According to my mother, this was a traditional Belleville recipe that my grandmother taught her when she moved to Belleville as a bride in 1922. If you go to an Eckert’s Market, you will see Peanut Squares in the bakeshop as a Belleville specialty. It makes about 48 squares.

Ingredients: The Cake

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups sifted flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Generously butter a 9×13-inch baking dish. Line with waxed paper and grease the paper. Flour the pan. Set aside.

Bring milk and butter to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Stir in vanilla. Set aside.

Beat eggs with sugar and salt until thick and lemon colored. Sift flour with baking powder; fold gently into egg mixture. Gently combine egg mixture with milk mixture until smooth.

Pour batter into prepared cake pan. Bake about 20 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool. Cake can be securely wrapped and frozen.

Ingredients: The Frosting

1 stick butter

1 pound powdered sugar (1 box)

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Milk to make a thin icing

1 1/2 pounds salted Spanish peanuts with skins, finely ground

Cut cake into 48 squares, using a ruler and sharp knife. Ice each square on 5 sides. Roll in ground peanuts.