Two years ago we published our first official Bon Appetit Wednesday post. Since then we’ve brought you 125 recipes with a past: 125 dishes with ancient stories to tell, and 125 ancient treats for your taste buds. And we’ve loved all that we’ve learned along the way. Isn’t uncovering the culinary secrets of ancient history deliciously amazing?
In honor of our two-year anniversary, we’re celebrating our most popular Bon Appetit Wednesday post, Bon Appetit Wednesday! Ancient Mesopotamian Palace Cakes From Ur. This recipe is not only ancient, it’s royal. So what are you waiting for? Follow the recipe below and get royally cookin’!
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Palace Cakes From Ur
*Recipe courtesy of “Cooking in Ancient Civilizations” by Cathy Kaufman.
Ingredients
3 cups of dates, finely chopped- 1/3 cup of raisins
- 2 teaspoons of ground fennel or aniseed
- 1/3 cup of cottage cheese
- 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter, melted and at room temperature
- 2 eggs, beaten together, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup of milk, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Combine the dates, raisins and spice and scatter in a 10-inch cake pan.
- Press the cottage cheese through a strainer to break up the curds. Combine the cheese with the melted butter, eggs and milk and slowly stir into the flour, moistening thoroughly. Pour the batter over the dried fruits and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean.
*Note: The dried fruit will stick to the bottom of the pan. Line the pan with parchment paper or grape leaves for a more authentically ancient feel.
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