Recipe Talk

I lost all my mother's recipes in a house fire.

GRAND SLAM CAKE

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1 pkg. spice cake mix
1 Tbsp. instant coffee (dry)
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa
2 eggs, unbeaten
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. boiling water

Frosting:
2 pkg. fluffy white frosting
(7.2 oz.)
4 tsp. instant coffee (dry)

Chocolate Silhouettes:
1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate
chips
1 1/2 tsp. shortening

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 (8-inch) layer
cake pans. Make cake as the package label directs using
coffee, cocoa, 2 eggs and amount of water specified on the
package. Turn batter evenly into pans. Bake for 35 minutes,
or until surface springs back when gently pressed with finger-
tip. Let layers cool, in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out
onto wire rack and cool completely.
Make frosting just before using. In small bowl combine
frosting mix with instant coffee, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add
boiling water, beat at low speed until smooth, then at high
speed until frosting peaks. Cut 4 strips of waxed paper, each
10 x 3-inches. Place strips, overlapping, around edge of cake
plate. Invert a cake on paper. Put layers together with 2
cups frosting. Using spatula, spread side of cake with thin
coat of frosting to set crumbs. Then spread with enough
additional frosting to hide seams and make sides straight and
smooth. Insert 7 evenly spaced wooden picks around top edge of
cake, to mark for top decoration. Frost top smoothly. Oppo-
site each pick, place a large mound of frosting. With metal
spatula, smoothly form each mound into cylinder radiating from
center. Remove picks.
Make chocolate silhouettes: Melt semi-sweet chocolate
pieces in top of double boiler over hot, not boiling water.
Stir in shortening, mixing well. Pour onto waxed paper on
cookie sheet, tilting to let mixture flow evenly over as wide
an area as possible. Refrigerate until firm. With cookie
cutters (1 1/2 to 2 inches wide) for 4 playing card suits, cut
out 10 to 12 silhouettes. Carefully place silhouettes at
intervals around side of cake. If desired, sprinkle top of
cake with 1/4 cup chopped pecans.

Syrian Nutmeg Cake

SYRIAN NUTMEG COFFEE CAKE

Blend to crumb crust:

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2 c. brown sugar

2 c. sifted flour

1/2 c. oleo

Mix together:

1 egg

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 c. sour cream

1 tsp. soda

Pat 1 1/4 cups crumb mixture into a greased 9 x 13-inch

pan, add balance of crumbs to egg mixture and spread this over

crumbs in pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup chopped nuts. Bake at

350 degrees about 30 to 35 minutes.

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SYRIAN FARINA CAKE

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2 qt. milk

1 1/4 c. farina

1 1/2 c. sugar

Topping:

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

1 Tbsp. sugar

4 oz. butter

Cook farina in the milk until thick. Add the sugar and
stir. Pour into a 9 x 13-inch greased pan. Let farina cool
for 3 hours in the refrigerator. Cut into 24 squares. Sprin-
kle with cinnamon and sugar and pour the 4 ounces of melted
butter over the farina. Bake at 450 degrees for 45 minutes.

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SYRIAN BUTTER COOKIES

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5 sticks unsalted butter

1 c. farina

1 c. sugar

4 or 5 c. flour

Melt 5 sticks of unsalted butter the day before you are
going to make cookies. Pour into high dish and put in refrig-
erator for the next day. Pour all excess water from top and
bottom out.
The next day, let butter soften and beat until fluffy.
Add farina and sugar. Beat until fluffy, beat well. Add
flour. When dough gets thick, use hands and mix until dough
does not stick to sides of bowl. Take small amounts and roll.
Place close on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.