Mad About Maida

Pepper Pound Cake Source:  Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1999 ed.), pg. 168. This Jamaican pound cake is a bit different from others that I have tried. The flavoring of allspice and black pepper give it a very unique taste. It is made with cream cheese and butter and has a fine texture. It is a breeze to make. I used a Bundt pan but a tube pan can be used. I served this with Grand Marnier soaked strawberries and a bit of cream. Very good! 3 oz. cream cheese (softened) 1/2 lb. butter (softened) 1/4 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. allspice 3/4 tsp. black pepper 1 TBS. vanilla extract 1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed 1 cup granulated sugar 7 eggs 3 cups sifted cake flour Preheat the oven to 350. Spray or butter and dust a 9 inch tube pan or Bundt pan. Cream the butter and the cream cheese with the salt, allspice, pepper and vanilla. Add both sugars. Mix well, beating for 2 minutes. Add the eggs...

Biscotti Cioccolato Source:  Maida Heatter's Best Dessert Book Ever (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 237 . It has been a long time since I've made biscotti. In Maida's book "The Brand New Book of Great Cookies", she devotes an entire chapter to biscotti. I've tried three of them ( Palm Beach Biscotti , Macadamia Shortbread Biscotti and Barbara's Milk Chocolate Biscotti) . All were delicious. In checking my dates, I see that the last one I made was in 2013! That seems inconceivable but there it is. I was recently corresponding with a fellow Maida fan and she highly recommended this recipe which is from another book ( Maida Heatter's Best Dessert Book Ever). This "Biscotti Cioccolato" was featured in a New York Times article. And my friend is right, it is fabulous with a rich, chocolate flavor and it smells divine when baking. I was afraid to try biscotti the first time I made it but it happens to be very easy. It is time-c...