Sorry about the link. I was trying to cheat since I was onthe laptop that didn't have the recipe saved. Golden eggnog loaf From the Sun Sentinel Golden eggnog loaf is similar to pound cake and is delicious served on its own or topped with ice cream. (Larry Crowe, AP / December 16, 2010) 2 1/4 cups cake flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 3/4 cup eggnog 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 1 cup sugar 2 large eggs Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with baking spray or cooking spray and flour. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Whisk until blended and set aside. In a measuring cup, stir together the eggnog and vanilla. Set aside. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in half the flour mixture followed by half of the eggnog mixture. Beat in the remaining flour, follow by the remaining eggnog. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the top is browned and a skewer inserted at the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the pan and let cool on a wire rack. Serves 12. Per serving: 268 calories, 45% calories from fat, 14 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 76 mg cholesterol, 34 g carbohydrates, 4 g protein, 101 mg sodium, 0 g fiber

Gee I don't why there's the A's there, they weren't there when I previewed, try one more time: Moist, dense, and rich, this nutmeg-scented teacake is topped w/a glaze of sticky toffee mixed w/toasted pecans. A hint of rum adds an elegant touch to this cake, which can be made ahead, frozen, then thawed when you need it. Eggnog-Toffee Teacake 1 ½ c. unsalted butter, soften 2 c. sugar ½ teas. Freshly grated nutmeg 1/8 teas. Eggnog flavor, optional (I didnÂt use) 1 Tbls. Rum, optional 1 teas. Salt 5 large eggs 3 ¾ cups AP flour 2 teas. Baking powder 1 ½ cups eggnog or half and half Topping: 1/3 cup unsalted butter 1/3 cup brown sugar 1/3 cup light corn syrup Pinch of salt 1 tbls. Rum ½ cup toasted chopped nuts (pecans, almonds, or walnuts) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 12 cup tube or Bundt pan, two 8 ½"x4 ½" loaf pans; or 6 small loaf pans (3 ½" x 7") To make cake: beat the butter, sugar, nutmeg, rum, & salt until thoroughly combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Whisk the flour & baking powder together, and add to the batter alternately with the eggnog or half and half, beating well after each addition. Pour the batter in the pan(s). Bake 30 to 35 minutes (for the small loaf pans), or 60 to 65 minutes for the large loaves or tube pan, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn it out onto a rack set atop parchment, to catch any drips. To make the topping: Melt the butter, then add the brown sugar, corn syrup, & salt, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to a boil & continue to boil for 3 minutes, until it reaches 240 degrees (soft ball stage) on a candy or instant read thermometer. Add the flavor & nuts, & pour the toffee over the cake. Cool completely before serving.

I used to participate in the work cookie exchange. I slaved over making my family spritz recipe. Only to find that I didn’t like anyone else’s cookies but my own. Half the people brought chocolate chip cookies, which are NOT Christmas cookies in my mind. I no longer work there. Now spritz is just for family. Then I found out my son was bring the cookies to the hospital where the staff could help themselves. He said the cookies were inhaled in seconds, “They’ll eat anything!” he laughed. Sorry, if people eat my cookies just because they are hungry, that’s not my audience. I started giving him a lot less so he would have just enough for himself and his wife. Maybe I am selfish but so be it. I work too hard on them for that. My DIL agreed that she would no longer make cookies for the hospital. Unless they were a recipe that turned out not to suit her taste. She reported that even the cookies that did not turn out in her new oven were inhaled. My niece came to my house for lessons in how to make them. She reported that she couldn’t get the hang of it. Now, THAT is someone who I will gladly give spritz to: she knows what goes into it.

Well, lesson learned, don't bother buying blackberries out of season. They were pretty tasteless. If I ever get a hankering for blackberries out of season again I'm going with frozen. Also, that summer torte recipe from Marian Burros needs a more juicy fruit like plums, peaches, strawberries, even ripe pears or cherries. The blackberries were too spartan. Here's a photo. It just wasn't enough flavor contrast between the cake and the berries, they didn't ooze any juice into the cake.