Five faves that brought raves in 2023

The year just gone by had more than its share of tragedy and sadness, much of it promising to continue into the year just started. And yet, despite the afflictions of 2023, in many ways it was not unlike other years. People got married. Children were born. Seniors graduated from school. Movies were produced. Music was performed. Art was crafted. Books were written. And recipes were created.

Thus, around this time of transition, we are bombarded with compilations of last year's top movies, songs, news stories, books, and even Tik Tok videos. Not wanting to be left out, I offer my contribution to the custom: a collection of some of my favorite dishes and recipes from last year.

I'd like to think that a few of the recipes that appeared in this space last year have become your favorites, such as, perhaps, the Schaum Torte. I hadn't made one in years, but when I saw a discussion of it in Ann Bryn's food blog, "Between the Layers," I pulled out an old edition of "Joy of Cooking," the last in which the recipe appears, and made it again. I'd forgotten what a decadent dessert it is. (semissourian.com/story/3003296.html)

Or maybe you've become hooked, as I have, on my pumpkin bread with dried cherries and pecans. Not the typically heavy, cake-like quick bread that results from most such recipes, this one has a finer texture, partly as a consequence of malted milk powder. It also uses five spice powder instead of more conventional flavorings. We ate a ton of it over the holidays but make it year-round. (semissourian.com/story/3016854.html)

But in this column I want to identify some favorite recipes from last year that never made it into the newspaper yet were still among the best.

__Molasses and Ginger Spice Cake:__ The best gingerbread I ever had was many years ago at a little cafe on the Big Island of Hawaii. I've tried to duplicate it many times since and have come close using a technique wherein you combine fresh ginger with sugar and let it sit until it turns into a syrup. But recently I ran across an even simpler recipe that comes just as close on Jennifer Latham's blog. It's made entirely in a blender. (jenniferlathambread.com/post/molasses-ginger-spice-cake).

Classic malva puddingSubmitted by Tom Harte

__Classic Malva Pudding:__ I ran across this recipe for what some call South Africa's King of Puddings in an issue of Woman's Day magazine. It's from Dale Gray's book on African Cuisine, "South of Somewhere." Sort of a cross between tres leche cake and sticky toffee pudding, it's easy to make with ingredients likely to be in your pantry. (books.google.com/books?id=OxSsEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA242&lpg=PA242&dq=dale+gray+malva+pudding&source=bl&ots=nNLnTOK7n5&sig=ACfU3U2i-DSLMbLTB70l2hGGLChI8f4EWQ&hl =en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjBvoukrYiDAxWGk4kEHb2LBpw4FBDoAXoECAMQAw#v=onepage&q=dale%20gray%20malva%20pudding&f=false)

Baked orzo with eggplant and mozzarellaSubmitted by Tom Harte

__Baked Orzo with Eggplant and Mozzarella:__ This is a great dish from the Smitten Kitchen website, adapted from a recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi in the Guardian. It's as good as eggplant parmesan but as easy to make as macaroni and cheese and if you don't think you like eggplant, it might change your mind. (smittenkitchen.com/2012/09/baked-orzo-with-eggplant-and-mozzarella/)

Everything cookiesSubmitted by Tom Harte

__Everything Cookies:__ These cookies from Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman, are aptly named as they contain granola, oats, apricots, dried cherries, pecans, and golden raisins. They are irresistible and very large as the recipe makes a ton of dough. Unless you have a very big and powerful mixer, you'd be wise to whip up only half a batch at a time. (foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/everything-cookies-recipe-1981056)

Cranberry orange layer cake with rosemarySubmitted by Tom Harte

__Cranberry Orange Layer Cake with Rosemary:__ When I first spotted the recipe for this cake on page 76 of the December issue of Taste of Home magazine, I was immediately intrigued. I've made some cookie recipes that call for rosemary, but it's not usually an ingredient I think of adding to other desserts, so I had to give it a try. It provided a nice complement to the flavors of the cake and its sprigs made an attractive garnish. (tasteofhome.com/recipes/)