She tested the most promising recipes and revised them for the modern palate (less sugar, more flavor). The results include old favorites (carrot cake with cream cheese frosting) as well as twists on the classics (angel cake with chocolate and orange freckles) and temptations for the more adventurous baker: Peppermint Patty flourless chocolate cake.
Three recipes from other American first ladies still serve as legacies during this current election season. One, Mary Lincoln's White Almond Cake, is a simple pound cake with finely chopped almonds that originated in Lexington, Kentucky, where Mary (née Todd) was raised before she married Abraham Lincoln. The story goes that Mary baked and served this cake to Lincoln while they courted. It was said to be Lincoln's favorite cake, and after his assassination this cake, it was baked and served at inaugural and military banquets as a memorial to him.
Bess Truman's Chocolate Cake Recipe
As is the case with hickory nuts, particular ingredients often tell the story of an old and historic recipe. And in the case of a third first lady cake, the cake's ingredients were the secret to unlocking the real story behind the popular recipe.
To backtrack briefly, in 1908 the Congressional Club in Washington, D.C., opened as a social club for wives of the U.S. Senate and House. A self-supporting organization, the members collaborated on a fund-raising cookbook in 1927 and have continued to do so. The second edition of that book was published in 1948. It was introduced by Bess Truman, who shared her recipe for Ozark Pudding. A cross between a pecan pie and a macaroon, with chopped apples thrown in, it would become a favorite apple cake of the time.
And from that day in 1950, the Huguenot Torte became a slightly hijacked homage to Charleston's old history. It would have continued had the food writer and historian John Martin Taylor not found out the real story about the apple cake and given former First Lady Bess Truman and her Ozark Pudding recipe the credit they deserved.
In honor of us hitting triple digits, we wanted to know which recipes were the most clicked and/or shared over the past couple years. Turns out, dear reader, there was absolutely zero pattern to what you were willing to attempt. From paleo fried rice to pot pies to pound cake, there was something for nearly every persnickety palate.
Place egg whites, salt and almond extract in a bowl. Beat for two minutes until stiff peaks form. Fold in vanilla and rind. Fold in cake meal and potato starch until completely blended. Add almonds and coconut. Spoon tablespoons-size cookies onto parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes at 325 degrees. When cookies are cool, drizzle with melted chocolate chips. 2ff7e9595c
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