Recipes for the Goddess
Honey Sesame Cakes
Description:
Honey Sesame Cakes are a delightful treat that combines the nutty flavor of sesame seeds with the natural sweetness of honey. They are enjoyed around the world, with variations seen in different cuisines, often served as a dessert, a snack with tea, or even as a festive treat during special occasions. Their combination of sweet and savory elements makes them a unique and satisfying choice for any palate.
Ingredients:
- 3 eggs
- 20g honey
- 50g granulated sugar
- 100g cake flour
- 2g baking powder
- 40g vegetable oil
- sesame seeds
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 320℉(160℃).
- In a clean bowl, add the eggs, sugar, and honey. Use a hand mixer to beat until thickened, pale yellow and very puffy.
- Mix the baking powder into the cake flour. Sift and cut the flour into the mixture until well combined.
- Gently cut in vegetable oil until well combined.
- Grease a cupcake tin with some vegetable oil and dust with flour. Fill with batter and top with some sesame seeds.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Cool and serve.
Savillum - Ancient Roman Cheesecake
Description:
Savillum is a Roman recipe found in De Agri Cultura, the earliest-known work of Roman prose. It was written by the Roman politician Cato the Elder, a man noted for his devotion to simplicity and love of country life. Fitting its author's lifestyle, De Agri Cultura is a straightforward instructional manual on farming. Those recipes which appear are just as simple and rustic as savillum.
The savillum will puff up into a golden brown mound as it cooks, which looks pretty cool but is unfortunately ruined by poking holes for extra honey to soak in. It's mushy, so serve with a spoon, hot or room temperature.
Ingredients:
- 3 1/2 cups ricotta or farmer's cheese, drained and densely packed
- 3/8 of a cup honey, plus another 3/4 of a cup
- 1 1/4 cup flour, whole-wheat (more authentic) or white
- 1 beaten egg
- poppyseeds
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a bowl, mix all the ingredients except the 3/4 cup honey and the poppyseeds.
- Pour into a deep pie dish or springform cake pan and cook for 1 hour and 40 minutes.
- When the cake is firm, poke some holes to allow the additional honey to seep in.
- Top with 3/4 cup of honey and the poppyseeds and bake for 10 minutes more.
Ritual Crescent Cakes
Description:
Perfect to have on hand for the 'cakes and ale' rite of Wiccan ritual, at sabbats or esbats, or simply as an offering to the Goddess any time it feels right. The shape evokes the essence of the moon - intuition and illumination. They freeze well so you can make a large batch and keep them for when needed.
This recipe was originally printed in Scott Cunningham's amazing Wicca: for the Solitary Practitioner. Here is what he had to say about it:
"This is the best recipe I've been able to find. Most of the other published ones taste foul. Purists who worry about the inclusion of sugar in this recipe needn't. It's ritually related to Venus and has a long magical history."
Ingredients:
- 1 cup finely ground almonds
- 1 1/4 cup fine flour
- 1/2 confectioners sugar
- 2 drops almond extract
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 egg yolk
Steps:
- Combine almonds, flour, sugar, and extract until thoroughly mixed.
- With the hands, work in butter and egg yolk until well blended.
- Chill dough.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Pinch off pieces of dough about the size of walnuts and shape into crescents.
- Place on greased sheets and bake for about 20 minutes.