Ancient Honey Cakes

[Recipes Index] [World of Chefs]

Ingredients:

Cakes

• 2 pounds, 3 ounces unbleached, plain flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 14 ounces extra virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces caster sugar
• 4 ounces Cognac, Mavrothaphne wine (golden color, sweet wine from Samos) or ruby port
• Finely grated zest and juice of three oranges
• 4 teaspoons freshly ground cinnamon
• 1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground clove
• ¾ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Syrup

• 16 ounces honey
• 8 ounces sugar
• 1 inch piece of cinnamon bark
• 1 clove
• finely grated zest and juice of one lemon
• 8 ounces of water

Topping

• 3 ounces blanched almonds
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon
  

Preparation:

Begin by making the syrup. In a saucepan, combine the honey, sugar, cinnamon, clove and lemon zest with 8 ounces of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for  8 to 10 minutes. Add the lemon juice, and then chill.

Toast the almonds by placing them on a baking tray and putting them in an oven  preheated to 350 degrees F for about ten minutes or until they begin to turn golden. Remove and let cool. Put the toasted nuts, sugar and cinnamon in a small food processor and process with short pulses until the mixture is coarsely chopped.

To make the cakes, sift the flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the olive oil and sugar and beat together with a wooden spoon. Add the cognac, orange zest, spices and juice from 2 oranges (approximately 4 ounces).

Then, beat in the flour a little at a time until you have a workable dough that is smooth and not sticky. Add more flour if it is too soft, or more juice if it is too dry and stiff. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about ten minutes. Pinch off pieces the size of two tablespoons and form into flattened round shapes. Make the thicknesses uniform with all of the little cakes. Place them on an oiled or non-stick baking sheet. Bake in an oven preheated to 400 degrees F for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown.

When the cakes have cooled so that you can handle them, dip the cakes in the syrup bowl and leave them in for about one minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a tray to cool. Sprinkle the chopped almond mixture topping onto the cakes and serve.