Baking's always in season

Spoiler warning: The recipes you are about to read have a high probability of sabotaging your freshly baked New Year's resolutions.

Yes, we're supposed to be running nothing but low-fat, high fiber dishes in January to counteract the holiday excesses. But for Jean Tito, baking is a year-round, never-say-no hobby. Count me among the first to leave my good intentions behind.

"I'm the baker in the family," says Jean, mother of four, grandmother of five. "I bake several times a week and I share everything. My neighbors are very happy about it."

So are her friends and family. Jean, who lives in Batavia, bakes for her Bible study group at Christ Community Church in St. Charles and for the Naperville Italian-American Club.

"We have a monthly Cucina Italia when one of the members will give a cooking class. They've been pressuring me to do it."

When she and her friends gather for their bimonthly luncheon Jean brings the cookies or cake. When she visits her daughter, who lives nearby, she inevitably packs along some sweets.

"I always have flour, sugar, butter and eggs on hand. I'm always ready.

"I'm not that creative in other areas, but I get a sense of satisfaction when something comes out good and people enjoy it."

Jean is always eager to learn something new. She consults her 100 cookbooks, and the Food Network is the soundtrack of her life.

"Even when I'm doing housework, I have one ear glued to it. If I hear something interesting, I'm there soaking it in."

Pound cakes are a favorite. Jean has 15 to 20 recipes for this dense, moist treat. Her favorite is sour cream and lemon, but once in a while she likes to surprise people with a Five Flavor Pound Cake. A handful of extracts goes into the batter and the glaze, among them coconut, rum and butter.

Cheesecakes are another specialty of Jean's house, especially the Italian-style version she calls Little Jack's Cheesecake. It is based on one served at the former restaurant or the same name, a 57-year institution on the West Side of Chicago, which was as famous for its cheesecake as it was for the Democratic politicians and judges who ate there.

She sprinkles plumped raisins over a graham cracker crust and then covers them with a ricotta, cream cheese and sour cream filling.

It was a favorite of Jean's late husband, Philip, who grew up in an Italian neighborhood near Little Jack's.

"I make it for company; it's not real sweet."

But it is rich. Aside from all the cheese you'll break half a dozen eggs and use a cup of half-and-half for it. So if you don't want to crush your resolutions quite that decisively consider making Jean's German Apple Cake instead.

It calls for only two eggs, salad oil instead of all the high-fat dairy ingredients, and of course, nutritious, high-fiber apples.

That counts as a serving of fruit, eh?

Five Flavor Pound Cake

1 cup unsalted butter

½ cup solid vegetable shortening

3 cups sugar

5 large eggs

3 cups sifted flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon coconut extract

1 teaspoon rum extract

1 teaspoon butter extract

1 teaspoon lemon extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze

½ cup sugar

¼ cup water

½ teaspoon coconut extract

½ teaspoon rum extract

½ teaspoon butter extract

½ teaspoon lemon extract

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Powdered sugar

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.

With an electric mixer, cream butter, shortening and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.

In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder and add to butter mixture alternately with milk. Stir in extracts and mix well. Spoon into prepared pan and bake 1½ hours or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cake will be browned and a little cracked on top.

In the meantime, prepare glaze. In a small saucepan combine sugar, water and extracts. Bring to a boil and cook until sugar dissolves. Pour over hot cake in pan. Cool completely in pan on a rack.

To serve, dust with powdered sugar if desired.

Serves 12.

Nutrition values per serving: 500 calories, 25 g fat (14 g saturated), 67 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 7 g protein, 130 mg cholesterol, 60 mg sodium.

German Apple Cake

2 large eggs

1 cup salad oil

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups flour

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

4 cups tart apples such as Granny Smith, peeled and diced small

Powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, beat eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla until creamy.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda and baking powder. Stir flour mixture into creamed mixture by hand. Batter will be very thick. Fold in apples.

Spread into prepared pan and bake 45 minutes. Top should be browned. Cool on wire rack. Cut into squares and dust with powdered sugar. Add a scoop of ice cream if desired. Cover leftover cake with foil; do not crimp around edges.

Serves 12.

Cook's note: This is best eaten the same day or the day after.

Nutrition values per serving: 350 calories, 20 g fat (2.5 g saturated), 47 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 3 g protein, 35 mg cholesterol, 310 mg sodium.

Little Jack's Cheesecake

¾ cup raisins

2 cups water

16 double graham crackers, crushed, plus additional crumbs for garnish

3-4 tablespoons melted butter

1 tablespoon sugar

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Filling

8 ounces ricotta cheese, at room temperature

1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

6 large eggs

1 cup half and half

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan.

Combine raisins with water and microwave for 1 to 2 minutes to plump. Drain and pat dry.

For the crust: In a medium bowl, combine graham crackers crumbs, butter, sugar and cinnamon. Press into bottom of the prepared pan. Sprinkle with raisins.

For the filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer or with an electric mixer, beat ricotta and cream cheese on low speed until well combined. Add sugar gradually, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Very slowly beat in half and half, sour cream and vanilla and mix thoroughly.

Pour filling over crust. Bake 1¼ to 1½ hours. Check after 1 hour. The top will turn golden brown and filling will be set. Cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Remove from pan. If desired, press extra graham cracker crumbs on sides and top of cake. Chill before serving.

Serves 12.

Nutrition values per serving: 440 calories, 28 g fat (16 g saturated), 39 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 11 g protein, 185 mg cholesterol, 300 mg sodium.