Wow! Here it is, just a week before Christmas! Chef Joe Bonanno is back with a luscious recipe for Christmas Day, or anytime during the holidays. Chef Joe won a Fire Department of New York bake-off competition with this cake.

By Joe Bonanno, TB Reporter

Christmas or New Years at the Firehouse!  I’ll say it again, it’s not the worst place to be if you had to work.

Generally, our shift system in the FDNY worked out okay. If you worked the day shift, which was 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., you had Christmas Eve with family, avoided all the crazy relatives Christmas Day and still got to be home with your family Christmas night. If you worked the night shift, 6 p.m. to 9 a.m., you got home Christmas morning. So, you always were home for some part of the holiday.

Lt. Wilfred Schmelzinger of Engine 319 and I were working Christmas Eve in 1982 when we were called out. We left a hot Christmas eve meal and, as the first company to arrive, broke and crawled through a window and rescued a man from certain death.

A Christmas gift and miracle for both the survivor, certainly his family and us!  As Tiny Tim said, “God Bless us everyone!”

Happy Holidays from me, the FDNY and all first responders, until our next recipe, I’m taking up!

Blue Ribbon Carrot Cake

• 1 cup pitted prunes
• 2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 5-6 small carrots, peeled and grated
• 1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a food processor, combine the pitted prunes with 6 tablespoons hot water and process until smooth, set aside. Coat the inside of 2, 8-inch square or round 9-inch cake pans with nonstick vegetable spray. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and egg whites, add the sugar, reserved prune puree and oil and whisk until smooth. Add the dry flour mixture to the egg mix and stir with a stiff spoon until well blended. Add the carrots and pineapple and blend well.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 50 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted in center. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. You can use a store bought Cream Cheese frosting to frost cake or use recipe below.

Frosting: In a mixing bowl, combine 12 oz. of low fat cream cheese softened, 1/2 cup confectioners sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and frost cakes individually or frost one and top with the other and frost entire cake.

For information about Chef Joe Bonanno or more great recipes, go to chefbonanno.com.

Chef Joe Bonanno | My Firehouse Kitchen | Carrot Cake | Food | Recipes | TB Reporter

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