APHRODISIAC ALMOND SOUP

- Yolks from 2 hard-cooked eggs
- 1 cup whole almonds, blanched
- ¼ cup fresh raspberries, crushed and lightly sugared, for garnish
- 1 cup Chicken Stock, skimmed of all fat and heated
- 1 cup light cream
- 2 tablespoons honey
Instructions:
INSPIRED BY THE classic recipe in Norman Douglas’s Venus in the Kitchen, or Love’s Cookery Book (written under the pseudonym of Pilaff Bey), this soup stands on its own as a kind of decadent snack late on some winter’s night when you and your honey are wakeful and at loose ends. Rich and thickly nutty, slightly honeyed, it is lifted to heavenly delight with the tart contrast of jewel-red raspberries. Serve it to two people with appetite, maybe with Champagne.
- Hard-boil the eggs, let cool, remove and reserve the egg yolks, discarding the whites or reserving them for another purpose. Soak the almonds for a minute in boiling water, then pop off their skins by pressing between your thumb and forefinger.
- Crush and lightly sugar the raspberries and set aside.
- TO COOK
- Place the almonds and egg yolks in a blender and chop fine.
- Slowly add the chicken stock, a spoonful at a time, until the ingredients make a fine paste. Continue blending on high speed as you slowly pour in the rest of the chicken stock and all of the cream.
-  Pour the soup into a large saucepan and heat it very carefully over low heat until it is hot and thick. It must never boil or it will curdle. Stir in the honey.
- TO SERVE
- Ladle the hot soup into two exquisite bowls. Top each portion with spoonfuls of the raspberry puree. Serve immediately.