Vacuum Cookies, Radio Bread

DEAR SOS: I love banana cream pies. Has anyone ever made a banana cream cake?

--DOTTY

DEAR DOTTY: Actually, this comes very close. City Restaurant owners Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger asked pastry chef Robin Gleason to create the ideal nostalgic banana cake, and together they came up with a composite of cream pie and banana bread. “We wanted a banana cake using the freshest and best ingredients that could be baked every day,” Milliken says. “Robin came up with a cake with basic American ingredients that remind you of when you were a kid.”

CITY BANANA CAKE WITH COCONUT CUSTARD

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter

3 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 1/3 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)

2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

3 bananas, sliced

1/4 cup lemon juice

Coconut Custard

1 cup unsweetened wide-cut coconut flakes, toasted

Beat together 1 1/2 cups sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at time, and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Add buttermilk and mashed bananas and mix well.

In separate bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Add to egg batter and mix at low speed until dry ingredients are moistened. Beat 1 minute at medium speed. Fold in pecans. Pour batter evenly into 2 buttered and wax-paper-lined 9-inch cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees 25 to 35 minutes, or until wood pick inserted in center comes out clean. Place cakes on rack to cool.

Place banana slices, lemon juice and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in large bowl. Toss gently to coat banana slices. To assemble cake, trim top of 1 cake layer for level surface. Spread with thin layer of Coconut Custard on cut side. Cover custard layer completely with bananas so that no cake or custard shows. Spread with another layer of Coconut Custard. Place second cake layer on top of banana filling. Spread top of cake generously with Coconut Custard. Sprinkle generously with coconut flakes. Makes 12 servings.

Each serving contains about:

655 calories; 380 mg sodium; 274 mg cholesterol; 32 grams fat; 86 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams protein; 1.24 grams fiber; 45% calories from fat.

Coconut Custard

1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk

2 cups whole milk

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup cornstarch

8 egg yolks

Combine coconut milk and whole milk thoroughly. In bowl, mix 1/2 cup sugar with cornstarch until free from lumps. Stir in egg yolks, 1 cup coconut milk mixture and remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Set aside.

In heavy saucepan, bring remaining milk mixture to boil. Add to egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return to saucepan and continue stirring.

Cook over medium heat until bubbles start to form on surface of custard. Remove from heat and transfer to shallow bowl. Cover top of custard with parchment paper to prevent skin from forming. Cool in refrigerator. Makes filling and topping for 2 (9-inch) cakes.

Note: Coconut milk is available in Asian markets.

DEAR SOS: We are looking for a recipe for Radio Beer Bread. Can you help?

--DEBBIE

DEAR DEBBIE: You are in luck, we located the recipe.

RADIO BEER BREAD

3 cups self-rising flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 (12-ounce) can beer

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

Mix flour and sugar with wooden spoon. Add beer, 1/3 at time. Turn batter into 3 (6x3-inch) loaf pans and drizzle butter over tops. Bake at 350 degrees 50 minutes. Makes 3 loaves. Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

397 calories; 953 mg sodium; 41 mg cholesterol; 16 grams fat; 53 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 0.14 grams fiber; 36% calories from fat.

DEAR SOS: Many years ago, you printed a recipe for something called Vacuum Cleaner Cookies. I loved it and lost it.

--DORIS

DEAR DORIS: Actually, it was only 1986--not all that long ago. This recipe came from reader Connie Hankins, who says that they are also called by the slightly more suitable name Neiman-Marcus Squares.

VACUUM CLEANER COOKIES (Neiman-Marcus Squares)

1/2 cup margarine, melted

1 (18.25-ounce) box yellow cake mix

3 eggs

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 (1-pound) box powdered sugar

1/2 cup flaked coconut

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Combine margarine, cake mix and 1 egg. Stir together until dry ingredients are moistened. Pat mixture into bottom of well-greased 15x10-inch jellyroll pan.

Beat remaining 2 eggs lightly, then beat in cream cheese and powdered sugar. Stir in coconut and nuts. Pour over mixture in jellyroll pan, spreading evenly. Bake at 325 degrees 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown. Cool pan on wire rack for room temperature. Makes 4 dozen bars.

Note: Use plain cake mix, not with pudding added. Do not use whipped margarine. Do not use butter.

Each cookie contains about:

144 calories; 117 mg sodium; 35 mg cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 19 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.08 grams fiber; 42% calories from fat.