Today was the Teacher Welcome Brunch at my daughter's new school and I wanted to send something that wouldn't require any making up for later on. When I really want to knock a recipe out of the park I always turn to my favorite baking cookbook - Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours. Enthusiastically I selected the recipe for her Cardamom Crumb Cake.
Then, I realized that I didn't have cardamom and that I shouldn't send nuts into a school without knowing if they are nut-free. Unperturbed, I sifted through my spices and discovered that my TJ's pumpkin pie spice blend contained cardamom (and smelled awesome!) I also omitted the nuts from the topping. Otherwise, I followed the recipe as listed here.
This cake filled the house with an amazing fall scent as it was baking and looks beautiful. I also received very high praise from one of the teachers who said everyone really enjoyed it and wanted to know who made it. I'd call that a successful first impression!
