly in the middle.  Reverse cake onto a plate, peel off paper and place right side up on a serving plate.  Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

MARZIPAN "POTATOES": You'll need 4 ounces marzipan or almond paste and powdered unsweetened cocoa.

Pinch off pieces of marzipan and roll into elongated balls, each about the size of a large marble.  Make these slightly irregular, like tiny new potatoes. Roll in cocoa to simulate brown potato skin.  Cut several in half to show the white interior.  Arrange a little group on top of the cake, and place the rest in twos and threes around the edge of the plate.

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Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until smooth.  Gradually stir in 3 cups of the flour, mixing well.  Cover and chill until dough is firm enough to handle easily, at least 3 hours or as long as 2 days.  For easier handling, chill the dough before you form the ring-shaped cookies.

Divide dough in half.  Cover and chill 1 portion.  Divide other half into 8 equal pieces.  With floured fingers, roll each piece on a lightly floured board to make a 10-inch rope.  Overlap ends of each rope slightly to form a ring.  Place rings about 1 inch apart on a greased 14x17 inch baking sheet.  Sprinkle light with sugar.

Bake in 300 F. oven until golden, 35-40 minutes.  Remove cookies from pans and let cool completely on racks.  Repeat with remaining dough.  Serve or store airtight up to 10 days.

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Beat butter in mixer bowl until smooth.  Beat in sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in vanilla. Beat in flour and salt just until combined.

Spread 1/3 cup batter evenly on each inverted cake pan to within 1/4 inch of edge.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned around edges.  With long, thin metal spatula, loosen each wafer and transfer to wire racks to cool completely.  Repeat on buttered, floured pans with remaining batter to make a total of 12 wafers.  (Can be made ahead.  Stack between sheets of wax paper and cover tightly, up to 2 days.)

Coffee buttercream: Heat milk in medium saucepan over medium heat just to boiling.Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks and sugar together in medium bowl.  Gradually whisk in hot milk.  Return mixture to saucepan; cook, stirring constantly, over medium-low heat until mixture thickens and coats back of spoon, about 6 minutes. (Do not boil.)  Strain through sieve into mixer bowl.  Stir in coffee powder and vanilla.  Cool to room temperature.  Beat in 2 cups butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition.

To assemble, place 1 cake wafer on serving platter.  Spread evenly with 1/3 cup buttercream.  Add second wafer and 1/3 cup more buttercream; repeat with remaining wafers and buttercream, ending with wafer.  Pipe remaining buttercream decoratively on top.  (Can be made ahead.  Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.) Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.

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Beat the egg yolks lightly, mix in a little of the hot milk, then stir yolk mixture into pan.  Set over low heat and cook, stirring constantly for 15 to 20 minutes until slightly thickened - like a thin custard sauce.  Do not boil or the mixture may curdle; remove from the heat.

Beat the egg whites to soft peaks, gradually adding the confectioner's sugar.  Gently but thoroughly fold the beaten whites into the orange mixture.

Pour into a large bowl and chill for 24 hours.  Serve in stemmed goblets, sprigged, if you like, with lemon verbena, lemon geranium, or mint.

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In an electric mixer set at high speed, beat 3/4 cup of the sugar with the eggs for 5 minutes until the colour and consistency of mayonnaise.

Meanwhile, line the bottom of a 15 1/2x10 1/2x1in jelly-roll pan with wax paper.  Butter the wax paper generously and also the pan sides; sprinkle 2tbsp of flour over the wax paper, then tip the pan from side to side and back and forth to coat both the wax paper and the pan sides with flour.  Rap the pan lightly against the counter, then tip out the excess flour; set the pan aside.

As soon as the sugar-egg mixture is fluffy-light, stir in the orange juice, rind, and cinnamon.  Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake uncovered on the middle oven rack for 12 to 15 minutes until the surface is richly browned.  As it bakes, the batter will billow into alarming "hills and valleys" but this is perfectly normal.

While the torte bakes, spread a clean dishtowel across the counter so that one of the short sides faces you.  Now sprinkle the remaining 3/4 cup sugar over the towel to cover an area slightly larger than that of the jelly-roll pan.

The instant the torte is done, remove from the oven and loosen around the edges with a thin-bladed knife or small spatula.  Quickly invert the pan on top of the sugared towel and, wasting no time, gently pull off the wax paper.

Now, with a sharp knife dipped in hot water, quickly trim off any crisp edges around the torte.

To roll the torte, lift the front end of the towel up, letting the torte roll up on itself, jelly-roll style.  Leave the torte wrapped up in the towel for 3 to 4 hours (the torte will make its own jelly-like filling), then carefully unwrap.

To serve, slice the torte about 3/8in thick and slightly on the bias.  Allow 2-3 slices per serving.

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Boil very gently, stirring all the time, for 2-3 minutes, to thicken.

Pour into a serving dish and sprinkle with the cinnamon.

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While you are doing this, have the milk over low heat with a small piece of lemon rind and the remaining sugar in it.  When it is boiling, reduce the flame and maintain just a gentle bubbling.  Discard the lemon rind.

Cook large spoonfuls of the egg-white mixture in the boiling milk.  They cook very quickly, puffing up like small castles.  Remove each mound as they cook, using a slotted spoon.  Keep the far—fias in a large strainer, to drain off any excess milk.

When they are all cooked, put them in a serving bowl and set aside.

Now prepare a custard using the powder (made into a paste with a little cold milk) or the egg yolks, if wanted, and the milk used for cooking the farofias.  Add also any milk dropped through the strainer and a pinch of salt.  Boil gently, to cook the flour, stirring for 2 minutes, and pour into a large serving bowl.  Again using a slotted spoon, place the white 'islands' onto the custard, very carefully.

Dust with a little cinnamon and serve.  All these operations must be done speedily; the farofias may collapse a little, if left for too long.  If using the egg yolks for thickening the sauce instead of the custard powder (which is really short-cut), mix them carefully in the milk, off the heat, bring back to the flame and stir continuously until it thickens, just simmering.

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Drop half the egg mixture (2 eggs) into the syrup through the funnel, rotating it to form the threads and allowing them to cook for a couple of minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a damp plate.

Repeat the procedure with the remaining 2 eggs, after adding a drop of water to the syrup, to prevent it from becoming too hard.

Separate the cooked threads with the help of two forks so that they do not remain stuck together.  Set aside.

Boil the remaining syrup until quite thick.  Take off the heat and allow to cool a little, before adding the other 4 eggs, very well beaten.  Simmer, whilst stirring constantly, until thick.  Remove from the heat, beat in the cinnamon and pour the pudding into a glass serving-dish, decorating the top with the egg threads, like straw.

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Remove from the heat, cool a little, discard the cinnamon and lemon rind, then add the egg yolks and wine.  Beat well and set aside.

Prepare the caramel by placing the remaining sugar and 1-1/2 tbsp water in a small saucepan and bring to the boil until a brown spot appears.  This means the sugar is turning to caramel.  Reduce the heat and continue boiling, stirring with a wooden spoon, until it acquires an overall dark toffee colour.  It is only too easy to burn the caramel and thus ruin it so as soon it reaches its desired colour, remove from the heat.

Pour immediately into a pudding mould about 6-7" in diameter and turn it round, covering the bottom and sides with the help of the wooden spoon if necessary.

Pour the prepared mixture into this and bake in the oven, in a bainmarie, at 475°F, for nearly an hour or until well set and golden.  Allow to cool before taking it out of the mould.

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Place the remaining sugar in a pan with a little water and bring to a boil until it just starts to carmelize and turn slightly dark.  Combine this with the egg mixture and pour into a pudding mold, without smoothing or mixing the egg mixture, but letting it settle on its own.  Place in the oven for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the topping.  Make a cream by combining the sugar, milk and flour in a pan and bringing it to a boil.  Remove from the heat and let it set for a minute and then add the egg yolks.  Place back on the stove until the mixture is thoroughly combined.

After removing the pudding from the mold, pour the topping over the whole form.

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Place in the fridge and serve well chilled.

As a variation, you can make a layered version with the cookies and almonds, starting with a layer of cookies, next the milk/cream mixture and then the almonds.  Continue layering, ending with the cream mixture.

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