Mexican bean cake

Yield: 24 servings

Ingredients:

1/3 c Butter or margarine 1 ts Ground cinnamon
3/4 c Sugar 1/2 ts Ground cloves
1 Egg 1/2 ts Ground allspice
2 c Unseasoned pinto bean puree* 2 c Peeled and diced apple
2 ts Vanilla extract 1 c Raisins
1 c Flour 1/2 c Chopped nuts
1 ts Baking soda 1 1/2 c Icing sugar (optional)
1/2 ts Salt Milk or fruit juice

Instructions:

Mexican meals don't usually include cake, but this one--made with bean

puree and lots of fruit and spices--would fit right in with Mexican food! Jean's Beans by Jean Hoare page 112. BEAN PUREE Start with 1 cup of dried beans or a bit more if using large white limas and you plan to take off the skins. Extra bean puree may be frozen-it looks like mashed potato. Quick Soak - Wash beans use 3 cups of cold water for each cup of beans and bring slowly to a boil. Boil gently for 2 minutes. Remove from heat cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain off soaking water. Cover with fresh cold water bring to a boil for 10 min reduce heat and simmer about 30 min until tender. Drain. Remove lima bean skins and discard any hard beans. Grind through a foodmill puree in a blender or food processor. You may have to add a bit of liquid saved from the cooking process to get the mixture moving. Force the puree through a sieve about 1/4 cup at a time if you want a very smooth puree. Puree only keeps a day or two in fridge so freeze any that you are not going to use for the recipe. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour the bottom only of a 9x13 inch rectangular pan. Cream butter with sugar. Add egg and beat well. Blend in bean puree and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine flour baking soda salt and spices. Mix with the apple raisins and nuts. Add dry ingredients and fruit to creamed mixture and blend well. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 35-45 min or until cake tests done when tried with a toothpick. Mix icing sugar with enough milk or fruit juice to make a thin glaze; drizzle over the still-warm cake. Keep in the refrigerator. (My notes - I would make this again but leave off the glaze as it is quite sweet.) Shared by Elizabeth Rodier