Elizabeth Baston, Toronto, Ontario First prize Desserts

"My mother used to make this Dutch almond-filled spice cake for special occasions and always at Christmas time. When my grandmother, Oma, would visit us from Holland, she would expect it with her coffee. Once, when i went to Holland, for a visit, my aunt served me some, but it just didn't taste as good as the one at Oma's house. I was told my aunt's cake was store bought. My mother passed Oma's recipe on to me, and now i carry on the tradition."

Filling: Blend together ground almonds, sugar, 2 Tbsp egg and lemon rind. Set aside. Cake: In a bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, ground cloves, baking powder and nutmeg.; stir in brown sugar. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture ressembles coarse crumbs. Mix in milk just until ball forms, adding up to 1 Tbsp more if necessary. On a lightly floured surface, knead two or three times or just until dough holds together. Divide dough in half. Press half into bottom of 8 inch springform pan. With wt fingers, spread filling over dough to within 1/4 inch of sides. Between waxed paper, roll out remaining dough to 8 inch circle. Remove top sheet of paper; invert onto almond paste and peel away paper. Brush with remaining egg. Press whole almonds around edges. Bake in 350F oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until deep golden brown and almonds are toasted. Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove sides of pan, ;let cool completely. Transfer to serving platter.

Serves: 10

celebrate Canada's 125 the birthday posted by Anne MacLellan