Honeycake

I used a round pan since my bread loaf pan is AWOL.

Cake topping

My friends are such excellent readers. And so after a recommendation, I began reading Jane Kramer's essay, "The Reporter's Kitchen" around 4 this afternoon. I should have been reading Women as Wombs: Reproductive Technologies and the Battle over Women's Freedom. Or The Means of Reproduction: Sex, Power, and the Future of the World. But this seemed more engaging at the particular moment.

Of course, after reading about Jane sifting wheat through a wooden sieve in Paris and drowning her freaking carrots in chervil in Umbria (my goodness Josh, how did this woman ever remind you of me?), I immediately needed to get to my kitchen. Yet we have nothing: We're out of soymilk, cheese, and almost all fruit and vegetables, my usual staples, plain and uninteresting ingredients that a person like Jane Kramer possibly scoffs at...

But then I thought of honeycake. It's the perfect time of year. You know, so many writers who've made silky or nutty honeycake for Rosh Hashanah have such kvetchy stories about it -- how they hated it growing up, and after all, who didn't, blah blah. Well, I didn't.

And since I'm obsessed with all things Mollie Katzen, of course I used her recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease a medium-sized loaf pan.
2. Place 1 cup of honey in a medium-sized bowl, and beat at high speed with a mixer for about three minutes. I like this part, even though we don't have a mixer so I use a fork and my incredibly strong arms.
3. Add one egg, 3 T oil or butter, and 1/2 c cold black coffee or water. Beat for one more minute.
4. Sift 2 c white flour, 1/2 t salt, 2 1/2 t baking powder, and a dash or two of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice directly into the honey mixture. Add 1/4 c minced walnuts.
5. Spread the batter into the prepared pan, and sprinkle another 1/4 c of minced walnuts on top.
6. Bake for about 45 minutes and cool in the pan for 15 minutes.

Consider adding the following topping:
4 c peeled and sliced tart apple
1 to 2 T fresh lemon juice
3/4 t cinnamon
optional honey to taste

Cook these ingredients over medium heat until the apples are soft (around 10 minutes), then spoon the mixture over the honeycake.

My husband hates sweet cakes of this nature, but I just couldn't resist baking this afternoon. Even without a mixer or allspice and my usual bread loaf pan. So thanks Jane Kramer.

And L'Shana Tova!