RECIPE: Easy Almond Cake with Duck Eggs

This recipe came from my momma who found it somewhere. She knows I love most all things almond. When I spotted this recipe loosely lodged between others on my cookbook stand, I knew it came from her! Making the almond cake doubly good were the two duck eggs from my neighbor's lucky ducks! The spring weather has warmed and ducks want to lay eggs!

The batter is slightly thick, but bakes light-as-air and thin with a light crispy top. A pleasant snack for when you're in the mood for exquisite almond flavor without the heaviness of frosting, cream or syrup.

Almond Cake

1 stick of Butter, because buttah makes it bettah
2 Eggs (duck or chicken)
1 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 cup Sugar
2 teaspoons Almond Extract

Duck eggs are creamier like farm
fresh chicken eggs. The shell
is thicker and the taste is rich.

2-4 Tablespoons Sliced Almonds (sliced, not slivers)

• Preheat oven 325*
• Melt butter in microwave just until liquified (If too hot, let cool. Overly hot butter will cook eggs. Not good.)
• Beat eggs into melted -but not hot- butter
• Add flour, sugar and almond extract and mix
• Pour and spread into 8" or 9" cake or pie pan which has been lightly sprayed with Baker's Joy.
• Sprinkle almond slices on top. (I don't use almond slivers because they remind me of clipped toenails!)
• Bake 35-45 minutes or until knife or toothpick inserted comes out clean. Don't overcook, because the bottom will be too done.
• Let cool a few minutes before serving! Mmmmm!

Visit your local Farmer's Market to see if there are duck eggs for sale! You'll appreciate the quality and the American Farmer will appreciate your patronage! Go Play with Your Food!

2-on-Tuesday: Pumpkin-Butterscotch Fudge

Don't even snarl your nose or stick out your tongue!  This recipe uses Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin Pack (in a can), but the flavor that comes through is the buttery taste of butterscotch! Mmmmm! 

Pumpkin-Butterscotch Fudge

3 cups Sugar
3/4 cup Butter
1 5 oz can or 2/3 cup Evaporated Milk (NOT Sweetened Condensed Milk)
1/2 cup Solid Pack Pumpkin
1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 12 oz pkg Butterscotch Morsels
1 7 oz jar Marshmallow Creme
1 teaspoon 
**(optional) 1 cup Pecans, chopped and toasted

• In heavy saucepan combine sugar, butter, milk, pumpkin and spice
• Bring to boil, stirring constantly to 234-240 degrees on candy thermometer. May take 10-ish minutes for proper consistent
• Remove from heat, stir in butterscotch morsels, marshmallow creme, nuts and vanilla
• Mix well
• Pour into 9x13 baking dish, spread evenly and allow to cool before cutting

2-on-Tuesday: Pumpkin Crunch

It's PUMPKIN MONTH! If you love all things pumpkiny, this is a #pumpkinchunkin must-try for you!

PUMPKIN CRUNCH

1 pkg Yellow Cake Mix
1 16 oz can Solid Pack Pumpkin
1 12 oz can Evaporated Milk (NOT Sweetened Condensed Milk)
3-4 Eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups Sugar or 1 cup Monk Fruit Sugar
4 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoons Salt
1 cup Pecans, chopped
1 cup Unsalted Butter, melted

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Combine pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, spice and salt and pour into 9x13 baking dish
• Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over pumpkin mixture
• Top with pecans
• Drizzle melted butter over entire mixture
• Bake for 50-60 minutes until golden brown and not jiggly in the center

Super easy, this recipe is like a mouthful of autumn! Enjoy! 

2-on-Tuesday Recipe: Crawfish Etouffee

For the past 11 summers of camps, I've introduced quite a few Tennessee youth & kids leaders, camp staff and camp evangelists to one of my favorite Cajun dishes which starts with the Cajun's "Holy Trinity": roughly equal parts of onion, bell pepper and celery! If the mini-lobster creeps you out, then, substitute peeled shrimp, instead.  

2 lg       Onions, chopped
1 lg      Green Bell Pepper, chopped
4            Garlic Cloves, chopped
2            Celery Stalks, chopped
1 stick  Butter
1-2 lbs  Crawfish Tails, pre-cooked & unshelled
Cornstarch
Cold Water
Salt
Cooked Rice
Garlic Toast

• Wilt onions, bell pepper, garlic & celery in butter.
• Add 1 cup of water and simmer for 20-30 minutes
• Add crawfish tails and continue simmering for 15 minutes
• To thicken, add 1 Tablespoon of Cornstarch to 1/2 cup of cold water (Note: Cornstarch will not dissolve in hot water) **Add more or less cornstarch to achieve your desired thickness.
• Serve over rice & with garlic toast!

As with the French, butter is the Cajun cook's choice! You won't capture the flavor with margarine. I shudder to think anyone would consider using that chemically-altered yellow smear. You can find a 1 pound bag of pre-cooked tails in the frozen seafood case in Walmart. To spice it up, we use Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning. Beginners should take it easy.

During our years at Camp Jackson, I fixed a stock pot full of etouffee and a stock pot full of rice each week, sometimes with left-overs for the Crunk Crew (camp staff) to finish over the weekend! Happy kitchen memories of our summers in Tennessee Youth/Student Ministries! 

~"Sam"