This Christmas found yours truly wanting to spice things up with a holiday bundt cake, using a recipe my mother had recently made with great success from one of her Gourmet magazines. After the yearly ritual of going to see my favorite holiday window displays at Bergdorf’s and Tiffany’s, two winning examples of which you can see here:
a bundt cake mold had to be purchased. I found one at Surprise Surprise (for a good price, I later learned when visiting other baking suppliers) on Christmas Eve shortly before they closed. With bundt cake mold in purse, good intentions, and my patient fiancee in tow, the last ingredients (mainly Guinness and molases – items not usually found in my fridge or cupboards) were purchased at a madhouse grocery store where other frenzied last minute shoppers were busy spreading cheer by jumping at each others’ throats. Having survived the Associated Supermarket, we repaired to one of our regular haunts, Pete’s Tavern, where our spirits were revived by a few beers backed with shots of Jameson’s. Our hearts warmed anew, we set off for home only to be distracted by the inviting fluorescent lights and colorful paper tropical fruit display of Papaya King’s. So of course we had to stop in for a quick dog. With replenished energy, we ducked in for a pop at our local 11th Street Bar, where lo and behold, Drew the bartender was serving hot dogs to the few left-over holiday stragglers. And so we obliged, had a few more hot dogs, and were even encouraged to take several home – Merry Christmas to you, Drew! (Unbeknownst to us, this happens every Sunday night, though with an undoubtedly bigger crowd). Arriving home later than anticipated, with a bundt cake mold, a hodgepodge of ingredients, hot dogs, a crumpled recipe, and wilted enthusiasm, the cake was shelved until the next day. And though we did not have a white Christmas, it did snow powdered sugar on my bundt cake. And it was delicious. (Not a huge fan of whipped cream, I recommend eating it with a healthy dollop of Stonyfield organic French Vanilla yogurt).
Bon appetit everyone, and belated happy holidays!!
