Portuguese Almond & Potato Cake

1 lg Baking potato, about 10

-ounces 1 c Almonds, with skins

2 ts Baking powder

3 lg Eggs, separated

3/4 c Sugar

1/4 c Unsalted butter, softened

1 tb Brandy

1/2 ts Almond extract

Powdered sugar Marzipan "potatoes," -optional (see recipe) Bake or microwave potato until soft. Force pulp through a coarse sieve or potato ricer. There should be 1 cup lightly packed. Set aside to cool. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter sides of an 8 1/2-inch spring form pan, line base with a circle of baking parchment; butter the parchment. Using a nut mill, grind almonds to powder, stir in baking powder; set aside. Beat egg whites until they start to stiffen, sprinkle with half of the sugar, a little at a time, and continue beating until stiff and glossy. Beat butter with remaining sugar, then beat in egg yolks, brandy, and almond extract. Using a large rubber spatula, fold in potato, ground almonds and egg whites. Spoon into prepared pan; bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a tester comes out dry. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife blade around edge before releasing sides of pan. Place cake, on the base, on a rack and let cool completely. will sink slightly in the middle. Reverse cake onto a plate, peel off paper and place right side up on a serving plate. Dust with powdered sugar before serving. MARZIPAN "POTATOES": You'll need 4 ounces marzipan or almond paste and powdered unsweetened cocoa. Pinch off pieces of marzipan and roll into elongated balls, each about the size of a large marble. Make these slightly irregular, like tiny new potatoes. Roll in cocoa to simulate brown potato skin. Cut several in half to show the white interior. Arrange a little group on top of the cake, and place the rest in twos and threes around the edge of the plate. Serves 10. PER SERVING: 235 calories, 5 g protein, 23 g carbohydrate, 14 g fat (5 g saturated), 76 mg cholesterol, 131 mg sodium, 2 g fiber. From an article by Jacqueline Mallorca, San Francisco Chronicle, 2/24/93. Posted by Stephen Ceideberg; March 2 1993.