OUR TOWN COOKS!

Do you BOGO? I find it hard to resist the temptation of those "Buy one, get one free" offers at the grocery store. From paper towels to frozen pizzas, if it's advertised BOGO, it usually finds it way into my cart. A couple weeks ago, sour cream was on my grocery list. When I arrived at the dairy aisle, there it was, that little BOGO sign posted above the sour cream. I only needed one carton to make my vegetable dip, but two went in my cart - it's a good deal, right?
For days after the dip was made, I'd open the refrigerator and there it was, that lonely carton of sour cream. Grabbing a couple cookbooks, I was determined that my BOGO deal wasn't going to end up on the dinner table as a baked potato topping. I found what I was looking for in A Taste of Ohio History: A Guide to Historical Eateries and Their Recipes by Debbie Nunley and Karen Jane Elliot; John F. Blair, Publisher, 2001. The authors traveled across the state documenting their visits to the restaurants; including several recipes from each establishment. The only Stark County restaurant mentioned is Canton's own Benders Tavern; with recipes for Yellow Pickerel Camp Kagel-Style and Benders Turtle Soup.
Sour Cream Pound Cake is featured on the menu at The Candlelight on Center Street, located in Bryan, a small town in the far northwest corner of Ohio. The simple list of ingredients made the cake all the more attractive – I had all of the ingredients, thus no trip to the store which would more than likely involve another BOGO purchase.
It's the kind of cake that looks and tastes homemade. My family was creative: topping it with blueberries and whipped cream, or slicing it into small pieces and scooping ice cream on top, or just grabbing a slice and washing it down with a glass of milk. Plain and simply, this cake was easy to make, versatile and delicious – a worthy end to the extra carton of sour cream.

SOUR CREAM POUND CAKE
from
The Candlelight on Center Street
(Bryan, OH)

1 cup margarine
3 cups powdered sugar
6 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. baking soda
8-ounce carton sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract
fresh berries

Beat butter at medium speed about two minutes until soft and creamy. Gradually add sugar. Add eggs two at a time, beating until the yellow disappears. Combine flour and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture, alternating with sour cream. Mix at low speed after each addition. Stir in flavorings. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes until lightly browned on top and until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for about 15 minutes, then remove from pan. Finish cooling on wire rack. Serve with fresh berries. Serves 16.