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Chumbalotto

About this recipe

This cake alone is responsible for half my weight problem. Chum is awesome; it goes great with coffee and a couple hundred relatives. P.S. You’ll never find this recipe anywhere else.

Instructions

Into a bowl, break:

6 extra-large eggs (saving 1 yolk for the top).

Then whisk in:

1 cup sugar,
1 cup vegetable oil,
1 cup milk,
1 cup raisins or currants (rinsed with hot water).

Add:

1–1½ tsp. vanilla,
grated rind from 1 whole lemon,
juice from the above lemon,
grated rind from 1 whole orange or mandarin (optional),
juice from the above orange or mandarin (optional),
2 cups flour.

Stir everything together with a spatula or wooden spoon, and then add:

6 tsp. baking powder,
3 cups flour (1 cup at a time).

Turn onto a flour board and knead lightly until dough no longer sticks to your fingers (just push it around a little). Add more flour as necessary (approx. 1 more cup).

Cut in two halves. Roll each into a long loaf and place on a cookie sheet sprayed with Pam.

Lightly whisk reserved egg yolk (maybe add a little water to make it thinner). Using fingers or a brush, spread yolk on top of loaves. Then make a couple of “Xs” with a knife and sprinkle ½ cup sugar over top. Bake at 350°F for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a rack.

Notes

Use convection if you have it.
Try adding ¾ cup toasted and chopped almonds with the raisins.
Each chum should be long enough to almost touch both ends of the pan.
Golden raisins are best. Also try craisins (cranberry-raisins); they’re good too.
For something really great, slice chum and toast both sides in the oven (like poor man's biscotti). Then put in a cookie jar and tell people they can't have any.