This is a special day in O-Yum-G history...we have our first guest blogger! A friend and colleague of mine brought in these delicious honey cakes this week to the office. They were so good, I greedily asked for a second one! And then the recipe! And then I asked if he wanted to share the recipe with all of you on O-Yum-G! And so he did. While these were inspired for the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah, these honey cakes are delicious for any occasion, year-round. So please give a warm, welcome to Alma!

Dear Readers of O-Yum-G!

Right after her lips touched my honey cakes, it happened.

Libby asked me to guest blog.

This is my first time, I swear, but I am so tickled to be here!

My name is Alma Childrens. It's pronounced ALL-ma...Chill-rinz. The D is silent. In addition to being a man in a dress, I'm also an avid baker who doesn't take him or herself too seriously. As you can see by the shoes & hair, I've got a reputation for being a tad over-the-top but all in very good (and bad) taste.

This adventure begins where most dreams do: in the clearance section of Crate & Barrel. That's where I go to be alone...and save money on discarded home goods nobody wants.

Every girl has their secrets - that's (one of) mine. For just $9.97, I bought this:

A Waffle Dipper Pan!

Later that day when I was having my nails done, I found an article in one of my favorite periodicals: "The Jew & The Carrot."

Get your mind out of the gutter, ladies...it's not that kind of magazine!

In it, there was an article about traditional Jewish foods of Rosh Hashanah. Honey Cake, it said. Honey. Cake.

Being the good Christian Drag Queen I am, I prayed...I could find the library...to do some research on Honey Cake.

Sha-na-na-na-naa-na-nah! Sha- na-nah-nah-na!

As it turns out, Honey Cake is a symbolic Jewish super food & undisputed fixture on the Rosh Hashanah table.

Honey Cake originated in ancient civilization times, like, a bazillion years ago when togas were all the rage - not a good look, ladies. Not a good look. Anyway...

The method was usually very simple: flour and honey were mixed together and then mixture would "sit" for approximately a month until naturally-produced yeasts caused it to rise. This formula took hundreds of years to develop - why? I'm not sure, but bless their hearts.

In addition to its sweet taste, honey has a hidden power: a natural preservative able to keep pastry fresh for a long time. And in the days of no refrigeration (or mascara) this was, like, totally handy dandy.

Fast forward like a zillion years. And here we are.

Alma Children's recipe for "OH-YES-HONEYCAKES!"

Do not fret...it works for cupcakes, as well as waffle dippers. And it's a SNAP! to do. I'm also including a very easy recipe for a honey glaze that kicks these up a notch and adds a shiny sticky veneer to these!

I hope you enjoy the recipe, honey childs! Hope to talk to you again soon...I think Libby and I should do a video blog entry. Tell us what you think about that idea!

Love,

Alma Childrens

ALMA'S OH-YES-HONEYCAKES

By, who else? Alma Childrens!

(Adapted from a recipe on Baking Bites)

Here's what you'll need, Ladies:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Finely grated zest of one lemon
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup milk or non-dairy substitute

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350. Have a glass of wine. Then...

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter/margarine and brown sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and lemon zest and beat until smooth. Beat in the honey. With the mixer on a low speed, slowly stir in the flour mixture until combine. Add the milk and stir until incorporated.

Bake at 350 for 9-10 minutes if you're using the pan I used. 15-16 minutes for cupcakes, etc. WARNING: Do not over-bake, Honey! You'll just have to take my word for it.

Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Have another glass of wine...you look thirsty.

ALMA'S SHINY BROWN SUGAR GLAZE

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp water

Combine brown sugar, vanilla, and water. Whisk together until smooth. I do this in a saucepan over very low heat. I like the consistency of the glaze better when it's warm, but you can do this at room temperature. It takes 1-2 minutes to get just right, then I apply it with a pastry brush to the cakes which have cooled for at least 10 minutes.

Sometimes when I'm feeling sassy, I add a dusting of gold sprinkles or powdered sugar. Because too much is never enough, ladies. Never!