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As someone born and bred in the Potteries, but now very much rooted here in Texas, one of the things I miss most of all are the wonderful, freshly made, oatcakes that I enjoyed back in Staffordshire. I don't mean the commercially made things that have now apparently found their way on to the shelves of Sainsbury's or Tesco in some of the less sophisticated parts of the UK (e.g. London). I mean real warm oatcakes, fresh from the griddle, making a perfect breakfast or fast meal. These wonderful alternatives to toast or bread for breakfast were the staple diet of potters, miners, steel workers and pretty much every working family in Stoke-on-Trent and the surrounding area. It used to be impossible to drive more than a mile or two through the city without seeing an oatcake shop where, especially at weekends, the delightful smell of the griddle would filter outwards into the street. There are still many left and some good ones, too, I believe. Even writing this message is making me hunger for one. Oatcakes, for the uneducated, are rather like crepes or galettes made from a batter that is based on oatmeal and cooked on a large griddle. The ultimate whole grain breakfast, they are either wrapped around bacon and egg, fajita-style, or grilled with cheese. My question is, has anyone successfully made oatcakes at home and if so, are there any tips, recipes, etc. that can be shared with other ex-pats from the Six Towns?

Anyone have a recipe? I'd like to try making my own like http://www.clearspring.co.uk/japanese/ricecrackers/crackers I think they have whole rice in and are baked and crisp, not fried, and be 2-3 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick, but light. Trying just baking cooked glutinous rice ended up hard.

Hey everyone I need some help I'm trying to do a little revamp do my dessert menu and I'm having some trouble comming up with some ideas for Asian\Latino inspired desserts. The restaurant I work at has 375 seats and we are are a very hopping restaurant, so I need to come up with some dessrts that can be easily executed. Any help that you might have would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance

I'm baking for a few cake sales to raise money for the Red Cross and was wondering what your favourite recipes are for this type of event. Ease of baking, low cost and popularity are all important considerations

Chocolate Hedgehog Cake picture I wonder if anyone knows how to do this pointy hedgehog merangue looking decoration? It is a gluten free cake and the store says: chocolate torte, different chocolate mousses and nut merangue. An aquaintence of mine asked... Thanks

While learning to pipe, I have been freehanding my cake inscriptions. I would like to try something more elaborate. Looking for a more upscale typeface to use. Any thoughts? Thanks.

Hi all, first of all I really enjoy reading all the interesting stuff on this forum. It's truly a unique community! I am actually preparing for my seminar paper, and would really appreciate any feedback from all of you cake and pastry gourmands. My topic is whether custom cake design is considered as art and should be able to be protected under intellectual property. I emailed several cake artists, unfortunately, I got turned down. I would like to have your opinions. Your comments would be greatly appreciated.

Just got back from the one hour Kogi Truck pop-up at 55th and Lex. I arrived at 12:45 and the line was already ridiculous. By 1 o'clock there must have been 350 people in line. After explaining to a dozen passerby's the entire Kogi phenomenum, by the end I would just reply "we are waiting in line for Taco's." I was wrong. We were waiting in line for Kimchi Quesadillas and Chocolate Mouse with Peanut Butter Center, Caramel Popcorn. The Quesadillas were great. The Kimchi was flavorful and rich without being overly spicy. The Desert was good but I doubt anyone was ready for desert after having a four bite quesadilla. Overall it was a fun event. Lee Ann worked the window and all of the people associated with the event were super friendly. But taking a two hour lunch on a Monday that leaves you starving could be a little maddening...If it weren't for charity.

Gary Robins's Tamarind Sauce for Desserts To make tamarind pulp, cover packaged tamarind with hot water; let it sit for a while to soften, then squish it with you hands to separate the pulp from the seeds and stringy bits. Pass it through a strainer, pressing hard to push through the good stuff. This recipe will make about 1 quart, which is an awful lot. But it keeps well in the refrigerator. It is especially good on coconut ice cream, or as part of a mango sundae with ice cream (coconut or vanilla) and diced mango. 10 oz tamarind pulp 1 qt simple syrup lime juice Combine the ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve or china cap. Adjust to taste with lime juice, if necessary. Keywords: Dessert, Easy, Sauce ( RG769 )

Peanut Butter Cake If you want this to be a thin cake, you can make it in a jelly roll pan. Or you can bake it thicker and put it in a 13x9. I usually do the 13x9, but it will do fine in a jelly roll pan to serve more people... Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a saucepan, bring to boil the butter or margarine, peanut butter and water. when it comes to a boil, turn off the heat and mix well. Pour the hot mixture over the dry ingredients, mix well. Add buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. Mix well and pour into greased pan. Bake at 350 for 10 to 15 minutes for the jelly roll pan, check for doneness after about 25 to 30 minutes in the 13x9 pan. While the cake is still warm, spread with the frosting, as follows... Bring the water, butter or margarine and peanut butter to a boil. Remove from the heat. Add the vanilla, then sift in the powdered sugar. Beat well. Add chopped peanuts if desired, and add a bit of warm water (by the drop or two) if frosting is too stiff to spread. Yummy 2 c flour 2 c sugar 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 teapoon salt 1-1/2 sticks butter or margarine 1/2 c peanut butter 1 c water 1/2 c buttermilk 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla Frosting Ingredients: 1/2 c peanut butter 1 stick butter or margarine 5 T water 3-1/2 c powdered sugar 1/4 c chopped peanuts Keywords: Dessert ( RG767 )

Warm Chocolate Cake with Molten Center Instead of the typically sweet rasberry sauce, try this blueberry-strawberry sauce. It is a beautiful color, and a great combination of flavors. Serve the cake warm. Ingredients for Sauce: 1 basket of strawberries 1 basket of blueberries 1 cup of water 1/4 cup of sugar 1 star anise 1/2 vanilla bean scrapings In food processor mix strawberries, blueberries, water, well. 2 MINUTES Put in saucepan with sugar, anise, and bean and cook on low. 5 min. or so. Remove star anise and bean. CHOCOLATE CAKE FONDANT: 7 ounces bittersweet chocolate 5 ounces butter 4 ounces granulated sugar 4 whole eggs 1 ounce all purpose flour, sifted In bain marie, over hot water, put butter, chocolate, and sugar. Simmer, not a boil. Rub butter in little individual dishes, then flour lightly. Coffee cups can be used. Make sure there is NO excess flour in cups. Oven temp. is 400 degrees. Put on baking sheet. Mixing: Mix when ingredients start melting. It's o.k. if all the butter is not melted. Take off stove. Add eggs one by one when it's not too hot, and break the egg yolk so it blends well. Add flour little by little so there are no lumps with a sifter spoon. Take cup and tap on table to settle the cake batter. And pour 3/4 of the way. Bake for 8 min. at 400 degrees. Keywords: Easy, Chocolate, Dessert ( RG745 )

Yellow Cake After making at dozens of yellow cakes that were either too dry, too heavy, too moist or not fine crumbed enough, I discovered this recipe. Finally! A yellow cake that borders on perfection. This recipe makes one 9X2 inch round cake. Double it for a full-size layer cake. 2 large eggs, room temperature 1/4 c whole milk, room temperature 1 tsp good vanilla extract 1 c plus 2 T sifted plain cake flour 3/4 c sugar 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 c unsalted butter, softened, each stick cut into 8 pieces Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour a 9 inch round pan. Beat the eggs, milk, and vanilla with a in a small bowl; measure out 1/2 cup of this mixture and set aside. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a Kitchenaid with paddle attachment; mix on the lowest speed to blend -- just a quick whir to blend dry ingredients. With the mixer running at the lowest speed, add the butter one piece at a time; mix until the butter and flour begin to clump together and look sandy and pebbly, with pieces about the size of peas. Add reserved 1/2 cup of egg mixture and mix at the lowest speed until incorporated, 5 to 10 seconds. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the remaining egg mixture in a slow steady stream, about 30 seconds. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides and bottom of bowl. Beat on medium-high until thoroughly combined and the batter looks slightly curdled, about 15 seconds. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about 20 minutes. ( RG744 )

Pineapple Upside Down Cake 1 oz Vodka 1 oz Bailey’s Irish Cream 1 oz Butterscotch Schnapps Splash of Pineapple Juice Splash of Cream Combine in an ice filled shaker; shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with pineapple and cherry. Keywords: Cocktail, eGCI ( RG645 )

Cherry Cheesecake Martini 1-1/2 fl oz Dr. McGuillicuddy’s Vanilla Liqueur 3/4 fl oz Vodka Dash of Cranberry Juice Combine in an ice filled shaker; shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry. Keywords: Cocktail, eGCI ( RG636 )

Carrot Cake 1/4 fl oz Goldschlager Cinnamon Schnapps 1/2 fl oz Bailey’s Irish Cream 1/2 l Butterscotch Schnapps Combine in an iced filled shaker; shake and strain into a shot glass. Keywords: Cocktail, eGCI ( RG635 )

Tomato Soup Cake This '50s classic was usually frosted with either Cream Cheese Frosting or a very simple Buttercream of the butter/icing sugar/milk/vanilla variety. It's alternative name was "Mystery Cake" because of the color and the fact that no one ever guessed what the magic ingredient was. Please, do not skin, seed and generally expend time and effort making your own artisanal tomato soup! Go for the canned. I compared my smeary recipe card version with "Joy of Cooking" (1975) It's essentially the same cake, differing only in the spicing and fruit/nut proportions. Oven: 350 Pan: Tube pan, greased Tomato Soup Cake 2 T. soft butter 2 cups all purpose flour 1/2 t. salt 1 t. baking soda 1 t. cinnamon 1/2 t. each dry ginger, cloves and nutmeg 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup raisins 1/2 cup walnuts 1 10 1/2 oz. can condensed tomato soup. Sift together the dry ingredients. (except for the sugar) Cream together the butter and sugar until soft and fluffy. Add the tomato soup and the flour mixture alternately in three turns, stirring well between each addition. Stir in the nuts and raisins. Bake for approx. 45 minutes. You know your oven better than I do! Keywords: Dessert, Easy, Cake, American ( RG611 )

King Cake It's supposedly Gambino's. Someone reportedly snuck out a handwritten copy. Had to shrink it from the 12 cake batch recipe. It's close. Watch the nutmeg. Makes one huge cake or 2 smaller ones. Filling is added either in the crevaces with a piping bag after the 2nd rising, or can be placed inside at the point of forming the cylinder (see recipe). I like strawberry and/or bavarian creme. Chocolate creme is good too. Just plain cinnamon is the classic. Any flavor pie filling works nicely, as well. Cake: 2 packages active dry yeast 1/2 c granulated sugar 2-1/2 c flour 2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1 tsp lemon or orange zest 1/2 c warm milk 5 egg yolks 1 stick softened butter 1 egg - beaten 1/2 T milk 1-1/2 tsp cinnamon Frosting: 3/4 c confectioners sugar juice of 1 lemon Milk or Water Cake: Pour 1/2 cup warm water and 2 teaspoons sugar into a small bowl. Add yeast. Set bowl in a warm place, covered for 10 minutes until yeast bubbles. Combine 3 1/2 cups of flour, remaining sugar, salt, and nutmeg. Sift into a large bowl. Stir in lemon zest, egg yolks and dry ingredient mixture until smooth. Mix in 8 tablespoons butter slowly and continue to mix until dough can be formed into a soft ball. Knead dough by hand on floured surface, gradually adding up to 1 cup more of flour. Knead 10 minutes more or until shiny and elstic. Place dough in buttered bowl and cover. Allow to rise in a warm place for 90 minutes or until it doubles in volume. After the first rising, roll the dough out on a floured surface and punch down. Sprinkle with cinnamon, then pat and shape the dough into a long cylinder. Fold the cylinder in half, end to end, and pinch the ends together. Twist the dough. Form a ring with the completed twist, pinch ends together. Place the completed ring on a buttered or parchment covered baking sheet, and allow to rise for 45 minutes, covered or until it doubles in volume. After the second rising, brush the top and sides of the cake with the egg and milk wash. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack and hide a plastic baby in the cake. Frosting: Combine lemon juice and confectioner's sugar. add water or milk a few drops at a time to reach desired consistency. You're looking for something that will drizzle easily. Drizzle the frosting mix onto the cake then sprinkle with purple, yellow, and green colored granulated sugar. Keywords: American, Dessert, French, Cake ( RG607 )

Coconut-Peach Cake Serves 12 as Dessert. From Brown Sugar by Joyce White. Used with permission from the author. This is a fancier than the version found in The Daily Gullet article, click here. "This elegant cake is perfect for a wedding reception. Very lightly toasted coconut adds a tawny color to the cake, but if you prefer a snowy pristine look, don't toast the coconut. Place the cake on a nice crystal platter and ring it with candied violets. Toni likes the cake stacked with homemade peach preserves, but it is just as pretty, and delicious, with plum preserves made with black or Santa Rose plums, which turn into a delightful purplish-red color. So both recipes are included. And on a hot, humid day, whipped cream is a fine covering for a coconut cake -- a nice substitute for temperamental boiled icing." Pages 85-88, Brown Sugar. Cake Layers: 3 c cake flour 1 T baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 lb butter, softened 1-1/2 c granulated sugar 4 large eggs, room temperature 2 tsp vanilla extract 1 c whole milk, room temperature 2-1/2 c freshly shredded coconut, lightly toasted Peach or Plum Filling: 1-1/2 c Peach or Plum Preserves, preferably homemade 2 T peach brandy or peach schnapps Vanilla Icing: 3 large egg whites, room temperature (see note below) 1-1/2 c granulated sugar 1/3 c water 2 T light corn syrup 1/4 tsp cider vinegar or cream of tartar 1 tsp fresh lemon juice 1 tsp vanilla extract Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter threee 8 x 1½-inch round cake pans. Dust with flour and shake out any excess flour. Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt and set aside. Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or use a large mixing bowl and a handheld electric mixer. Beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy, for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bowl once or twice with a rubber spatula. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating about 30 seconds after each addition, and scraping the bowl as needed. Stir in the vanilla extract. Set the mixer at low speed. Alternately add the flour and milk to the creamed mixture, mixing only until blended after each addition, ending with the flour. After the last addition, beat the batter on low speed for 30 seconds, or until the batter is smooth and satiny. Using a measuring cup, pour the batter into the prepared pans, dividing evenly. Shake the pans gently to settle the batter. Place the cake pans in a triangular patter in the hot oven on the middle shelf. Make sure that the cake pans don't touch. Bake the cake layers for 20 minutes, and then quickly change the position of the pans in the oven for even browning, shifting the pans from front to back and vice versa. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes longer or until the cake layers are brown and puffy and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, or until the layers pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove the cake layers from the oven, place on wire racks, and allow to cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Don’t turn off the oven. Run a knife or metal spatula around the edges of the cake pans, tap gently, and carefully turn the cake layers out onto the wire racks and cool completely, top side up. To toast the coconut: Scatter 1½ to 2 cups of the coconut on a baking sheet or jelly-roll pan. Set the pan on the middle rack of the 350-degree oven. Toast the coconut for about 5 minutes, or until it is barely tinged golden brown, shaking the pan or stirring the coconut with a wooden spoon once or twice. Watch carefully and don't let the coconut burn or overbrown. Use the remaining 1 cup of coconut for the filling, untoasted. To make the Peach or Plum Filling: Combine the preserves and brandy or schnapps in a medium bowl. Beat briskly until well blended and smooth. Set aside. To prepare the Vanilla Icing: Carefully crack the eggs one at a time and place the yolk and egg white into two separate small bowls, making sure that not one speck fo yolk mixes in with the egg white. If the egg white is free of yolk, transfer it to a large spotless clean bowl for shipping. If the egg yolk drips into the egg white, discard that egg white and break another egg, using a clean bowl. Set aside the egg whites to warm to room temperature and return the yolks to the refrigerator. The egg yolks can be frozen and used in a custard, or scrambled for breakfast. Have ready a long-handled wooden spoon, a pastry brush, a cup of hot water for brushing down sugar crystals from the sides of the pan, a candy thermometer, and a hand mixer with clean beaters. When the egg whites reach room temperature, combine the sugar, 1/3 cup water, and the corn syrup in a heavy 3-quart saucepan that has a tight-fitting lid. Stir briskly with the wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar. Set the pan on medium heat and cook, stirring, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Cover the pan, raise the heat to medium-high, and cook for 3 minutes. While the sugar is boiling, using the hand mixer set at medium-high speed, beat the egg whites until they are foamy. Sprinkle over the vinegar or cream of tartar and continue beating until the egg whites form soft peaks. Don't over beat; this should take no more than 3 minutes. Set aside. Uncover the pan, dip the pastry brush in the hot water, and wipe away any crystals on the inside of the pan. Attach the candy thermometer to the inside of the pan, raise the heat a bit, and cook the syrup, without stirring, until it reaches 238 to 240 degrees. (This should take about 4 minutes.) Remove the syrup from the heat, let cool for 1 to 2 minutes, and then pour in the egg whites in a thin stream while beating on high speed. Continue beating until the icing is thick and glossy and holds a shape, for about 7 minutes. Beat in the lemon juice and vanilla extract and spread the icing immediately over the cooled cake. If the icing begins to harden, stir in a little of the hot water and beat briskly. Makes 3 generous cups vanilla icing To assemble the cake: Place one cake layer top side down on a cake platter. Spread with half of the peach preserves or plum filling--3/4 cup--smoothing with a metal spatula. Sprinkle on ½ cup of the untoasted coconut. Place on the second layer, top side up, and spread with the remaining preserves and the remaining ½ cup untoasted coconut. Top with the third later, bottom side down. Secure the cake in place with metal skewers if it is leaning. Spread the cake all over--sides and top--with the Vanilla Icing or with Whipped Cream Frosting (page 93 of Brown Sugar), swirling for a pretty effect. Coat the cake all over with the toasted coconut, patting lightly with your hand. Set the cake in a cool, dark place until ready to serve. Refrigerate any leftover cake. Makes 10 to 12 servings Note: If you aren't sure about the safety of the egg whites you plan to use in the icing, consider using pasteurized egg whites or reconstituted powdered egg whites instead. Powdered egg whites or meringue powder can be ordered from Wilton at 1-800-794-5866, or on line at www.Wilton.com. Keywords: Dessert, Cake, Topping/Frosting, American, Stand Mixer, The Daily Gullet ( RG602 )

Lemon Coriander Tea Cakes Serves 8 as Dessert. These crisp cookies are infused with coriander and lemon and are perfect with a hot cup of tea, or paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with a fruit sauce for an elegant and quick summer dessert. Coriander has a flavor similar to lemon and sage, and it works beautifully in these tea cakes, which folklore says came out of the Southern plantation kitchens Recipe is from: Brown Sugar: Soul Food Desserts from Family and Friends, by Joyce White, used with permission from the author. 1/3 c golden raisins 2 T lemon juice 2-1/4 c all-purpose flour 1/4 tsp baking soda Pinch of salt 1 T coriander seeds, crushed 12 T unsalted butter, softened 1 c light brown sugar, firmly packed 1 large egg, at room temperature 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 T crystallized sugar for sprinkling, such as Sugar in the Raw Chop the raisins finely and mix in a glass bowl or cup with the lemon juice. Sift together the flour baking soda and salt. Set aside. Lightly toast and then finely crush or ground grind the coriander seeds. Set aside 1 teaspoon of the coriander seeds to use as a topping. Combine the remaining seeds, butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Using a handheld electric mixer at medium-high or creaming speed, beat until light and fluffy, for about 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula once or twice. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until well-blended. Using a large spoon, stir in the raisins. Add the flour and mix only until blended. Form the dough into a ball, dusting lightly with flour if sticky. Wrap the dough in wax paper or plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours or until the dough is firm and easy to handle. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter a baking sheet. Divide the dough in half, and return one piece back to the refrigerator. Lightly flour a work surface. Roll out the dough into a circle about 1/4-inch thick and about 8 inches in diameter. Using a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter, cut the dough into rounds. Place the cookies about 2 inches apart on one of the baking sheets. Combine the remaining teaspoon of coriander seeds with the sugar and sprinkle each cookie with about 1/2 teaspoon of the sugar-spice mixture. Gently press the topping with you fingers so that it sticks. Set the pan of cookies in the center of the hot oven on the middle shelf. Bake for 11 to 14 minutes or until the bottoms are just lightly brown and the cookies are pale golden around the edges, switching the position of the pan around in the oven halfway through the baking. Remove the cookies from the oven and set the pan on a wire rack. Cool the cookies for 5 minutes on the pan and then remove from the baking sheet with a metal spatula. Cool on a wire rack. Bake the remaining dough in the same way, one pan at a time, rerolling scraps. Makes about 24 cookies. Keywords: Dessert, Kosher, Vegetarian, Intermediate, Snack, Brunch, Cookie, American ( RG596 )

Butter Mochi Cake Serves 12 as Dessert. If you love sweet red-bean paste and glutinous-rice sweets like Japanese mochi, you will love this cake. It is the red-bean mochi westernized by the addition of rich butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla and baked into a deliciously buttery, gooey, chewy cake laced with sweet red bean. 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted 1-1/4 cups sugar 3 large eggs 3 cups milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 16-ounce box sweet (glutinous) rice flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 18-ounce can sweet red-bean paste Position oven-rack so that pan will be in center of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 9" x 13" rectangular pan. Mix together all ingredients except red-bean paste until smooth. Pour into pan. Drop red-bean paste by scant teaspoonfuls (no larger, to avoid sinking) into batter, distributing evenly. Bake for one hour and ten minutes. Remove from oven. Cool in pan to room temperature. Slice into squares or rectangles, and serve at room temperature, or slightly warmed after slicing. Freezes well. This recipe calls for smooth red-bean paste, but you may substitute an equal amount of the chunky red-bean paste that is similarly available in cans and is commonly used on shaved ice. The chunky red beans bring a good textural contrast to the smooth rice cake. Also, try pan-frying a slice, for a deliciously crispy edge to a warm, chewy, gooey interior. Keywords: Dessert, Easy, Cake ( RG586 )

Luscious and Moist Lemon Pound Cake 1 c (2 sticks) soft unsalted butter 2-2/3 c sugar 2 tsp vanilla extract Grated zest of 2 lemons 1/2 tsp salt 6 eggs at room temperature 3 c unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted 1/4 tsp baking soda 1 c sour cream Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch tube pan or large loaf pan with parchment, then butter and flour the paper and the sides of the pan. In the bowl of a mixer, cream the butter, sugar together until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally, for several minutes. Add the vanilla, lemon zest and salt and beat again until thoroughly combined. Add eggs, one at a time, and continue to beat until the mixture is silky and smooth. Sift the flour and baking soda together and alternately add the dry ingredients and the sour cream to the mixture in 3 additions. Beat until smooth. Bake approximately 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven. Let stand for 5 minutes, then turn out of the pan and cool on a rack. Serve with fresh berries and whipped cream! Keywords: Dessert, Easy, Cake ( RG559 )

Pistachio-Cardamom cake 3/4 c shelled unsalted pistachios (4 oz) 1 c all-purpose flour 2 tsp baking powder 2 tsp ground cardamom 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 c whole milk 1/4 tsp vanilla extract 1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened 1 c sugar 3 large eggs Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9 by 6 pan, then line bottom with wax paper. In a food processor chop the pistachios until finely ground. Add the flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt to the pistachios and pulse once or twice to mix. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time (beating after each addition). Then add the milk and vanilla extract, mix well. Add the flour/nut mixture and beat till combined. Spread the batter evenly in the cake pan and bake in middle of oven till a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, should take about 30 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for roughly 10 minutes and flip it out onto a platter. It's excellent warm with some ice cream or at room temperature. Keywords: Dessert, Cake ( RG553 )

Sugar Plum Cake Here's another old family favorite that I've been cooking up for some thirty years 2 c self-rising flour 2 c sugar 1 c vegetable oil 3 eggs, slightly beaten 1 tsp powdered cloves 1 tsp cinnamon 1 c chopped pecans 2 jars (small) plum baby food - it comes mixed with something; I think applesauce Combine all ingredients by hand, mixing well. Prepare bundt pan - grease well, and then, instead of flour, coat well with granulated sugar. Pour batter into pan, trying not to disturb sugar. Bake at 350º for 50-60 minutes. Allow to cool a few minutes in the pan, and then turn out onto platter. Make lemon glaze: 1 C sifted powdered sugar mixed with lemon juice to taste. Glaze well-cooled cake. Keywords: Dessert, Cake ( RG528 )

Hershey Bar Cake Great soft crumb, mild chocolate flavor, dense and moist like a pound cake sort of. When I was tasting it, I kept thinking that something like Malted Milk ice cream and a nut brittle for crunch would go well with the flavors that were happening. I would not do a fruit flavor with it. Here is the recipe. 1/2 lb 1/2 butter 2 c sugar 4 large eggs 2 tsp vanilla 8 Hershey bars (I figured about 12 oz total, just guessing) 2-1/2 c sifted cake flour 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp soda 1 c buttermilk 1 c chopped pecan (i used walnuts, did not have any pecans) 1 can (5 1/2oz) Hershey's Syrup preheat oven to 315F. Melt chocolate in top of double boiler. sift dry ingredients together cream butter and sugar add eggs one at a time, mixing well each time alternate folding in dry ingredients and buttermilk fold in syrup and vanilla fold in nuts bake in a greased tube pan (large size) for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours. (It took the full 1 3/4 hours for my oven) cool dust with powdered sugar (also, I dusted the tube pan with cocoa powder instead of flour Keywords: Dessert, Cake ( RG494 )

Lumberjack Cake Serves 12 as Dessert. This is a wonderful cake, best served slightly warm with a big dollop of whipped cream. Its' also fine served cold with a good coffee. 185 g pitted dreied dates coarsley chopped 1 tsp baking soda 1 c hot water 250 g caster sugar ( superfine) 125 g butter softened and chopped 1-1/2 c plain flour 1 tsp vanilla essence 2 apples peeled cored and diced 1 egg beaten Topping 2/3 c soft brown sugar 60 g butter 1 c unsweetened shredded coconut 3-1/2 T milk Preheat oven to 180 C Mix the dates with 1 cup of hot water and soda, and set aside while you make the remainder of the cake. Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in egg. Sift flour with pinch of salt and stir into mixture with vanilla. Mix in date mixture and chopped apple. Tip into a 22cm lined cake tin. Bake for 40 minutes or until the top is set. Put the topping ingredients in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until well combined. Remove the cake gently from the oven. Spread the hot topping over to cover the cake and cook for 20-30 mins longer or until topping is golden and cake is cooked through. Remove from oven and cool in the tin until ready to serve Keywords: Dessert, Easy, Cake ( RG490 )