Lighter Fare

Well, today Boston is trying to get back to normal.  And the good thing is they have the weekend to get everything open again.  I'm really relieved that they were able to find the younger brother and take him in alive.  We can only hope that they can discover the reasons why these two young people living in the US for years were so easily swayed to radicalism.

The people of Watertown will long remember yesterday.

But on a lighter note, I love desserts.  When I was little and we went to the grocery store, the last stop of the day was Herman's Bakery.  This German shop was amazing.  They had kuchen and lady locks, and all manner of good things to eat.  My favorite was probably the cheesecake with pineapple slices on top.  Then when we would get home, everyone would gather at the kitchen table my father threw together one weekend years before and painted a celery green, and we'd have coffee/cream and cheesecake.  If you are looking for a similar experience, try Lieberman's Bakery in Massillon.  Their wooden shelving unit is identical to the one that used to be in Herman's. 

I have a couple of recipes to share with you today.  All you need other than the kind of ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen is ripe bananas. 

Banana Spice Cake
Source:  St. Joseph Catholic Church (Massillon) Cookbook, 1972; Mrs. Michael Palumbo
2/3 cup shortening
1 2/3 cups sugar
2 eggs
3 mashed bananas
2/3 cup buttermilk or sour milk
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmet
1/2 tsp ground cloves
2 1/2 cups flour

Cream shortening and sugar.  Add eggs and bananas and beat.  Add baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.  Beat well.  Add milk and flour and beat well.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes (or until knife inserted comes out clean) in 2-9" pans or 1-9x12 baking pan.  (Sour milk is made with a little less than 2/3 cup of milk to which you add lemon juice so that it thickens slightly.)

The cake is delicious but the frosting really makes this dessert!!!

White Sugar Frosting
1 cup milk
4 tbsp. flour
(Cook the above two ingredients in a sauce pan until smooth and thickened. Stir constantly.  Cool.)

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup Crisco (regular or butter flavored)
1 cup granulated sugar
Beat the three ingredients above until light and fluffy.

Add cooled flour mixture to the butter/Crisco/sugar mix and beat four minutes.  Add 1 tsp vanilla or flavoring of your choice.

Wait until the cake is well cooled and frost.  It is DELICIOUS!!!

This is a nice summer dessert too.