Nesselrode Pie

3 egg whites
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup coarsely chopped blanched almonds, toasted
1/3 cup maraschino cherries, cut in fourths
2 tablespoons maraschino-cherry syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, whipped

1 Vanilla-wafer Crust

Beat the egg whites till foamy, add the granulated sugar gradually and beat till stiff. Fold in the almonds cherries, cherry syrup, and vanilla. Fold confectioners' sugar into whipped cream; fold into the first mixture. Pour into vanilla-wafer crust and freeze firm. Garnish top with cherry poinsettias and gumdrop holly leaves.

Vanilla-wafer Crust: Combine 1 1/4 cups fine vanilla-wafer crumbs and 1/3 cup melted butter or margarine. Press into buttered 9-inch pie plate; chill till firm, about 45 minutes.

Cherry poinsettias: The stem mark of maraschino cherry will be the center of flower. Holding cherry at stem end, use sharp scissors to snip it in sixths from opposite end not quite through. Spread "petals" out around stem mark.

Gumdrop holly leaves: With rolling pin, roll green gumdrops to 1/8 inch on a little sugar between sheets of waxed paper. Snip out holly-leaf shapes.