Cardamom Coffee Cake Heaven

Well, boys and girls, the cake turned out just fine. Not that I had any of it, since I fasted today to try to make up for all the spiritual junk I carry around with me, but according to reliable reports, the cake was very, very good. So...I've decided to post the recipe, as promised.

One note before I get started: Mollie Katzen's cake recipes tend to be very "heavy". By that I mean that you will be using a fair amount of wrist power to mix. You can use an electric mixer to cream the butter and the sugar, but after that, you're better off using a large wooden spoon.

Also, the batter tends to be too much for the pan size indicated. So do what I do: bake two cakes, one in a bundt pan, and one in a loaf pan, and freeze one for later. (Yes, in case you didn't know, cakes can be frozen--provided they're not iced. Isn't that wunderbar?)

So...here we go.

You'll want to oil or butter your pan--Katzen calls for a 10-inch pan. I use silicone, so I don't have to grease it (silicone may not be good for breast implants, but it works wonderfully as a cooking medium). Preheat your oven to 350 F.

In a large mixing bowl, cream 1 pound of butter with 2 cups of packed brown sugar. (The recipe says to use light, but I used dark and it was fine.) Add 4 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. If using liquid vanilla extract (I use powder, so I put it in with my dry ingredients), add 2 tsp. of it now.

In another bowl, sift together 4 cups of flour (and your dry vanilla, if using), 2 tsp of baking powder, 2 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 Tb of powdered cardamom. (Cardamom is a wondrous spice that with one whiff will transport you to an exotic bazaar in some far-off land. It's awesome. I promise. You can find it at most Middle Eastern groceries, and online at kalustyans.com).

Add this dry mixture, 1/3 at a time, to the butter mixture. Alternate this with two cups of yogurt, sour cream, or buttermilk. (I'm a yogurt kind of girl, so that's my tart dairy product of choice, but pick your own preference).

DO NOT OVERBEAT (not that you'll be tempted to, as at this point your wrists are likely to be sore). Just stir enough so that everything is nice and blended.

Once the batter is ready, make a nut mixture of 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1 Tb cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts. Stir this together with a fork and set aside.

Spread 1/3 of the batter in your pan. Sprinkle 1/2 of the nut mixture over it. Cover with another 1/3 of the batter. Sprinkle the remaining nut mixture. Cover this with (you guessed it) the final 1/3 of the batter. Bake for about 1 1/4 hours, or until a knife inserted into the cake comes out clean. (Keep an eye on the cake, as ovens vary).

While the cake is baking, feel free to read some girly magazines and watch the Food Channel...

Once done, the cake should rest IN THE PAN for 20 minutes or so. Then, you can turn it out, but you should still wait about 30 more minutes before eating. (If you take the cake out of the pan before the specified time, it will fall apart.)

Now you can eat your cake as you ponder the finer things in life, like why people think supermarket bakeries are any good. Why settle for that garbage when you can make something better at home?

Enjoy!

The Phoenix Has Risen from the Ashes (and Speaking of Ashes, What Happened to My Cake?)

Hello! I'm back. Yes, I've been blessed with a new jolt of creativity, and for now, the blog is up and running once more. However, I have decided to venture beyond the boundaries of Moroccan cuisine, and take on the whole wide world of cooking (at least the food that I like.)

I am currently in love with Mollie Katzen's "Moosewood Cookbook", a wonderful tome featuring vegetarian recipes. I have one of the more recent versions. Tonight I decided that I would attempt to make her Cardamom Coffee Cake for my students tomorrow. (They're the only ones who appreciate my cooking anyhow.)

Much to my annoyance, however, the cake overflowed from the pan while baking, resulting in an unpleasant burned aroma throughout the kitchen, and causing me to panic with thoughts of what the final product might turn out to be like. (Hey, my reputation as a good cook is on the line here; wouldn't you be concerned?!?)

As I type this, the cake is reposing in splendor (or not) in the now cool oven. Do I dare to take a peek?

Tune in for an update on the horrified reactions of my students as they taste the first blackened bite...if it turns out O.K., recipe will be forthcoming...

By the way, if you have any recipe requests, please let me know!

Siffa, Siffa, Where Art Thou?

First of all, I apologize for my long absence (not that anyone has likely noticed, as I don't seem to get too many hits). I started a new job at the beginning of January, and though part-time, it's kept me busy.

But enough apologies. I turn now to the topic at hand: the ever-amazing, always delicious (especially when enjoyed with a glass of ice-cold milk) siffa.

What is siffa? Basically, it's a sweet couscous dish. I've had it made with rice, with sharia (vermicelli), and, of course, with siffa itself--a type of super-fine couscous that is smaller than the grain used with savory dishes. The last time I checked, it was unavailable in the U.S., so I generally just use regular couscous.

To make it, steam your couscous as usual (I steam mine three times, with oil and butter). Once that is finished, mix it with raisins which you have either steamed along with the couscous, or at least soaked in hot water. You want plump, juicy raisins, not dessicated minuscule ones.

You will then pile the seffa mixed with raisins more or less in a conical fashion, perhaps slightly steeper than a regular couscous presentation, but roughly the same.

Now for the garnishes (my favorite part). The way the dish is garnished varies from family to family, but the way I like it is with lots and lots of yummy fried, crushed almonds. (Boil the almonds, peel them, then fry them in vegetable oil. Drain and then pulverize in your blender or food processor--or, if you have lots of time and like to do such things, in a mortar). I sprinkle the almonds all around the circumference of the dish, with more in a side dish for people to add according to their preference.

Then, I make a slight indentation at the top of the cone, and fill this with powdered sugar, which I allow to spill artfully down the sides of the pile. Again, I offer dishes of powdered sugar on the side for people to add if they so desire.

Finally, a slight dusting of cinnamon is applied (and yes, I keep a dish of this on the table, too); I generally sift four thin lines over the cone, starting at the base, working my way up, and then down to the other side.

Side dishes are not normally served with siffa. It's usually served on its own, and it's best when slightly warm.

As mentioned previously, I adore it with a glass of ice-cold milk (much as I would a piece of chocolate cake--the idea of guzzling Coca-Cola with this dish seems sacrilegious).

It's ever so good and not a dish that's often seen in so-called Moroccan cookbooks. Give it a try--kids love it, too.

(By the way, the picture that I found of siffa is FAR too skimpy on the garni--live it up, life is short--FRIED, CRUSHED ALMONDS RULE!)