You asked for it

Stuffed flank steak with tasty options

Sheila Goodbrand has sent her stuffed flank recipe for Jo Clary. Spread a flank steak with stuffing and roll it up.

Tie it and cook slowly either on top of the stove or in the oven. A number of variations accompany the basic recipe: Add mushrooms, corn bread, prunes, apple, orange or sausage to the stuffing as options. Jo remembered the stuffing contained chopped ham, so add that if you like.

She also mentioned that the rolled steak was wrapped with bacon strips; that would be easy to do.

Bonnie Fagan asked for a recipe for lemon picnic cake. Yellow and white cake mixes are used in the following recipes, but if you prefer a more lemony flavor, substitute lemon cake mix.

Mary Sperry begins with a yellow cake mix and adds lemon gelatin, eggs, milk, vegetable oil and lemon juice. She mixes confectioners' sugar, soft butter and lemon juice for the topping and spreads it over the cake while it is still warm.

Joyce Von Horn adds instant lemon pudding mix, oil, eggs and lemon lime soda (not diet) to a package of white cake mix. She spreads a mixture of confectioners' sugar and lemon juice over the warm cake.

Innovative uses of packaged cake mixes make it easy to produce cakes that really are homemade -- after all, they are made in your home -- in just a little time.

Sheila Goodbrand shares a recipe for a tasty lemon surprise cake. She prepares a package of instant lemon pie filling mix as directed on the package and spreads it in a 9- by 13-inch pan. She then prepares a package of white cake mix, pours it over the lemon filling and bakes it. The result is a delicious dessert that is quick and easy to make.

For: Jo Clary of Tampa.

From: Sheila Goodbrand of Largo.

Recipe: Flank Steak Roll.

Flank Steak Roll

1 1/2 to 2 pounds flank steak, scored

Salt and pepper to taste

Bread stuffing (recipe follows)

Fat for browning, such as bacon grease or butter

1/2 cup water or tomato juice

Season flank steak with salt and pepper. Spread with bread stuffing and roll up; tie with string. Brown in hot fat, add water or tomato juice. Cover tightly and cook slowly over low heat or in a 350 degree oven for about 11/2 hours. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Bread Stuffing

1/4 cup butter or other fat

4 cups very dry bread cubes or crumbs

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper, sage or poultry seasoning to taste

1 teaspoon crumbled dried herbs (such as thyme, marjoram, rosemary) to suit taste

Hot water or stock

Cook onion in butter until soft and yellow. Stir in some crumbs and heat until light brown. Mix lightly into remaining crumbs and seasonings. For dry stuffing, add little or no liquid. For moist stuffing, add just enough liquid to moisten. Makes 41/2 cups stuffing. Shortcut: Use Stove Top dressing mix.

Variations: Add mushrooms or use cornbread stuffing for half of the bread.

Prune stuffing: Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup cut-up prunes and use prune juice as part of the liquid.

Apple stuffing: Add 1/2 cup chopped apples and 1/2 cup diced celery with the seasonings.

Orange stuffing: Add 1 cup diced orange and 2 teaspoons grated orange rind with the seasonings.

Sausage stuffing: Brown and crumble 1/3 pound pork sausage over medium heat. Add to bread stuffing using sausage fat for part of the fat and reducing herbs and poultry seasoning by half.

Sausage-apple stuffing: Add 1 cup chopped tart apple to sausage stuffing.

For: Bonnie Agan of St. Petersburg.

From: Mary Sperry of Brooksville.

Recipe: Lemon Picnic Cake I.

Lemon Picnic Cake I

1 package yellow cake mix

1 4-serving size package of lemon gelatin

4 eggs

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup vegetable oil

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Topping:

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

Juice of 1/2 lemon

In a large mixing bowl, beat all cake ingredients together for 3 minutes. Pour into a greased and floured 9- by 13-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven. While cake is still warm, spread topping over the top.

To make topping, mix all ingredients until runny. Spread on warm cake with rubber spatula. Let cake cool completely.

From: Joyce Von Horn of Dade City.

Recipe: Lemon Picnic Cake II.

Lemon Picnic Cake II

1 package white cake mix

1 small package instant lemon pudding and pie filling mix

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 cup lemon lime soda (not diet)

Topping:

1 cup confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, oil and eggs; mix well. Gradually add soda. Pour into a greased 9- by 13-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until cake tests done. While cake is still warm, spread with topping.

To make topping, combine confectioners' sugar and lemon juice. Spread on warm cake.

From: Sheila Goodbrand of Largo.

Recipe: Lemon Surprise Cake.

Lemon Surprise Cake

1 small package instant lemon pudding and pie filling mix

1 package white cake mix prepared according to package directions

Confectioners' sugar

Prepare lemon pudding mix as the package directs. Spread in a 9 by 13-inch pan which has been greased. Let stand while you make cake batter.

Prepare cake batter as package directs and pour over lemon filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes, or until top springs back when lightly touched. Sift confectioners' sugar over the top. Serve warm.

Recipe requests

Kathi Hagy of Dunedin is looking for the recipe for marshmallow frosting to use on angel food cake.

Phyllis Ricci of St. Petersburg tasted grapefruit pie a few years ago and thought it was delicious. However, Phyllis has been unable to find a recipe. She knows that one of the ingredients is marshmallows. Do you have this one?

Homemade potato soup is on the wish list of Dorothy Johnson of Clearwater. Dorothy has tried any number of recipes, but has not been satisfied with any of them. Do you have a favorite?

You Asked for It is a reader mail column. If you have a cooking question or the answer to someone else's question, write to: You Asked for It, the Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731. Be sure to include your full name, city and phone number with your letter. Letters without this information will be discarded. Requests cannot be answered by phone or mail.

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