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Request nets muffins and a history lesson

Crystal Beach resident Jennie Miller requested two recipes. One was for chocolate chip muffins, for which Madeleine O'Brien shares a favorite she has made many times. Jennie's second request was for a Victoria sponge cake, like the one featured in the movie Calendar Girls. Melissa Miller Nece shares a bit of history about the recipe with her response.

In the 18th century, the English sponge cake was made with as many as 10 eggs but no butter. It wasn't until Queen Victoria's reign that butter became a popular ingredient, and someone discovered that it helped prevent a heavy sponge flop. The Victoria sponge, as the cake became known, quickly gained popularity.

Bailey's Irish Cream chocolate cheesecake is the lost recipe Linda Alexander wants to make again. Many readers, including Alberta Lee Kaiser and St. Petersburg Times Homes editor Judy Stark, enjoy this treat as well and are hoping this is the recipe Linda remembers. Judy calls it a "rich and delicious special dessert."

Helen Smith wanted a recipe for tomato preserves. Again, there were many responses.

For: Jennie Miller of Crystal Beach.

From: Madeleine O'Brien of Dunnellon.

Recipe: Chocolate Chip Muffins.

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup miniature chocolate chips

1 egg, well beaten

3/4 cup milk

1/3 cup oil

Topping:

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin pan with paper cups or grease bottoms only of 12 muffin cups. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and chocolate chips. Stir in egg, milk and oil until dry ingredients are moistened. (Batter will be lumpy.)

Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling 2/3 full. In a small bowl, combine topping ingredients. Sprinkle evenly over muffins. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Run knife around edges to loosen; immediately remove from cups. Serve warm. Makes 12 muffins.

For: Jennie Miller of Crystal Beach.

From: Melissa Miller Nece of Palm Harbor.

Recipe: Victoria Sponge.

4 ounces butter

3 eggs

1 tablespoon milk

2/3 cup sugar

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Salt

Confectioners' sugar

Filling:

5 tablespoons strawberry jam

1 cup heavy cream

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat and make sure it does not boil. Beat eggs with milk (both should be at room temperature). Add sugar and beat hard. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt, and fold gently into the egg mixture. Stir in the melted butter.

Divide the mixture between two well-greased 7-inch cake pans and bake side by side for 12 to 14 minutes or until well risen and golden in color.

Remove from oven and cool for at least 10 minutes before turning cakes onto a rack.

Whip the cream until stiff. When the cakes are completely cooled, put them together with a layer of jam and a layer of cream in the middle. Dust the top with confectioners' sugar.

For: Linda Alexander of Palm Harbor.

From: Judy Stark of St. Petersburg and Alberta Lee Kaiser of New Port Richey.

Recipe: Bailey's Irish Cream Chocolate Cheesecake.

2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, softened

3 8-ounce blocks cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 eggs

2 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted

1/3 cup Bailey's Irish Cream

3 cups heavy cream

Combine crumbs, cinnamon and butter. Press into bottom of 10-inch springform pan; chill 2 hours. Beat cream cheese and sugar. Gradually add vanilla and eggs. Blend well. Stir in chocolate, Bailey's and heavy cream. Mix well. Pour into chilled crust.

Bake at 350 degrees for 60 to 75 minutes. Cool. Refrigerate overnight or freeze. To serve when frozen, thaw overnight in refrigerator.

For: Helen Smith of Palm Harbor.

From: Gloria Dyke of St. Petersburg, Gene Groner of St. Petersburg, Carol Souder of Palm Harbor and many others.

Recipe: Tomato Preserves.

1 pound tomatoes, sliced

1 pound sugar

2 ounces ginger or a few pieces ginger root

1 lemon, grated rind and juice

Scald red tomatoes and peel. Cover with sugar and let stand overnight. Drain syrup into preserving kettle and boil until clear and quite thick and skim. Add ginger and grated lemon rind. Cut lemon in half, remove the seeds, scoop out juice and pulp. Add juice and pulp to tomatoes; cook until the fruit is clear. Pour into sterilized jars.

Brooksville resident Edythe Cook has lost her recipe for Impossible Pie. It is a kind of coconut cream pie made with Bisquick. She had the recipe for years and would like to make it once again.

Sally Malerba is looking for a recipe she remembers her grandmother making, fresh crabs in tomato sauce.

Doris Martin has misplaced the recipe for a yummy pie she made at Easter. It has a graham cracker crust with a filling of crushed pineapple, minimarshmallows and Cool Whip.

- You Asked for It is a reader mail column. Send recipe requests to You Asked for It, the Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731 or e-mail them to youaskedforit@knology.net Please put "Recipe request" in the subject line. Recipes will be received by mail only. Be sure to include your full name, city and phone number. Letters without this information will be discarded. Requests cannot be answered by phone or mail.