"Hallo, Pooh," he said. "How's things?"
"Terrible and Sad," said Pooh, "because Eeyore, who is a friend of mine, has lost his tail. And he's Moping about it. So could you very kindly tell me how to find it for him?"
"Well," said Owl, "the customary procedure in such cases is as follows."
"What does Crustimoney Proseedcake mean?" said Pooh. "For I am a Bear of Very Little Brain, and long words Bother me."
"It means the Thing to Do."
"As long as it means that, I don't mind," said Pooh humbly.
- Winnie the Pooh Chapter IV In Which Eeyore Loses a Tail and Pooh Finds One
I recently got out Michael's old childhood copy of The World of Pooh and was delightfully surprised to find my old recipe for Crustimoney Proseedcake tucked inside. This flavorful cake is studded liberally with poppy seeds and has just a hint of almond flavor. The delicate buttery crumb is quite tasty but the golden Crustimoney bits are everyone's favorite part.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a tube pan.
3 1/2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup poppy seeds
1 cup softened butter
3 beaten eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup milk
In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar with a wooden spoon, then beat in eggs and extracts. Toss dry ingredients together and then stir them into butter mixture while gradually add milk and mix together until well blended. Spread into prepared pan and bake for an hour or until top crust is golden and cake tests done. Let cool for about ten minutes; loosen edges of cake with a knife and then turn out onto a rack to finish cooling. Actually, I don't think we know what the cake tastes like when it's completely cool as it's all gone by then. Setting Pooh Bear on the table in a Friendly Manner while you eat the cake is not Strictly Necessary, but it is Customary Procedure.