pfeffer kuchen

Loosely translated from German, this could be "Pepper Cake". However, the recipe contains no pepper. Cloves and cinnamon so maybe spice cake might be a better translation. Last Sunday after a morning of substituting the grams and ml for cups and teaspoons, I had my mother in law's recipe ready to go. The cake calls for 300g of rueban kraut (sugar-beet syrup) or honey. Or a combination of the two. Or some maple syrup if you need to substitute/sub in an ingredient. I used 1:3 rueban kraut:honey just to use the stuff up. Also subbed in kamut and whole wheat pastry flour for the spelt that she likes to use. The cake? A hit. A colleague said it reminded him of his Dutch grandparents. And it's even better frozen, thawed and eaten when you need a sweet treat during a hectic day. Ya.

To buy your own sugar-beet syrup go to:
http://www.denningers.com
For over 50 years, Denninger’s has been producing the best in European-style sausages, meats, cold-cuts, salads and prepared foods. You will find: fine cheeses, chocolates, marzipan, candies, jams and marmalades, cookies, baked goods, coffees and teas, and marinated and smoked fish to name but a few categories of items.

PS: I recommend the pickled asparagus. A lovely, sour product of Canada.