PANTRY CAKES

It is November isn't it? Yesterday the temperature shot up to the high sixties. Our street was abuzz with the sound of lawn mowers and leaf blowers. I finished painting the trim on the front of the house, moved pumpkins and gourds from the back porch to the wheelbarrow out front.... cleaned the hen house, the girls need to be warm and cozy with winter coming on.... raked and raked some more.... filled the porch window boxes with pine and fir boughs. You just can't take this unusually warm weather for granted.... it is crunch time....winter weather is lurking.... Inside, the last of my Halloween decorations have been packed away....I hate to see them go....but time marches on....everywhere you look there are Christmas displays....Christmas music....and Holiday craft fairs....I rebel at the commercialism of Christmas....I want to enjoy the up coming holidays at my own pace. Okay.... here is my pantry cake. It looks similar to hard gingerbread....smells of cinnamon and cloves and looks perfect on my wooden riser covered by a fly screen. In primitive shops you will find these priced in the $12.00 dollar range. I decided to make my own. I found a recipe on line offered by BITTERSWEET PRIMS.

PANTRY CAKE:

4 Tablespoons used coffee grounds

1 Cup sea salt, I used kosher as this is what I had on hand

2 Cups flour

3 Tablespoons cinnamon

2 Tablespoons cloves

1 Cup water-add slowly

I also added cinnamon and clove oil.

Mix dough till everything is combined and not too sticky. I used my Kitchen Aid mixer....spray mold with cooking spray.... coat with spices. Press dough into the mold you are using.... making sure the bottom is even. Oven temperature is 170 for six hours.... let them sit in oven after it is turned off to cool. I took my mold placed it on a cookie sheet and put it under the wood stove for the night, worked like a charm. Six hours in an electric oven is not feasible.... I tea dyed cheese cloth.... cut strips and tied the cake and placed a piece of holly on the top. I think pantry cakes are a perfect primitive accent. I purchased eight of the small molds shown above at an antique store for $1.00. These smaller molds are drying under the wood stove as I type. Mornings now begin early at Dog Trot Farm, my feet hit the floor at 5:30 AM, time for Winslow Homer's insulin and breakfast....who said you couldn't teach an old dog a new trick....me up at 5:30....yes.... it's true!!! Please don't call after 8:00PM.... I've retired for the evening!