Early American Graham Cracker Cake The United States

INGREDIENTS

1 3/4 c Graham cracker crumbs;

-about 40 crackers. 1/3 c Unsifted flour;

2 ts Baking powder;

1 c Sugar;

1/3 c Almonds; shelled

1/3 c Walnuts; shelled

1/2 c Soft butter;

2 Eggs;

1 c Milk;

1 ts Vanilla;

1 ts Or 2 teaspoons butter;

1 tb Flour;

-EQUIPMENT

- Measuring cups Medium mixing bowl Measuring spoons Mixing spoon Chopper or paring knife 8-in.-square cake pan

How to Make: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cruch the graham crackers with hands until you have 1 3/4 cups coarse crumbs about the size of bread crumbs. Put the cracker crumbs into the mixing bowl with the flour, baking, and sugar. Stir with the spoon until they are combined. Chop the almonds and walnuts into small pieces. Add the soft butter, eggs, milk, vanilla and chopped nuts to the dry ingredients. Stir the mixture well. Then beat the batter until it is well blended. Grease the cake pan with the butter. Sprinkle with the tablespoon of flour and shake the pan until bottom is evenly coated. Shake out an extra flour. Bake the cake for 45 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness. Remove the from the oven let it cool slightly. Cut it into squares and serve warm. Topping: You might want to sprinkle powdered sugar or spread whipped cream on top. STORY: Thanks to Dr. Sylvester Graham, you can bake this crunchy cake from crackers named after him. Graham, who lived in the early 1800's insisted that whole wheat flour was far more healthy then white flour. In those days, it was. Whole wheat flour was made by grinding the whole grain of wheat. For white flour, only the soft inside of the grain was used. The outer layers, rich with vitamins and minerals, were left out. Today, white flour is "enriched" with the need vitamins and minerals. But whole wheat is still naturally healthy. So are the graham crackers, made from this flour. Use them for this one-bowl cake. It's all American. Source: Many Hands Cooking, An International Cookbook for Girls and Boys, for UNICEF(1974) by Terry Touff Cooper and Marilyn Ratner. Brought to you and yours via Nancy O'brion and her Meal Master