Vanilla Extract

Rose Dodds from Bel Air was searching for a recipe for a cake similar to one that she enjoyed at a party. She said the texture was similar to poundcake and the almond flavor reminded her of Italian amaretti cookies. Patricia Waxman from Chapel Hill, N.C., sent in a recipe she had seen in Southern Living magazine for an amaretto-almond poundcake that she thought might be similar to the one Dodds was looking for. She thinks it is the best poundcake she has ever made: "It's moist and delicious, and it's almost impossible to stop at just one slice.

We received many responses to Sandy Anderson's plea for a rich pound cake.Larry G. Sallor of Baltimore writes that Sandy would be "hard pressed to find a better recipe than than the whipping cream pound cake."Please note that this cake starts in a cold oven. Also note that the recipe calls for cake flour. Cake flour and regular, all-purpose flour, are not interchangable.Whipping Cream Pound Cake3 cups sugar1/2 pound butter, softened7 eggs, at room temperature3 cups cake flour, sifted twice1 cup whipping cream2 teaspoons vanilla extractButter and flour a ten-inch tube or Bundt pan. Thoroughly cream sugar and butter.

I can't imagine how a cupcake could be the least bit healthy. Especially if it actually tastes good. But television talk show host Dr. Oz seems to think so. He likes this recipe for vanilla cupcakes with a raspberry filling and rich chocoloate topping. He borrowed it from Vincent Buzzetta, The Cake Artist INC. The cupcakes are made with coconut palm sugar, a sweetener that doesn't cause the same blood sugar spikes as regular sugar, Dr. Oz says on his website.  Coconut palm is the same amount of calories, but  itprovides a slow energy release - which can curb your appetite and help you lose weight.

It's almost cool to be gluten-free. More national brands are offering gluten-free versions of their popular products, cookbooks for celiac disease sufferers are available at your local bookstore and now allergy-friendly bakeries -- such as Sweet Sin Bakery in Waverly -- are available at your doorstep. But it hasn't always been that way. Jules E.D. Shepard of Catonsville was diagnosed with celiac disease in 1999, what she calls "the dark ages of cooking gluten free." At the time of her diagnosis, Shepard was an avid baker, whipping up cupcakes for friends and classmates.

Tom Washburn won't say much about the blend of ingredients that go into making Moxley's ice cream. But this much he'll share: It takes one gallon of pure vanilla extract to flavor 100 gallons of ice cream. And one gallon of the boozy-smelling, amber-colored extract has never been costlier. Washburn, the owner of three Moxley's ice cream stores in the Baltimore area, was told by his vanilla supplier in June that the price would more than double to $275 a gallon. Three years ago, he was paying as little as $47 a gallon.

Sue Williams of Bel Air remembers the pink-colored Maraschino Cherry-Nut Cake that "my mother made for my birthdays in the 1940s and '50s. I have lost her old recipe and would so like to find a copy." A response from the Donald Walton Jr. family of Rockville arrived with a recipe and explanation of its importance to the family. "This cake is a tradition in our family. Every Christmas morning my Mom made it and we called it Baby Jesus Birthday Cake and we sang Happy Birthday and blew out the candles.

The Pastry Queen Christmas By Rebecca Rather with Alison Oresman Christmas Sweets Georgeanne Brennan Chronicle Books / 2007 / $18.95 Talk about visions of sugarplums. This book will have you rolling dough and sharpening your X-Acto knife to create a gingerbread cookie box. Apricot-Pistachio Bars are gift-giving pretty. And the creative packaging ideas for your edible gifts spread the good cheer. joannah.hill@baltsun.com Apricot-Pistachio Bars -- Makes about sixty-five 1 1/2 -inch squares 1 teaspoon butter plus 1 cup (2 sticks)

WHEN YOU THINK of pumpkin, you probably think of pumpkin pies. However, pumpkin can be used in everything from soups to breads to cheesecakes.Pumpkin can be boiled, sauteed or steamed; battered and deep-fried; grilled or baked. In addition, it can be pureed for soup, eaten raw, or used as filling.Canned pumpkin can be stored up to two years, if kept in a cool, dry place.Pumpkin CheesecakeGinger-walnut crust (recipe follows)3 8-ounce packages cream cheese softened1/2 cup sugarOne 16-ounce can pumpkin3 eggs1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/2 teaspoon ground ginger1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg1 teaspoon grated lemon rindWhipped creamWalnut halvesLemon rind twistsMake ginger-walnut crumb crust; set aside.

Next to cash, there's almost nothing kids in college welcome as much as a taste of home, especially home-baked cookies.Nutmeg and lemon zest accent the buttery sweetness of the cakelike cookies in the first recipe.Walnuts and raisins give the cookies in the second recipe a craggy appearance, but inside, these "rocks" are soft and tender.Raisin RocksMakes about 54 (2-inch) cookies1 cup each: all-purpose flour and whole-wheat flour3/4 teaspoon baking soda3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/4 teaspoon ground cloves2/3, cup butter, softened1 cup firmly packed brown sugar2 eggs1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract1 1/2 cups raisins1 cup chopped walnutsIn a bowl, stir together flours, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves to combine thoroughly; set aside.

Jean Pederson of Sioux Falls, S.D., remembers making a vinegar pie for her grandfather when she was in the eighth grade. She lost the recipe and says she would like to have it for old times' sake. Her response came from Avis Whorley of Baltimore. Vinegar Pie Serves 8 1 1/2 cups sugar 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted 3 large eggs 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell Blend sugar and melted butter in medium bowl. Whisk in eggs, vinegar and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes.