Cooking in a Römertopf (Clay Cooker)

My eldest daughter is turning 25 this week, so I gave her a Römertopf plus a couple of smoked chickens for her birthday. To our family, Sunday afternoon isn't complete without the aroma of a smoked chicken or roast coming from the oven -- at least in the cold season (which feels like most of the year, given we still have several feet of snow on the ground right now!).

Here are some recipes I translated for her from the french pamphlet inside -- who knows why they were not in German or English? But I had fun, and only had to look up 1 word! I found it funny how many of them were "Borealkraut-style" in that they gave no quantities at all!

To me, cooking in the Römertopf is the epitomy of simple home-cooking. The ingredients are nothing fancy, but the rich flavor comes from the slow cooking/steaming that intensifies in the the juices.
I've taken to picking half a dozen organic chickens at a time when I'm at Costco, which I brine (1 c each of salt and sugar dissolved in 1 qt water) and smoke. I vacuum-pack and freeze them, then take out a chicken midweek to thaw out in the frig. It's good for at least 2 meals-- we eat Roast Chicken on Sunday, then I cook the carcass into stock and serve chicken and dumplings mid-week (but I have to hide the left-overs in the frig so my husband eat them all)...

French Onion soup

6 big onions

2 cloves garlic

30 ml butter

1 ml dried thyme

310 ml beef stock

250 ml white wine

salt, pepper

6 slices french bread

250 ml freshly grated parmesan

250 ml grated swiss cheese

Soak clay cooker for 15 min. Meanwhile, sauté the onions in butter (or oil). Place in clay cooker, cold oven, and heat for approx 1 hr at 200C, checking and stirring onions occasionally, until nicely browned. Add thyme, beef stock and wine, and return to oven for another hour. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Before serving, toast the bread, place over soup with grated cheese and return uncovered to oven at 230C for 10 minutes, then increase to 290, broiling until cheese is bubbling, around 2 minutes.

Roast Beef

1 roast (your preference of cut, approx 1.5 kg)

salt, pepper

potatoes

onions

carrots

parsley

bay leaf

red wine, optional

Soak the cooker. Salt and pepper the roast. Place in cooker, together with all the other ingredients around it. Cover and place in cold oven. Bake at 250C for 40-90minutes, depending on cut and desired doneness.

Römertopf Meatloaf

450 g ground beef

250 g bread crumbs

250 ml milk

1 egg

25 ml dried onion powder

24 ml tomato paste

15 ml horseradish

5 ml salt

5 ml pepper

potatoes (optional)

Soak the cooker. Mix all the ingredients. Shape into loaf and place into the cooker. Cover and place in cold oven at 230C for 75 min. It’s good to place cut potatoes under or around the loaf to absorb the juices.

Country Roasted Chicken

1 chicken (approx 1.5 kg)

salt, pepper

1 onion

parsley

celery leaves

butter (optional)

thyme

white wine (optional)

vegetables cut small (potatoes, carrots, onions, etc)

Soak the cooker. Clean the chicken, and fill the cavity with onion, celery, salt, pepper.

Place in cooker and optionally rub with butter. Add vegetables and wine, as desired.

Cover, place in cold oven and bake approx 85 minutes at 230C.

If desiring a crust on the chicken, remove vegetables and juices (for gravy) and return to oven uncovered until browned as desired.

Potpourri of savory vegetables

Zuccini, tomatoes, onions

Salt, pepper

Parmesan cheese

Soak cooker. Peel and cut vegetables (not too small). Put all ingredients in cooker, cover, and place into cold oven. Cook at 230 C for approx 30 minutes – cooking time depends on size and quantity of vegetables.

Baked Fish Fillets

900 g fish fillets (fresh or previoulsy frozen)

mustard

lemon juice

salt, pepper

paprika

fresh chives, chopped

Soak the cooker. Spread mustard over fish fillet and place in cooker, and sprinkle remaining ingredients over them. Cover and place in cold oven, bake at 230C for 30-40 minutes until fish is done.

Baked apples

6 medium apples

butter

sugar

cinnamon

raisins

pecans, chopped

125 ml white wine

15 ml rum essence

Soak the cooker. Mix sugar, cinnamon, raisins and pecan in a bowl for filling. Wash and core the apples (don’t peel). Spread butter on apples and place in cooker. Place filling in each cavity. Pour in wine and rum essence. Cover and place in cold oven and bake at 230C for approximately 30 minutes until apples are tender. Serve with the delicious juice.

(My mom's variation “Apfel im Schlafrock” or Apple in evening robe: encase each apple in phyllo dough and bake on sheet. Serve with whipped cream -- it was our favorite dessert when I was growing up!)

A Trifle for dessert

Yesterday we had a potluck at work, and our resident Brit made TRIFLE for dessert.
This gentleman is famous for his desserts, and this was no exception -- it was excellent. Soooo, I decided to research the topic and find out what makes a trifle.

From Wikipedia:
A trifle is a dessert dish made from thick (or often solidified) custard, fruit, sponge cake fruit juice or gelatin, and whipped cream. These ingredients are usually arranged in layers with fruit and sponge on the bottom, and custard and cream on top... The earliest known use of the name trifle was for a thick cream flavoured with sugar, ginger and rosewater, the recipe for which was published in England, 1596, in a book called "The good huswife's Jewell" by Thomas Dawson.It wasn't until sixty years later when milk was added and the custard was poured over alcohol soaked bread (such as sweet sherry, madeira wine or port).

English Trife
RECIPE from the Brit, more or less, who says this is what's traditionally made on Mondays with the left-overs from the weekend's baking for company.
sponge cake
sweet sherry or port (alternatively, fruitjuice/ gelatin)
vanilla pudding or custard
seasonal fresh fruit: pears, bananas, grapes, cherries, berries, etc (save prettiest for top)
whipped cream, sweetened

Cut sponge cake and layer 1/3 in clear glass bowl. Soak cake with al-ki-hol.
add 1/3 of fruit, arranged nicely. Pour 1/3 of custard over fruit, and 1/3 of whipped cream.
Repeat with cake, fruit, custard layer. Lastly, decorate with fruit.

Note: Obviously you can make this without booze (and substitute juice, gelatin) -- but then the kids might want some too!

Mocha-Chocolate Trifle
now this is right up my alley!

brownie or other chocolate cake
Kahlua or other compatible alcohol
chocolate pudding (optional, dissolve some instant coffee granules in the milk)
fruit: cherries, strawberries, etc
whipped cream (flavored w/ cocoa, coffee or liqueur if desired)
optional: slivered almonds, chopped toffee bars

same idea as before.

Rhubarb Pie for the Birthday Boy!

It's May, and we had our first Rhubarb Pie, on special request by Birthday Boy! I actually went and BOUGHT some rhubarb at the grocery store, since the rhubarb in the garden is not ready for harvest quite yet -- but what mother can resist her child requesting Mom's specialty on his birthday! Aren't we moms just suckers for praise?!?

For my special best-ever recipe for Rhubarb Pie, go here.

Bread Pudding

Experimenting with baking lots of different bread recipes means:
(a) got lots of bread around,
(b) there are some experiments that end up with "less than perfect" results (over-risen, under-done, etc).

Bread pudding to the rescue!
Our family's favorite is from The Silver Palate by Julee Russo and Sheila Lukins, and it's shining glory is the rich Butter-Whiskey Sauce drizzled over it!

Bread Pudding
1 loaf bread (calls for French, but use any that's compatible), cut into pieces
1 qt milk
3 eggs
1.5 c granulated sugar (I use alot less, maybe 1/2!) -- there's plenty of sugar in the sauce!
2 t vanilla extract
1 c raisins

Soak the bread in milk for 1 hr. Mix eggs and sugar, add to bread mixture w/ remaining ingredients, and pour into pan (use spray or butter). Bake at 350 F for 1hr until browned and set. Serve with:
Butter-Whiskey Sauce
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1 c confectioner's sugar
optional: 1 egg
4 T Whiskey (to taste)

Melt butter and sugar in top of double boiler, stirring until hot and well mixed. If desired, whisk in beaten egg. Let cool slightly, then stir in the whiskey.

From Mark Bittman's Food Matters, here is another (tamer) recipe:
Breakfast Bread Pudding
2 eggs
1 c milk
1/4 c honey
1 t cinnamon
pinch salt
4 apples, (peeling optional), cut into chunks or slices
1/2 c raisins
1/2 c chopped walnuts
8 slices of multi-grain bread, cubed (approx 3 cups)

Mix it all up, and let sit at least 15 min to let liquids soak into bread. (OK to make ahead: cover and store in frig overnight). Bake 45 min at 350F until golden.

Savory Bread Pudding
2 eggs
1 c milk
8 slices of multi-grain bread, cubed (approx 3 cups)
4-5 c lightly cooked vegetables (asparagus, mushrooms, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, etc)
Optional: herbs & grated hard cheese, such as Parmesan or Pecorino Romano
salt & pepper to taste

Bake 30-40 min.
Menu choice: Comfort food for a winter meal: goes well with a soup, salad & maybe a baked squash or other roasted root veggies.

QUARK: a staple of German dessert-making

If you've never heard of QUARK, you're not alone. It does not have a translation in English. It's a fresh (or white) soft cheese similar to queso blanco or Indian Paneer. The closest I can come to describing this dairy product is to call it a cross between sour cream and ricotta cheese, or cream cheese and cottage cheese-- sort of like the Italian mascarpone. I occasionally treat myself to a tub of "real" Quark, available in Anchorage at New Sagaya Market. I've got one in my frig right now, and am trying to decide what special German dessert to make with it.

Wikipedia defines Quark (pronunciation "qvark") as a fresh curd cheese of East European origin (from the slavic "tvorag"). It is soft, white and un-aged, similar to the french fromage frais. It usually has much lower fat content (about the same as yoghurt) than cream cheeses and has no salt added.
I grew up eating Quark both savory and sweet: we spread it on bread, and ate it as a simple dessert with fruit. And it is the best for making German cheesecake! As a substitute, you can create your own from buttermilk (link here) or by using a yoghurt cheese (strain unflavored yoghurt through a cheese cloth). Even simpler is to substitute mascarpone, or blend 9 parts ricotta w/ 1 part sour cream, or use a blender to make you own mix of cottage cheese, cream cheese and/or yoghurt, depending on how much creaminess you're after...
Suesser Quark mit Frucht
Blend quark, sugar or honey and berries -- it's so easy a five-year old can be in charge of this! Probably the first dessert I ever made.

Poached Pears with cheese & berries
I learned this recipe from Eldest daughter (Kitchensister). You can use quark, mascarpone or ricotta cheese. several fresh pears (not super-ripe)
ginger, sliced real thin
ground cinnamon (1/2 -1 tsp?)
honey (1/2 cup?)
water, as needed (may substitute partially with wine)
berries (can be frozen) - 1 or 2 cups
quark or ricotta or mascarpone cheese - 1 tub

In a sauce pan, heat the honey/water/wine mixture with cinnamon and sliced ginger. Add pear slices and simmer with just enough liquid to cover the pears. When pears are soft, remove them and set aside. Discard the ginger.
Boil the liquid down until there's barely any left (watch that you don't burn this!).
Stir in the cheese.
Separately, make a berry compote ("soup") from berries -- simmer in a saucepan, adding sweetener if you feel it's needed.

Serve this dessert by placing a few slices of pear on each plate, spooning sweetened cheese over it, and drizzling with berries.

Streuselkuchen mit Quarkfüllung
Dough:
2 c. flour
1/2 package dry yeast (1 heaping teaspoon) or 1/2 cube of fresh yeast
1/2 c. lukewarm milk (110°F)
2 T. butter
2 T. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
Filling:
5 T. butter
1 tsp. lemon zest
6 T. sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 c. Quark or yogurt cheese
2 T. cornstarch
optional: berries or other fruit

Streusel Topping:
1 1/2 c. flour
2/3 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Preparation:

Make the yeast dough: Place the flour in a bowl and create a hollow in it with the back of a spoon. Crumble fresh yeast or sprinkle dry yeast in the hollow, fill with the lukewarm milk, add a pinch of sugar and mix a little to incorporate some of the flour. Let the sponge sit in a warm place for 15 minutes.

After the yeast is activated and showing strong growth, add the butter, salt and sugar to the milk and mix the dough, incorporating the flour as you go. You may also use a stand mixer for this step. Continue mixing until the dough is smooth and forms a ball. Add a little more flour if necessary. Form dough into a ball, place in a greased bowl, turning once, and cover. Let rise 15 to 30 minutes.

Roll out on a lightly floured board to a 9 x 13 inch rectangle and transfer to a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Press towards the edges gently, creating a lip (like a pizza crust). Let this dough rest while you mix the filling and topping.

Make the filling: Cream together butter, sugar and lemon zest for 2 minutes. Add the egg and beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl as you go. Add the Quark or yogurt cheese, mixing until smooth. Sprinkle the cornstarch on top and mix to incorporate. Spread over the yeast dough.

Optionally, add fruit at this stage (something not too watery, such as berries).

Make the streusel topping: Mix 1 1/2 cups of flour, 2/3 cup sugar, salt and cinnamon. Using your hands or a pastry mixer, cut 7 tablespoons butter into the flour mix until you have course crumbs. Sprinkle these crumbs on top of the Quark filling.

Bake the cake at 350°F for 30 minutes, or until cake is lightly browned and filling is almost set. Filling will set up more as it cools.

Recipe for Hot-buttered rum MIX

For the holidays this year, we made, and consumed, large quantities of this:

Hot-buttered Rum Mix
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
2 c brown sugar
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/4 t cloves
1/4 t cardamon (optional) a favorite spice in our household

Mix it all together & store in jars.
No need for refrigeration.

To use, put 1-2 teaspoons in a mug, add hot water and rum to taste.
Can also be used to flavor hot cocoa, coffee or tea.

BUTTER BEER (Hogwarts-style)
Hot version: Add mix to hot water, and optional, stir in vanilla icecream, too.
Cold version (rootbeer-float style): Add mix to cream soda, stir, then add icecream.

Baking European Christmas cookies

I did a bit of baking today, trying to catch up -- cookie tins are once again empty on account of maraundering teenagers...

I challenged myself to bake (which I love) a variety of cookies (a must at Christmas-time) without a whole lot of dish-washing (which I don't care for)... it's all in the name of efficiency, don't you know!

So, without washing any mixing bowls, spatulas, etc until the end of the exercise, here's what I figure can be made one after the other without looking at the sink until the very end:

Zimtsterne (Cinnamon stars, German)
Spritz (cookie press cookies, int'l) or Scottish shortbread cookies
Spekulatius (very thin spice cookies, German/Danish)
Rokkekager (literally translates to "Rock cookies", Scandinavian)

ZIMTSTERNE (Cinnamon stars) -this is completely wheat/gluten-free
3 egg whites
1/2 # granulated sugar
3 t cinnamon
2 c grated almonds (save approx 1/4 c for dusting pastry board) -- I grind my own, blanching them first
1/2 t almond extract

Beat eggwhites and as they start foaming, slowly add sugar. Set aside some of this for topping.
Transfer to another bowl where you carefully mix in the remaining ingredients. Keep adding nutflour until dough holds together enough to be rolled out on dusted pastry board. Cut star shapes, brush w/beaten eggwhites, and bake on greased cookie sheet at 300F for approx 30 min, until golden brown and slightly chewy.
PS: mine never turn out looking as nice as this picture I found on google...

SPRITZ (Cookie press)
there's lots of recipes. Basically calls for butter, sugar and flour, plus egg yolks, which is why I make them after Zimtsterne, where I have leftover egg yolks! Just use same mixing bowl that the eggwhites were beaten it -- (in case of nut allergies, be sure not to use any tools that touched nuts)...
Typically this dough needs to chill, so move on to the next recipe, without washing that bowl!

Here's my version (based on Joy of Cooking -adjusted to use up the 3 egg yolks)
1.5 c butter, softened
1 c sugar
3 egg yolks
1.5 t vanilla or almond extract
3 c to 3.5c flour
3/4 t salt
optional: add ground almonds as well -- adjust flour as needed

SPEKULATIUS
again, butter, sugar, flour, plus spices. Keep on using the same bowls to soften the butter, mix the dough, etc...

1/2 # butter, softened at room temp
1 # sugar
2 eggs
grated rind of 1 lemon
4.5 c flour
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t ground gloves
1/4 t ground cardamom
optional: slivered almonds
(some recipes call for ground almonds as well)

Cream butter and sugar, then add eggs, one at a time. Fold in all dry ingredients. Chill dough (instructions are for overnight), but my Alaskan trick is to stick them outside, already spread 1/8th inch thick on the greased cookie sheet (I cover w/ plastic wrap first).
Traditionally, Spekulatius are "relief-printed" cookies (often w/ windmills or other designs), but sure could bake them plain.
Sometimes they have a thin glaze of eggwhite wash, and perhaps sprinkled w/ a bit of sugar.
Bake at 350F (I've even seen lower temps, like 300) until lightly golden.
As soon as you remove them from oven, cut them apart into squares.

From Germanfood.about.com: The history of Springerle is quite interesting. It is said that a effigy of an animal was used in place of an actual animal sacrifice for those who could not afford the real thing. These imprints were used during pagan midwinter festivals at which people prayed for an early spring. They were commonly exchanged instead of Christmas cards and Biblical scenes on the cookies served to educate the illiterate in the middle ages. For more on the history, check out godecookery.com.


ROKKEKAGER (Rock cookies)
1 c butter
1.5 c brown sugar
3 eggs
2.5-3 c flour
1/2 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/4 t cloves
1 t vanilla
3 c mixed candied fruit and/or raisins
1 c each hazelnuts and pecans/walnuts

cream butter and sugar, add eggs. Add dry ingredients & fruit & nuts.
Drop by the spoonful onto baking sheets. Bake 8-10 min at 375F. These store well (but beware if you find them at Easter -- then they may resemble Hagrid's rock cakes!)

Phew, now better get to some dishes...

Halloween foods

Halloween is a good excuse to come up with some fun foods. As I'm planning for the Nature Center's Halloween party, I've been searching the web and came across some great recipes.

Gotta love these fingers -- this came from cookwithme.com, where you also can see hot-dog-mummies, graveyards cakes and deviled-egg-eyeballs...

Since I'm looking for healthy, I love these apple-bites dentures where the teeth are almonds. I found them on biccin.com.






These cute eyes looking out of their mummy wrap are probably just oreos & icing -- I found these and much more on a site called recipecommander.

That reminds me, I should see if I have any jello around -- I'll make a batch and mix those with gummi worms - yummers!



Perhaps not specifically Halloweenish, but cute as can be are edible Penguins made from hard-boiled eggs, olives and carrots on Mountainpulse. Check them out -- they are sooo cute!

Rhubarb Pie, at last!

People either love or hate rhubarb!
Our family falls into the love rhubarb category, and the minions anxiously await the first harvest of this tart vegetable (not a fruit at all, being a stalk!)

We consumed our first rhubarb pie Sunday night. My rhubarb patch went from barely a leaf to harvestable in something like 3 weeks -- I need to download pictures from the camera for proof -- but it just amazes me every year how quickly spring progresses here in Alaska!

On to the recipe, which is from Paula Peck's The Art of Fine Baking, which has a strong European influence.


Rhubarb Tart
rich tart pastry (recipe below)
1 egg beaten w/ 1 T milk for eggwash
2 T cinnamon sugar
1 c ground walnuts, hazelnuts or pecans
3 T flour
1 c sugar
3-4 c diced rhubarb
1/2 c glaze (currant or other jam, thinned with cognac or other liquor or water)-optional.

Line 9 inch pie shell with pastry, saving trimmings for lattice crust. Chill or freeze for 1 hr.
Prepare rhubarb filling: mix with flour and sugar.
Prepare lattice crust: roll out and cut into strips, brush w/ eggwash and sprinkle w/ cinnamon sugar.
Assembly: press ground nuts into bottom of pastry shell, fill with rhubarb mix, then make lattice crust on top.
Place tart on lowest rack of preheated oven (350F) and bake 1 hr and 15 minutes (use a crust protector ring if you have it). If necessary, raise tart to higher level (removing crust protector) during last 15 minutes for browning.
While tart is still hot, brush currant glace over rhubarb filling where it shows thru lattice.

Rich Pastry Tart
2 c sifted flour
3 T sugar
3/4 c butter
1/2 t salt
2 t grated lemon rind
3 hard-boiled egg yolks, mashed
2 raw egg yolks

this is the original recipe given, but I increased it as follows to use with bigger pieshell and have plenty for the lattice:

3 c flour
1/4 c sugar
1 c butter
salt
3 hard-boiled egg yolks
1 egg + cold water, as needed

Instead of mixing it all by hand as instructed, I use my Cuisinard, processing butter and hard egg yolks until crumbly before adding liquids.
Then I roll it out between 2 sheets of wax paper and refrigerate until needed. OK to make several days ahead (wrap tightly to prevent drying out). This tart pastry can also be pre-baked for custard pies, etc.

Simple Homemade Ice Cream Recipes

We're having a heatwave (just shy of 70 degrees Fahrenheit today), and that means it's time to make iecream! My husband still gets a kick out of my German ways : I was taught that you don't even think about icecream as an option until it's seriously shorts weather -- here in Alaska that means that some years you'll hardly ever get to let the sweet elixir cross your lips!

But today was a day that even my mother would not have disapproved of a batch of homemade icecream. I decided to search the bottom of the freezer for the last bag of last fall's wild Alaskan blueberries (harvested high in the alpine area with freezing fingers by my darling daughter only last September). Icecream made from wild blueberries always comes out a deep rich purple color (the picture I found on the web comes close to what I get -- BTW, Once Upon a Plate is a blog with great recipes!).
I never buy icecream anymore: making your own is as easy as falling off a horse!!! In my freezer I usually keep an assortment of flavors: there's always some Vanilla (and/or chocolate) icecream handy for when the desire for a cup of "Eiskaffee" strikes! But now that it's getting warmer, I'm turning more to refreshing flavors of summertime. Basic proportions are 3/4 c of sweetener to 3 cups of liquid (can use Half-half, or mix milk and cream) -- and you can control the quality of the ingredients and the amount and type of sweetener used.

My kids heartily approved of tonight's effort, and decided mom needs to publish the recipe. It reminds them of their friend Carson who moved away from Alaska, and who always wanted seconds when I made this icecream. Here it is with it's new official name:

Carson's Favorite Blueberry Icecream
1 c Alaskan blueberries, thawed out & squeezed thru a sieve
3/4 c sugar
1.5 c milk
1 c cream

Mix the fruit juice with sugar and rest of ingredients (I used to cook this first, but don't feel a need to do that with previously frozen fruit -- the freezing process has caused enough damage to the plant cell walls that you get plenty of good juice out of them). Process mixture in icecream maker according to manucturer's instructions -- mine takes about 20-30 minutes.


Lemon Icecream
3/4 c sugar
1 t lemon extract
grated rind from 1 lemon
2 c milk
1 c cream

Mix and process in freezer.

Green Tea Icecream
This was met rather skeptically by my troops when I made it several years ago, but I plan to try it again sometime soon. Green Tea is an acquired taste that I would not expect most children (or husbands) to like -- perhaps serve it for your next "Kaffeeklatsch" (German translates roughly to Coffee-drinking gossip get-together, which is very much a ladies' event!)

Steep 1 cup of strong green tea (using 2 bags) plus few drops of green food coloring
Alternatively, use japanese green tea powder (Matcha)
Add 3/4 c sugar
1 c milk
1 c cream

I know that this is far simpler and probably not nearly as good (or rich) than the way this icecream is usually made, namely it's a cooked custard using

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 large eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons matcha (powdered Japanese green tea)

Swedish Sokerkake (with Cardamom), a.k.a. Courting Cake

This Swedish cake is known in our house as "Courting Cake" because my husband baking this wonderful cake is all it took! It is made without any butter -- rather, it uses cream, and is therefore super-quick to throw together.
(Hint: best to use room temperature ingredients: I like to pre-warm the eggs in a warm water bath -- this does not take long)

Swedish "Sokerkake"

2 c flour (sift if clumpy)
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 c sugar
1 t freshly ground cardamom
3 eggs (room temperature)
1.5 cups heavy cream (whipping cream, but not whipped), room temperature
vanilla wafer crumbs (or other cookie crumbs, such as graham crackers)
powdered sugar for dusting

1. Using mixer, blend well, scraping sides often. (Beat for about 3 minutes)
2. Spray or butter a bundt pan. Sprinkle with vanilla wafer crumbs.
3. Pour batter into pan. Bake at 350 F for 55-60 minutes until toothpick tests clean (may take longer than an hour -- keep baking, otherwise cake will "fall" upon cooling).
4. Remove from bundt pan, and let cool slightly before dusting with powdered sugar.
5. Best if eaten while still WARM! This cake does not keep well -- so indulge!