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e s b a t / s a b b a t c a k e s
by Holly
Cut shapes in sugar cookies or shortbread for special occasions (such as stars, pumpkins, etc.), but by default most shaped cakes are kind of like flattened balls. If you like, cut or form crescent shapes out of anything cuttable - non-drop cookie dough, even bread or roll dough - for "mooncakes." Sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies without the nuts and chocolate chips, shortbread, oatmeal cookies, or brownies or gingerbread cookies will all do in a pinch.
Note that most of these don't fit traditional recipes, which call for oats, honey, salt, and wine to be in the cakes. They're here because they're good, or sounded good (I haven't tested them all). Salt's already in all of them, and you can add oats and wine to any recipe; add just a little wine and honey, and if whole oats won't work, grind them to flour in a blender. I haven't tested all of these to see what the yields are, but they are noted where known.
In each section recipes which specifically make individual portions are listed first, followed by those which make large single baked goods (although if you have a little cooking knowledge, these can be easily adapted to rolls, cupcakes or whatever).
Recipes marked with double asterisks ** are my favourites.
Yeast-raised (breads, rolls)
Non-yeast (quick breads, cookies, cakes)
**St. Lucia Buns
1 package yeast
1 cup milk, warm
2/3 cup plus 2 t. sugar or ½ cup plus 1 t. honey
1/3 cup butter, soft
1 egg
½ t. salt
2 t. cardamom or cinnamon
3 ½ cups flour
raisins (optional)
Time: about 3 hours
Yields: about 12
Notes: These rapidly go stale, and it is best to make them the same day they
are intended to be eaten.
Sprinkle yeast over warm milk in mixer bowl. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons sugar over yeast and milk. Let stand 5 minutes. Mix in 2/3 cup sugar, butter, egg, salt, and cardamom. Beat well. Add flour, 1 cup at a time. Mix until well combined. Add enough more flour to make dough stiff enough to knead (the less, the better). Turn out onto floured board and knead about 10 minutes. Place in greased bowl and turn greased side up. Cover and let rise about 2 hours or until double. Punch down. Roll into ropes about 8-10 inches long and make S-curves (traditional), spirals, crescents, etc. Place on greased baking sheets. Add raisins as decoration, if desired. Cover again and let rise about ½ hour or until double. If desired, beat 1 egg and brush over buns. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Cool on racks.
**Pull-Apart Rolls
1 package yeast
¼ cup water, warm
3 ¼ cups flour
2 T plus 2 t sugar
½ t. salt
¾ cup plus 2 T. milk, warm
2 eggs
2 T. butter, almost melted
2 T. poppy or sesame seeds (optional)
Time: about 2 ¾ hours
Yields: 20
Sprinkle yeast over warm water. Add 1 t. sugar and let stand about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together 2 ¾ cups flour, remaining sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center. Add milk, yeast mixture, and 1 egg. Stir until smooth. Gradually beat in butter until a soft dough is formed. Turn out onto floured board and knead about 10 minutes, adding remainder of flour. Place in greased bowl, cover with damp towel, and let rise about 1 hour. Lightly grease a 9-inch round pan. Punch dough down, and transfer to floured surface. Knead lightly for 1-2 minutes. Divide into 20 pieces and roll each into a ball. Place balls in concentric rings in the pan. Let rise uncovered for about 30 minutes. Beat 1 egg and 2 T milk in a small bowl. Brush tops of rolls with egg and milk. Sprinkle with seeds. Bake at 425 for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden. Let cool in pan for about 5 minutes, then turn out.
Angel Biscuits
1 package yeast
2 T. plus ½ t. sugar
2 T. water, warm
2 ¾ c. flour
1 ½ t. baking powder
½ t. baking soda
½ t. salt
1 c. buttermilk
2 T. butter, melted
Time: about 3 ¼ hours
Yields: 18-24
Notes: These are good, but kind of a lot of work for just biscuits. Recipe calls
for not greasing the baking sheets, but you have to remove the biscuits instantly
or they will stick. Since it's hard to do this to all 18-24 biscuits simultaneously,
I suggest greasing your baking sheets.
Mix yeast, ½ t. sugar, and warm water and let stand until foamy. Meanwhile, mix 2 T. sugar with flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the yeast mixture, buttermilk, and butter. Stir until a dough forms. Turn out onto floured surface and knead gently about 10 times. Place in a greased bowl and let rise for 1 ½ hours. Punch down and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. Roll out 3/8 inch thick on a floured surface and cut with cookie or biscuit cutters about 2" across. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets, cover, and let rise for 1 hour. Adjust oven racks to divide the oven in thirds. Bake at 425 for about 8 minutes or until light golden, switching racks once. Remove to racks to cool.
Honey Rolls
1/4 c. milk, scalded
1/4 c. butter, melted
1/2 c. honey
1 t. salt
1/8 t. ground ginger or other spice
1 package yeast
3/4 c. water, warm
4 c. flour
Time: 2-3 hours
Yields: 10-12
Notes: Using 50% wheat flour, I was only able to put a little less than 3 ½
cups of flour in the dough.
Mix milk, honey, salt, ginger, and butter. Let cool to lukewarm. Sprinkle yeast over milk mixture and let stand until bubbly. Add water. Add 2 cups flour and beat well. Add 1 1/2 cups more flour, ½ cup at a time. Flour kneading board well, scrape dough from bowl, and knead in last ½ cup flour. Knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Shape into a ball and place in greased bowl. Turn and dust top with flour. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double. Turn out on floured board and pat to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with biscuit cutter, place on greased baking sheets, and let rise until double. Bake at 375 about 25 minutes. Brush tops with butter.
Baps
½ c. milk, scalded
2 t. sugar
1 t. salt
4 T. butter
1 package yeast
½ c. water, warm
3 ½ c. flour
Time: about 2 ½ hours
Yields: 10-12
Mix milk, sugar, salt, and butter. Let cool to lukewarm. Dissolve yeast in water in a large warmed bowl. Add milk mixture. Add 1 ¾ cups flour and beat well. Mix in up to 1 ¾ cups more flour, to make a soft dough. Set in greased bowl, turn to grease surface, and let rise until double (about 1 hour). Turn out and knead lightly. Form into ovals 2 by 3 inches. Place on a greased baking sheet and brush tops with milk. Cover lightly and let rise until double. Press your finger in the center of each roll. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes.
Oat bread
¼ c. molasses
½ t. salt
¾ c. milk, scalded
½ package yeast
¼ c. water, warm
2 ½ c. flour
1 c. rolled oats
Time: 3 - 3 1/2 hours
Yields: 1 loaf
Blend molasses and salt into milk. Let cool to lukewarm. Dissolve yeast in warm water in a warm bowl. Add milk mixture. Add to 2 c. flour and beat until smooth. Cover and let rise until double. Stir in oats and remaining flour. Knead until smooth and elastic. Turn into greased bowl, grease top, cover, and let rise again. Punch down, turn out, and knead for 1 minute. Form loaf and place in greased pan. Brush with melted butter. Cover and let rise about half an hour. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes, then lower temp to 350 and bake for 30-40 minutes.
Honey Oat Bread
1 cup water
1 tablespoon oil
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup oatmeal
2 cups flour
2 ½ teaspoons yeast (1 package)
½ teaspoon nutmeg
Time: 2 hours
Yields: 1 loaf
Combine all ingredients. Turn out and knead for 10 minutes. Shape loaf and place in a greased pan with the dough's smooth side facing upwards. Let rise until double (approximately 1 hour). Bake at 350º for 20-25 minutes. Let cool before slicing.
Honey Whole Wheat Bread
4 ½ cups whole-wheat flour
2 t salt
1 package dry yeast
¾ c milk
¾ c water
3 T butter
¼ c honey
Time: about 3 hours
Yields: 1 loaf
Sift together 1 ½ cups of the flour, salt, and yeast. Combine milk, water, butter, and honey in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until warm (100-110 degrees). Gradually add to dry ingredients. Beat 2 minutes. Add up to 3 cups more flour, a cup at a time, until a soft dough forms. Turn out onto floured board and allow to rest 10 minutes. Knead about 10 minutes. Place in a large greased bowl, cover, and let rise until double (about 1 hour). Punch town and turn out. Shape into loaf and place in greased loaf pan. Cover and let rise until double again (about 1 hour). Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on rack.
Spritz
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 egg, beaten
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. almond extract
1 c. plus 2 T. plus 2 t. flour
food colouring (optional)
Time: 30-45 minutes
Yields: About 18 cookies, 2-3 inches long by ¾-1 inch across
Beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla, and almond extract. On low speed, beat in flour until well blended. Add food colouring, if desired. Spoon dough into a cookie press, pastry bag, or plastic bag with corner cut off. Squeeze or press dough in shapes 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 400 for 5-6 minutes or until bottoms are just barely browned. Let cool for 2-3 minutes on sheets and then remove to cool on racks.
Molasses-Honey Cookies
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. shortening
1/4 c. molasses
1/4 c. honey
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. each salt, cloves, nutmeg, ginger
1/8 t. allspice
1 3/4 c. flour
1/4 c. water
Time: 1 ½ - 2 ½ hours
Yields: ?
Notes: Butter can be substituted for shortening if you add a bit more flour
(butter contains a small amount of water, which shortening does not).
Cream sugar and shortening. Add molasses and honey. Mix in soda, salt, and spices. Add 1 cup flour. Stir in water. Add remaining flour. Mix well. Chill for 1-2 hours. Roll balls and flatten, or roll out on floured board to 1/4 inch thickness and cut in shapes. Place on greased baking sheet and bake at 375 for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on racks.
Sesame Seed Cookies
¾ c. butter
½ c. sesame seeds
1 c. total honey, maple syrup and/or molasses (as desired)
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1 t. baking powder
½ t. baking soda
¼ t. salt
2 c. flour
Time: about 45 minutes
Yields: about 40
Melt ¼ c. butter in a skillet over low heat and brown sesame seeds, stirring to prevent burning. Cool. Meanwhile, cream ½ c. butter with honey/molasses/maple syrup. Add egg and vanilla. Beat well. Add sesame seeds and dry ingredients. Add more flour if necessary to make a drop-cookie consistency. Drop by tablespoons on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 until lightly browned, about 12 minutes.
Butter Cakes
2 c. flour
1 t. salt
2 t. baking powder
¼ c. sugar
6 T. butter
½ c. milk
2 eggs, one separated
Time: about 1 ½ hours
Yields: ?
Mix dry ingredients. Cut in butter until it is the texture of meal. Add milk, egg and yolk. Mix well. Turn out onto a floured surface. Knead dough, adding flour until of rolling consistency. Roll out about 1/2 inch thick and cut shapes. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with sugar. Place on baking sheet greased with butter. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes. Cool on racks.
Almond Cakes
4 c. flour
1 t. ground cinnamon or other spice
½ t. baking powder
½ c. ground almonds (use a food processor or blender)
1 tube almond paste (7 oz)
5 eggs
2 c. sugar
few drops almond extract or liqueur
Time: about 1 ½ hours
Yields: about 40
Notes: These cookies taste wonderful (if you like almond), but the dough is
very sticky and hard to work with, and the cookies don't keep well. Try to make
them as close to their hour of consumption as possible.
Mix flour, spice, baking powder, and ground almonds. Cut in almond paste. Add eggs, sugar, and extract. Mix well. Grease a cookie sheet. Flour your hands and pinch balls off the dough, flattening them a little before placing them on the baking sheet. Re-flour your hands frequently. Bake the cakes at 375 degrees F. for 20 minutes. Remove and cool on racks.
Walnut Mounds
¼ c butter
¼ c honey
½ T milk
½ c rolled oats
2 T chopped dates (optional)
½ c flour
¼ t baking powder
¼ t baking soda
1/8 t salt
¼ c chopped walnuts
Time: ?
Yields: ?
Cream butter and honey until light. Add milk and oats. Stir in dates (if desired). Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and walnuts. Drop by tablespoons on a greased baking sheet and bake at 375 until browned.
Buttermilk, Sour Cream and Honey Cookies
¾ c sugar
¼ c butter
¼ c honey
1 ½ eggs
¼ c sour cream
¼ t salt
½ t baking soda
¼ c buttermilk
1 t lemon extract
2+ c flour
Time: about 1 ½ hours
Yields: ?
Cream sugar and butter. Add honey and blend well. Beat in egg. Blend in sour cream. Dissolve salt and baking soda in buttermilk and add to batter. Add lemon extract. Stir in flour. Add enough more flour to make a stiff dough. Roll out on floured board and cut shapes. Sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake on greased sheet at 350 for 15 minutes.
Oat Cakes
1 T honey
1/3 c shortening
½ c brown sugar
1 T white wine
1 ½ c flour
¼ t baking soda
½ t salt
1 ¼ c rolled oats
Time: about 30 minutes for drop, about 1 hour for rolled
Yields: ?
Mix wet ingredients and add dry ingredients. Add a little water if necessary to make a rollable or droppable dough. Roll out and cut shapes, or form into flattened balls. Bake on (greased?) cookie sheets at 350 for 15 minutes.
Liebkuchen
6 c flour
1 ½ t baking soda
½ t salt
1 t ginger
½ t mace
1 T cinnamon
3 T vinegar
1 c milk
1 c margarine
1 c sugar
1 egg
1 c honey
vanilla icing (optional)
Time: about 2 hours
Yields: ?
Mix dry ingredients. Add 1 T of the vinegar to the milk. Cream margarine and sugar. Add egg and beat until light. Add honey, milk, and remaining vinegar and mix well. Gradually blend in dry mixture. Chill for one hour. Roll out ¼ inch thick. Cut into 2x3" rectangles and place on buttered cookie sheets. Bake at 375 for 6 minutes. (Frost with vanilla icing, if desired.)
Cream Biscuits
2 c flour
1 T baking powder (sounds like a lot, but was figured by a 1 ½ t to 1 c baking
powder to flour ratio as a sub for self-rising flour)
1 t salt
1 c + 2 T cream
Time: about 30 minutes
Yields: about 12
Mix flour, salt, and baking powder. Stir in cream. Roll out ½ inch thick and cut with 2-inch biscuit cutter. Place on ungreased baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes.
Honey Cakes
6 T butter
7 T honey
2 eggs
1 c flour
1 t baking powder
2 T milk pinch of salt
1/4 t nutmeg
Time: 45 minutes
Yields: ?
Cream the butter and 6 T of the honey together. Beat in the eggs. Sift in the flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Stir in milk. Pour into cupcake pan. Smooth the top. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes (?). Let sit for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Brush with remaining honey.
Maple Scones
3 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 c pecans or walnuts
1/2 c granulated sugar
4 t baking powder
1 t salt
2/3 c slightly softened butter
1 c milk
1/2 c maple syrup
1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
Time: 45-50 minutes
Yields: 16
In a large bowl, combine flour, nuts, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter until the mixture is crumbly. Combine milk, 1/3 c of maple syrup, and applesauce. Add to flour mixture. Mix lightly with a fork until mixture clings together and forms soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface, and knead gently 5 or 6 times. Divide dough in half, and roll into a 7" circle. Divide into 8 wedges. Repeat with other half. Put all wedges on greased baking sheets. Pierce with fork and brush with remaining syrup. Bake at 425 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.
Gift of Galadriel Lembas
3 eggs
1 c honey
1 T grated orange peel
2 t orange flower water
3 oz blanched almonds
¼ c melted butter
2 ¼ c semolina flour
½ t salt
1 t baking powder
Time: About 30 minutes
Yields: ?
Notes: The preferred method of baking is on a pizzelle or krumkake iron. If
you have one, omit the baking powder. Otherwise, this recipe is made with a
waffle iron.
Blend eggs, honey, orange peel, orange flower water, and almonds in a blender for 3 minutes on high. Add 1 cup of the flour and blend for 1 minute. Scrape into a bowl and add remaining flour and salt. Whisk or stir until well blended. Bake on waffle iron 15 seconds each or until lightly brown.
Traveller's Biscuits
½ c butter, softened
½ c brown sugar
1 large egg
½ c flour
1/2 t baking soda
½ c oats
1/3 c raisins (or dried fruit of your choice)
Time: about 30 minutes
Yields: ?
In large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy and pale. Add egg and beat until mixture almost doubles in size. Sift in flour and baking soda. Add oats and raisins and mix well. Dust hands with flour and make round biscuit shapes from half-tablespoon-sized lumps. Place on greased (and parchment-lined, if desired) baking sheet. Place baking sheet on bottom rack in oven and bake at 375 for 12 minutes. Check for doneness: if three times their original size, darker and crisp on the outside and a bit softer in the middle, they are done. Let cool on sheet for 1 minute and then transfer to rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container.
Lembas of Arathell
½ c butter
5 T wild honey
3/4 t salt
1 T + ½ t cinnamon
1 c flour
3/4 t baking powder
1 T + ½ t milk
½ c sliced almonds
1 vanilla bean
2 T + 1 t orange zest
2 ¼ t orange blossom water (optional)
Time: about 2 hours
Yields: ?
Finely grind orange zest and almonds by means of a blender or coffee grinder. Simmer vanilla bean in milk for 15 minutes. Remove bean, slice open, and combine pith with milk. Add orange blossom water. Let cool. Mix flour, salt, and cinnamon. Cut in butter. Add honey and milk mixture to form a dough. Mix in ground almonds and orange zest. Let rest for 1 hour. Roll out dough and cut large rounds about 4 inches across. Place on greased baking sheets and bake at 325 for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
**Hot Milk Sponge Cake
2 eggs
1 c. sugar
1 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
½ c. milk
2 T. butter
Time: 30-45 min, depending on bake time
Yields: 1 9x9 inch cake or about 14 cupcakes
Beat eggs until thick. Add sugar and beat 4-5 minutes. Add flour and baking powder. Beat until combined. Heat milk and butter until the butter is melted or nearly so. Add the milk and butter to the mixture and beat until combined. Pour into a 9x9 pan or cupcake pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes for cake and about 12 minutes for cupcakes. Cool cupcakes on rack; cool cake in pan.
**Spicy Gingerbread
¼ c. butter
¼ c. sugar
1 egg
½ c. molasses
1 ¼ c. flour
1 t. baking soda
¼ t. salt
1 t. ground ginger or 1 T. minced fresh ginger or 3 T. minced candied ginger
¼ t. nutmeg
½ cup water, hot
½ cup raisins or walnuts (optional)
Time: about 1 hour
Yields: 1 cake, 8 or 9 inches round
Notes: If you keep the mixer going all the time, this will turn out very light
and fluffy, almost like a gingerbread sponge cake.
Beat butter, sugar, and egg until blended. Beat in molasses. Mix flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Add to egg mixture alternately with water. Beat until smooth. Spread in greased and floured 8 or 9 inch round pan. Sprinkle raisins or nuts on top. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Cool in pan on rack for 15 minutes. Turn out onto plate. Cut in wedges.
Honey Cake
¼ c. sugar
¼ c. butter
1 egg
¼ c. honey
1 ¼ t. baking powder
¼ t. mace (other spices may be substituted)
¼ t. salt
½ t. almond extract (other flavours may be substituted)
¼ c + 2 T milk
1 c. flour
Time: About 1 hour
Yields: 1 cake, 8 inches round
Cream sugar and butter. Add egg. Beat in honey. Stir in baking powder, mace, and salt. Mix almond extract with milk. Add alternately with flour. Pour into greased and floured 8-inch round pan. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until tester comes out clean.
Molasses-Honey Oatmeal Cake
½ c plus 2 T. water, boiling
½ c. rolled oats
¼ c. sugar
¼ c. shortening
1 egg
2 T. plus 2 t. molasses
¼ c. honey
½ t. baking powder
½ t. baking soda
¼ t. each salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg
1/8. t. cloves
1 c. flour
Time: about 1 ¼ hours
Yields: 1 cake, 9 inches round
Pour boiling water over oats. Stir to combine and let stand 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cream sugar and shortening. Beat in egg. Add molasses and honey. Add the oatmeal. Add baking powder, baking soda, and spices. Gradually add flour. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9 inch round cake pan. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.
Apple Honey Cake
½ cup flour
½ cup wheat flour
1 t baking soda
½ c + 2 T sugar
½ t cinnamon
½ t salt
¼ c vegetable oil
2 T honey
1 egg
½ t vanilla
2 ½ cups apples, peeled and sliced
½ cup nuts, chopped
Time: about 1 ½ hours
Yields: 1 cake, 9 inches round
Combine all ingredients except nuts in a large bowl and beat for 3 minutes. Stir in nuts. Pour into greased 9 inch round pan. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until tester comes out clean.
Soft Gingerbread
½ c butter or shortening
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 c molasses
3 c flour
2 t each ginger and cinnamon
1 t cloves
¼ t nutmeg
1 c sour milk or buttermilk
1 t baking soda
¼ c hot water
Time: about 1 hour
Yields: 1 cake, 9 inches round?
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and molasses and mix well. Sift together flour and spices. Add to butter mixture alternately with milk. Dissolve baking soda in water and add to mixture. Pour into well-greased cake pan (9 inch?) and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
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