Liebkuchen (Honey Cakes)

1 cup margarine
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup honey
1 cup sour milk* (see below)
2 Tablespoons vinegar
6 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon mace
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

Prepare sour milk and mix dry ingredients.
Set both aside.
Cream margarine and sugar, add egg, beat until light.
Add honey, sour milk and vinegar.
Mix thoroughly.
Chill one hour.
Roll out to 1/4" thickness.
Cut into 2"x3" rectangles and place on buttered cookie sheets.
Bake at 375° for 6 minutes.
Frost with plain vanilla frosting.
* For sour milk, add 1 T. vinegar to 1 c. milk and let stand for 10 minutes.

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Crescent Cakes

Ingredients:

1¼ cups flour
¾ cup sugar
1 cup finely ground almonds
3 drops almond extract ½ cup butter or margarine, softened
1 tablespoon honey
1 egg yolk

In a large mixing bowl, combine the first four ingredients.
Add the butter, honey, egg yolk and mix together well.
Cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap, and then chill for 1½ to 2 hours in the refrigerator.
When ready, pinch off pieces of the dough (about the size of plums) and shape them into crescents.
Place the crescents on a well-greased cookie sheet and bake in a 350- degree preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes.
The recipe yields about one dozen crescent cakes.

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Candlemas Crescent Cakes

Ingredients:

1¼ cups flour
¾ cup sugar
1 cup finely ground almonds
3 drops almond extract ½ cup butter or margarine, softened
1 tablespoon honey
1 egg yolk

In a large mixing bowl, combine the first four ingredients.
Add the butter, honey, egg yolk and mix together well.
Cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap, and then chill for 1½ to 2 hours in the refrigerator.
When ready, pinch off pieces of the dough (about the size of plums) and shape them into crescents.
Place the crescents on a well-greased cookie sheet and bake in a 350-degree preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes.
The recipe yields about one dozen crescent cakes.

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Imbolc Ritual Cake

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tbs. poppyseeds
1 tbs. grated lemon peel
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tbs. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt powdered sugar

This is all done in one pan, so clean up is a breeze!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix flour, sugar, poppyseeds, baking soda, and salt with a fork in an ungreased 9"x9"x2" baking pan.
Stir in the remaining ingredients, except the powdered sugar.
Bake 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, and the top is golden brown.
Remove from oven and cool.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Makes 8 servings.