Here is a nice, simple one that we had lying around, which we'll be working on. It was a nice first try, but still needs a little work. The symbolism was pretty direct : the Saturnalia/Solstice comes during the longest night of the year. The cake, round and yellow (like the sun) represents a symbolic wish for the sun to return. (This is our own innovation, not a traditional practice).

This is based on a recipe for a cake from Epirus called "Bobota". The recipe differs, in the following ways.

1. The orange juice has been replaced with milk.
2. The olive oil has been replaced with melted butter.
3. Instead of a sugar/lemon syrup, I used a honey/sugar syrup.
   
   I probably should have put something slightly bitter into the batter, like chopped walnuts, given the ommission, but as this was the first time this was being made, I decided to be conservative.



4. The baking soda, raisins, citrus rind, and vanilla are gone.



5. Black pepper has been added to the batter (probably should have gone with more, it was indetectable).



6. It is a kneaded, rather than a beaten, batter.

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The recipe (beta version)

Preheat the oven to (what else) 350 degrees Fahrenheit (*).

Add 5/8 cup of all purpose flour to 1/2 cup of milk, stirring it in. Don't worry about the lumps, we're about to take care of them. Slowly stir in another 5/8 cup of flour, along with 2 heaping teaspoons of baking powder. Gradually, the batter will become a pile of scraps of (somewhat) sticky dough. Sprinkle some more flour over the scraps, and start kneading them like you are making them into a loaf of bread. Continue for five minutes. You're beating up the gluten in the batter, so the cake won't fall apart.

Now, start kneading in 1 3/4 cup of cornmeal. The dough will be resistant, but as one gradually adds another cup of milk, more and more cornmeal will be taken up by the dough. When all of the milk and cornmeal have been added, sprinkle black pepper over it, and gradually add 1/2 cup melted butter, and 1/4 cup of sugar. Our the batter into a spring form pan well greased with butter, and immediately put it into the oven. Bake for 40 minutes.

(Note : the batter should be about as thick as pudding).

Meanwhile, combine 1/2 cup light honey, 5/8 cup of sugar, and 1 1/4 cups of water, in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil, lower heat, simmer for 15 minutes, then remove the pan from the stove. When the cake comes out, pour the syrup over the cake. Cover with a dry cloth, and let the cake sit for at least an hour, before trying to cut it. (Otherwise, it will disintegrate).

Verdict : It seemed to be enjoyed, which is the important thing, but to my taste, it seemed a little blander than I would have preferred. I might experiment with adding a little yogurt, or maybe using yeast raising instead of baking powder, going for a faint hint of a sourdough flavor.

Naturally, if walnuts are added, the pepper will go, though a pepper/ginger combination (for a faint bit of heat) might be worth trying.

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(*) Sometimes I find myself wondering if cookbook writers even know that there are other temperature settings. But, such was the temperature in the recipe I was basing off of, and usually it is a good idea to start simple, when reworking a dish.