Since this month’s selection was Dune, it was perfectly obvious to me that nothing but spice cake would do. However, as one might expect, Melange is incredibly hard to find locally. Luckily, I found this recipe from Maxie’s Supper Club at Chow and decided that fresh grated ginger, while less trippy than melange, would be an adequate substitute.

Maxie’s recipe did not disappoint! The flavor was rich, intense and the black pepper added just the right bit of bite. The freshly grated ginger was a delight not only for the taste buds, but also provided a springy, almost meaty, texture not unlike carrot cake. The result is a heady, earthy treat with a decidedly old-fashioned^* feel.

In short, this is pure comfort food. Perfect for enjoying a a cup of tea while enjoying your favorite book.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup molasses
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 3 oz. fresh ginger (about a 4″ piece), peeled, grated and finely chopped
• 2 large eggs

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, arrange a rack in middle of oven
2. Butter and flour a 9″ cake pan; set aside
3. Whisk together flour, cinnamon, cloves and pepper in a medium bowl; set aside
4. Whisk together molasses, sugar and oil in a large bowl; set aside
5. Bring water to a boil (I microwaved it), and stir in the baking soda
6. Stir water and baking soda into molasses mixture
7. Stir ginger into molasses mixture
8. Gradually whisk dry ingredients into molasses mixture
9. Add eggs and continue mixing until thoroughly combined
10. Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly
11. Bake 45 – 50 minutes until done
12. Allow cake to cool for at least 30 minutes before removing from the pan

^*Taste and memories are odd things. I mentioned that this cake had a definite old-fashioned taste to it. A few of the other members of the book group agreed. But how would we know what an “old-fashioned” taste is? Is it the food our grandmothers made when we were growing up? Well, I don’t know about your grandmother, but my grandmother loved her Duncan-Hines-in-a-box cakes. And it can’t be the intense ginger flavor because I’m sure I never saw fresh ginger root at the A&P or Victory markets growing up. So what makes something taste “old-fashioned”? I don’t know. If you do, please say something in the comments because these are the kinds of questions that keep me awake at night.

Related posts:

1. Surprise Carrot Cake
2. Torta Di Ricotta E Cioccolata (Ricotta and Chocolate Cake)
3. Slow Cooker (Self-Saucing Pudding Cake)

Oh, alright. So it’s probably unrealistic to expect that from any food but these muffins are pretty tasty. And I’ve been making variations on this recipe, on and off, for a few months now trying to get the perfect vanilla muffin. I don’t think I’m there yet, but these will do. They have a delicate flavor that will go well with your morning coffee and they are pretty easy to make to boot. In fact, if you’re organized, you can probably whip up the batter in the time it takes your oven to preheat.

I also like to think these are versatile little quick breads in that the basic recipe serves well as a base for other muffin varieties. Throw in a handful of blueberries, or chocolate chips or perhaps dial back the sugar and throw in some Asiago cheese and suddenly you’ve got a whole other biscuit. So maybe these muffins haven’t reached nirvana, but when they’re this simple and good who cares?

Vanilla Muffin Nirvana
Ingredients (Muffins)

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick), melted
• 2 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Ingredients (Topping)

• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Beat together sugar, evaporated milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla
3. Combine flour, baking powder and nutmeg making sure to mix well
4. Stir wet ingredients into dry trying to get all the lumps out
5. Combine sugar and cinnamon for toppping and sprinkle over tops of each muffin
6. Bake 15 – 20 minutes

Related posts:

1. Bisquick Brownie-Simulacrum Recipe
2. Slow Cooker (Self-Saucing Pudding Cake)
3. Torta Di Ricotta E Cioccolata (Ricotta and Chocolate Cake)

Pastitsio
Pasta Mixture Ingredients

• 8 oz. bucatini or ziti pasta
• 3 tbsp. butter, melted
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 egg, beaten

Pasta Mixture Preparation

1. Cook pasta; drain, and return to pan
2. Stir in the melted butter, Parmesan cheese, milk and egg; set aside

Meat Mixture Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beeef
• 1/2 cup onions, chopped
• 1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. dried mint flakes
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. pepper

Meat Mixture Preparation

1. In a skilled, cook ground beef and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain excess fat
2. Stir in the tomato sauce, salt, mint flakes, cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper; set aside

Cream Sauce Ingredients

• 4 tsp. butter
• 4 tsp. all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 cups milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Cream Sauce Preparation

1. In a saucepan, melt the butter then mix in the flour and salt
2. Slowly stir in the milk, stirring constantly so that no lumps form
3. Cook on medium high, stirring frequently, until sauce starts to thicken; stir for a minute more then remove from heat
4. Pour beaten egg into the cream sauce, stirring briskly
5. Blend in the Parmesan cheese

Pastitsio Preparation

1. Layer half the pasta mixture in a 2 quart baking dish
2. Spoon the meat mixture on top, then make another layer with the remaining pasta
3. Pour the cream sauce over all, covering completely
4. Bake uncovered for about 40 minutes until hot and lightly browned
5. Let stand 10 minutes or until you can’t stand it anymore!

Related posts:

1. Spaghetti with Spinach Sauce
2. Cheesy Beefy Pasta Sauce Un-Recipe
3. Bay Scallops and Sea Shells in a Light Lemon-Dill Sauce Unrecipe