Tragantteig

"Place a handful of crushed sugar and an equal amount of fine flour onto a pastry board, add some tragacanth that has been softened in egg white, and the white from one egg; mix together to make the dough, and knead it well until it becomes clear. Then divide it into four parts: to one part, add a brick of grated chocolate so it becomes brown; into the second, add spinach juice; into the third, add alchermes; and into the fourth, add four or five drops of saffron water. Then roll out this dough and use moulds to make foliage and various decorations and figures, especially to decorate and top pies."

The original recipe gives quantities in approximate, experiential terms ('a handful', 'about as much'), typical of mid-19th century domestic cookbooks intended for skilled cooks rather than novices. The use of 'Tragant' (tragacanth gum) was common for its gelling and stabilizing properties, predating widespread use of modern gum additives. Words like 'Eiklar' (egg white), 'walken' (to knead/roll), and 'Modeln' (molds) reflect period Austrian-German spelling and culinary jargon. The instructions are succinct and assume familiarity with kneading, color extraction, and decorative work—skills which were the hallmark of a profession or highly trained household cook.