Cotlet candy recipe looks like a dandy

Before two weeks ago, I had never heard of applets and cotlets.

Apparently, I was the only one in the Western hemisphere not exposed to these pure fruit puree candies coated in powdered sugar. Maria Vega of Tampa, who requested recipes for them, opened a floodgate among readers.

First, Dan and Kate Donegan of Sun City Center sent in a recipe. Now comes Garnet Edmonson of Valrico, who found recipes in a 1965 book, "Our Favorite Garage Recipes." The Apricot Nut Square Candy looks like a winner.

"The fruit candies are sold in Oregon and are really delicious," Garnet writes.

Bon Appetit bread request

Alyce Burgh of Lake Placid is looking for an herb yeast bread recipe that appeared in Bon Appetit magazine many years ago in a column called Cooking for Two. The bread was baked in a small loaf and did not need a lot of kneading.

"If anyone can help, I will be most grateful," Alyce writes.

Salad takes prize

Black Bean and Orange Salad earned Louise Kline from Fort Myers the $500 grand price in the Florida Citrus. Healthy. Pure & Simple recipe contest at the 2010 Florida State Fair. The recipe runs below. For more winning recipes, go online to www.florida juice.com/recipecontest.php.

Extra recipe to try

Remember back when people worried about fat in their diet? (It was snuggled between the calories decade and the fiber decade.)

Well, being conscientious about fat content appears to be on the rebound. Author Annette Sym has written a book titled "Symply Too Good to Be True: Over 150 Ways to Tasty, Low-fat, Healthy Recipes" (Symply Too Good, $19.95), with more healthful and easy-to-cook recipes. The Mississippi Mudcake below is among them.

A traditional mud cake has about 50 grams of fat per serving. This version knocks that back to 6.6 grams.

Leftover requests

Ree Diolosa of Sun City Center wants a recipe for the olive oil-based house salad dressing from Longhorn Steakhouse.

Cindi Lee Campbell of Valrico wants the Crazy House Salad recipe from The Old Meeting House on South Howard Avenue in Tampa.

Martha Altman wants a recipe for the sauce and barbecue preparation from Old South Pit Bar-B-Que, formerly located in downtown Tampa at the bottom of the old Hillsborough Hotel.

APRICOT NUT SQUARE CANDY

1 tablespoon Knox gelatin

1/2 cup cold water

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1 lemon, juiced

Zest of 1 orange

1 cup ground, dried apricots

1 cup chopped nuts

Powdered sugar

Soften gelatin in cold water. Set aside.

Bring sugar and water to a boil. Add softened gelatin, lemon juice and orange zest. Boil 10 minutes. Add apricots and boil 10 minutes longer, stirring. Remove from heat and add chopped nuts.

Pour into 8-by-8-inch pan sprayed with cooking spray, such as Pam. Let set overnight and cut into squares. Finish by rolling the squares in finely ground nuts or powdered sugar.

BLACK BEAN AND ORANGE SALAD

2 medium Florida oranges

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

¼ cup minced cilantro

1 teaspoon minced garlic

¼ teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon pepper

Dash of salt

1 teaspoon minced garlic

¼ cup crumbled feta cheese

¼ cup chopped red onion

1 1/2 cups canned black beans, drained

Dash of salt

Romaine lettuce leaves

Peel oranges; cut into thin slices and remove seeds. Combine orange juice, olive oil, mustard, cilantro, garlic, cumin, pepper and salt in large bowl. Add orange slices, feta cheese, red onion and black beans; toss well. Serve salad mixture over romaine lettuce leaves.

Note: If preparing in advance, refrigerate salad. Bring to room temperature before serving.

MISSISSIPPI MUDCAKE

For the cake:

5 ounces dark cooking chocolate

4 ounces light margarine (Suggested brand: Promise)

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons instant coffee

1 cup water

1/4 cup bourbon or brandy

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup apple sauce (in jar)

2 egg whites

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

Cooking spray

For the frosting:

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

3/4 cup confectioner's sugar

2 teaspoons light margarine (Promise)

About 1 tablespoon no-fat milk

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

To make cake: Place chocolate, margarine, sugar, coffee, water and bourbon in a large ceramic dish and microwave on medium-low for 2 minutes. Stir ingredients, then return to microwave for 2 minutes on medium-low. Stir until all ingredients are dissolved. Stir baking soda into apple sauce (it will froth) then add to chocolate mix.

In a cup, beat egg whites using a fork then add to chocolate mix. Sift all the flour and cocoa into bowl then gently fold ingredients until combined. Pour mixture into an 8-inch round cake pan coated with cooking spray and bake for 55-60 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly pressed in center. When cool, spread frosting over cake.

To make frosting: Sift cocoa and confectioner's sugar, add margarine and enough milk until a smooth frosting is made. Spread over cake. Refrigerate.

Note: Mississippi Mudcakes have a tendency to crack a little on the top. The icing will camouflage this. This cake is suitable to be frozen.