Despite my half-breed Scandinavian heritage, I had never heard of Scandinavian Almond Cake until recently.  My favorite neighbor, and full-blooded Norwegian Paul Knutson, told me about it. His family made us corn bread in this odd-shaped pan, and said it was their pan for Norwegian Almond Bread. I had never heard of such a thing. I did a little research online and then asked to borrow the pan so I could add this to my culinary repertoire. (you can purchase a pan on Amazon – they’re not too expensive)

Let me confess that my first attempt was not a total success.  While it tasted great, the thing stuck to the pan and came out in clumps.  It was a huge blow to my self-esteem as a cook.  Sure, we still ate it, and everyone agreed it was delicious – but it wasn’t what I imagined when I set out to perfect this recipe.  The second attempt didn’t go much better.  Then, it became a battle.  Me vs. the Cake Pan.  I re-read instructions, tweaked the recipe, and tried to figure out what I was doing wrong.   Turns out the FOURTH time was the charm.  If you’ve struggled with this recipe yourself, read my tips below.  After “extensive” research, I think I have this sucker finally figured out.

The best part: its ingredients are found in your pantry. It’s SUPER frugal, but tastes rich. Top with powdered sugar, fruit preserves, a glaze, or whipped cream.

I struggled with getting the cake out of the pan the first few times I made it.  The secrets to getting it out of the pan are:

• Use margarine instead of butter
• Spray the pan liberally with Baker’s Joy, or PAM then sprinkle with Wondra flour
• Sprinkle the bottom of the pan with almonds before pouring in the batter
• Don’t underbake.  The cake will turn golden brown before it’s done.  Use the toothpick test if necessary.
• Cool cake completely in the pan before inverting

The post Scandinavian Almond Cake Recipe appeared first on Frugal Bites.

I am a big fan of recipes that don’t take long; and if the outcome tastes like restaurant fare, even better!  I picked up a bottle of this Archer Farms Raspberry Chipotle grilling sauce at Target yesterday (just $2.99!) and used it to create a salad dressing in under five minutes.   I tossed it with a greens/spinach mix, goat cheese and sliced almonds.  It was delicious!

Frugal Tips:

• Look for goat cheese at ALDI.  Last month, I spotted President Brie logs on sale there for just $.99!  Sam’s Club and Costco are also great sources for inexpensive cheese.  Soft cheeses are more perishable than hard cheeses, but they can be frozen.
• Sliced almonds run about $2.49 (ALDI) to $2.99 (Target) a bag.  A little goes a long way!  I used less than 1/4 bag on these salads.  Don’t forget to put the partially used bag in the freezer so the nuts stay fresh for the next time you use them.
• The rest of your Raspberry Chipotle Sauce will taste good on grilled chicken, but it’s also great as an appetizer.  Pour about 1/3 C. over a block of softened cream cheese for a frugal appetizer.  Serve with crackers or cocktail bread.

The post Easy Raspberry Chipotle Salad Dressing appeared first on Frugal Bites.