I’ve been asked a number of times over the years about scaling down recipes to serve one person. I’ve recently uncovered notes on recipes I used when I was single and lived alone, and I’ll post them here from time to time.

I’ve spent my weekend reflecting on the very busy (and long) week that just ended. All of that introspection has left me craving comfort foods. Part of that crazy week involved pulling something in my neck doing yard work, so my normal comfort foods that involve actual cooking are out of the question. Fortunately, I have a recipe that requires very little work, and the only cooking required involves a microwave, which is about my speed right now.

This cake is certainly unconventional, and it doesn’t look entirely edible at first, but it is definitely delicious. The cake itself is not very sweet - you can adjust the overall sweetness to taste by altering the amount of brown sugar.

Microwave Comfort Cake

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup flour
• 3 tablespoons granulated white sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, divided
• pinch salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 heaping teaspoon powdered milk
• 2 tablespoons brewed coffee, cooled
• 5 tablespoons granulated brown sugar
• 1/4 cup hot tap water

In a microwave-safe bowl, stir together flour, white sugar, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, butter, vanilla, powdered milk, and coffee. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over top and follow with remaining cocoa. Gently pour hot water over top. Microwave, uncovered, for 4 minutes on high. Let stand for 1 minute before removing from microwave.

The cake will have puffed up around the sauce that forms from the brown sugar, cocoa, and water glaze. Serve warm - but be careful not to burn your mouth!

Serves 1.

I enjoy collecting old cookbooks, and pick them up at yard sales and flea markets whenever I can. Each Saturday, I post excerpts from my collection. Today’s post comes from the Sergeantsville Methodist Episcopal Church 1922 Cook Book.

I’m not sure what’s “puffed” about this - it sounds like standard fried chicken to me!

Puffed Chicken

Cut chicken in pieces and cook the same as for when stewing.  When tender take the chicken from the kettle and place on a plate, using the liquor for a cream sauce or gravy.  Have ready another pot with hot lard.  Make a thin batter, using 1 egg, 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of flour, 1 level teaspoonful of Royal Baking powder.  Dip each piece of chicken separately in the batter, then in the hot fat, and brown as you would crullers.  Serve on a meat platter, and the sauce or gravy in a bowl.  Sauce — mix 2 tablspoons of butter, 1 of flour and 2 of milk.  Add to the liquor and cook until thick, or make just the plain gravy as when you serve a fricasseed chicken.