Angelica Cheesecake

Ingredients
1½ cups sifted flour ½ cup butter ¼ cup sifted confectioners sugar 1 egg yolk 1 tbsp chopped young angelica leaves (or sweet cicely leaves) 3 eggs ½ lb milk cheese or cream cheese 6 tbsp sugar 1/3 cup seedless white raisins 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp grated lemon rind

Make a rich pastry with the flour, butter, confectioners sugar and egg yolk by rubbing the butter into the flour and sugar and binding with the yolk of the egg, a squeeze of the lemon juice and cold water. Chill for 30 minutes, then roll it out and line a 12-inch tart pan. Beat together remaining ingredients and pile them into the pastry. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or till set. Serve cold.

Anise Hyssop Tea Bread

Ingredients
2 cups flour 1 tbsp baking powder ½ tsp salt ½ cup butter, room temp ½ cup sugar grated rind of one lemon 1/3 to ½ cup anise hyssop flowers, finely chopped 2 eggs beaten ½ cup lemon juice ½ cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a standard loaf or bread pan. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, cream butter with sugar till fluffy, then add lemon rind, flowers and beaten eggs and beat mixture just till thoroughly combined. Stir in lemon juice. Gradually mix in the dry ingrediets and nuts, mixing till blended. Spoon into prepared pan and bake for 50 to 55 minutes. Cool on rack. Best when wrapped in foil and sliced the next day. Keeps well.

Cinnamon Basil Cupcakes

Ingredients
¼ cup fresh cinnamon basil 1/3 cup oil ½ cup sugar 1 egg 1 cup flour 1 tsp baking powder ¼ cup sour cream or milk ¼ cup milk ½ cup chopped walnuts

Puree cinnamon basil with oil in a blender. Combine with sugar and egg. Sift together flour and baking powder and add to oil mixture with remaining ingredients. Bake at 400°F for 12 minutes.

Lavender Cheesecake

Crust
1½ cups total graham cracker and/or gingersnap crumbs ½ cup melted butter ¼ cup sugar ½ cup chopped walnuts
Filling
24 oz softened cream cheese 1½ cups sugar 6 eggs 2 cups sour cream 2 tbsp cornstarch 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp crushed dried lavender buds ¼ tsp vanilla extract
Topping
8 oz sour cream 1½ tbsp sugar 1 tsp whole dried lavender flowers ¼ tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine the crust ingredients and press firmly into the bottom and up 2-inches of the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Chill.

With mixer on high speed, beat the cream cheese and sugar till smooth. With mixer on low, add the eggs, sour cream, cornstarch, lemon juice, lavender, and vanilla. Blend all ingredinets on medium speed for 3 minutes. Pour the mixture into the chilled crust and bake for 1 hour. Turn off the oven and leave cake in for 30 minutes longer. Remove and let cool in pan. Chill.

Mix sour cream with the remaining 3 ingredients and spread over the top of the cheeescake. Cover and refrigerate. To serve, remove the rim of the pan, loosen the cheesecake from the bottom and slide onto a plate.

Lemon Balm Cheesecake

Ingredients
6 egg whites, beaten stiff ¼ lb plus 2 tbsp butter ½ cup plus 2 tbsp sugar 6 egg yolks 12 oz soft cream cheese 1 cup ground almonds 2 tsp chopped dried lemon balm or 4 tsp fresh 2 tsp each grated lemon and orange rind or 4 tsp either one 2 tsp finely ground marigold or calendula petals

Beat egg whites till stiff. Cream butter, sugar, yolks and cheese together. Add herbs, rinds and almonds. Fold in beaten egg whites and place in a greased angel-food tube pan. Bake at 325°F for 55 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, then invert onto a plate.

Rose Geranium Cake

©1999 by Ernestina Parziale, CH