With Christmas just days away, chances are you’re planning to reunite with loved ones you haven’t seen in a while. So it’s the perfect time to share Karen Russell’s Reunion Cake, a recipe she learned from her Aunt Emiline and shared with us for our Barrington Family Recipes Contest. Karen, by the way, is an artist who creates beautiful pottery right here in Barrington. She embellishes her plates and bowls with clay-formed flowers, berries and leaves. For these images, we plated her Reunion Cake on dishes handmade by Karen.
We’ve been collecting recipes for our contest since September and have been revealing them at 365Barrington, one by one, in recent weeks. Heinen’s grocery store in Barrington has given us seven generous gift cards to give away to seven winners in our contest which is still open for submissions.
(To view all of the Barrington Family Recipes we’ve shared to date, CLICK HERE.)
To enter the contest, all you have to do is CLICK HERE or enter your favorite recipe for our collection using the form below but this is the LAST CHANCE TO ENTER. We’ll be revealing our winners in the coming days and, judging by her delicious Reunion Cake recipe, Karen could be a front runner.
We asked Karen to tell us where she learned to make her Reunion Cake and what she loves about it and here’s what she had to say:
“My mother came from a family of ten children. Nine married and had children so our Auer Family Reunions were very well attended with every family bringing a dish or two to pass. The third oldest, Aunt Emiline, was an excellent baker and this was often her contribution which is how the cake became the Reunion Cake.”
“It should be made a day or two before serving so there are no last minute preparations. The cake is not frosted so is easily transported. Being such a rich moist cake, the pieces should be small serving more people than a traditional cake. The Reunion Cake stays moist and very good several days without refrigeration.”
Thank you for sharing, Karen. I can’t wait to try this recipe for our family’s Christmas this week…
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Karen Russell’s Reunion Cake
(Courtesy of her Aunt Emiline)
Ingredients:
1 cup chopped dates
1 1/2 cups of boiling water
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 and 2/3 cup flour
1/2 pkg chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup sugar
Directions:
Mix and set aside to cool, about 1 hour
Cream 1/2 cup of butter with
1 cup sugar
2 well beaten eggs
Add to cooled date mixture
Combine 1 2/3 cup of flour with
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
Mix all together and pour into long large greased cake pan
Over the top sprinkle–DO NOT STIR INTO THE CAKE
1/2 package of chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup sugar
Bake 40 minutes in 350 degree oven
This cake tastes best one day old or older.
Give Karen Russell’s Reunion Cake a try and let us know what you think! We’ll continue to reveal our recipes in the coming days and we will announce our winners this upcoming week.
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Here’s the Best Part….
The Heinen’s gift card prizes up for grabs include one $250 gift card, one $150 gift card, one $100 gift card and four $50 gift cards. Now that’ll come in handy as you’re shopping for this season’s holiday parties!
The more people who enter, the richer our collection will be and we’ll share all recipes here at 365Barrington.com for you to enjoy this season and beyond. Here’s where to enter:
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About the Photographer
When we started receiving our Barrington Family Recipes they sounded so delicious that I realized we had to have photographs for each dish and I immediately knew the perfect person to ask for help.
Take one look at Barrington photographer Sally Roeckell’s food and lifestyle blog at TableAndDish.com or visit her site’s Facebook page and you’ll see exactly what I mean.
From sliced vegetables to a scoop of ice cream to the most elaborate of dishes, Sally Roeckell’s gift for composing images elevates food to an art form with a stunning display highlighting simple ingredients, beautifully presented.
