I cook.

 

I cook. Sometimes the comfort foods of childhood.
White Chocolate Cake
From Ferne Vincent
Okay the cake
1/2 cup boiling water over 1/4 lb. white chocolate (you can get that bulk say in a Trader Joes)
2 cups white sugar
2 1/2 cups flour (sift 4 times)
add baking powder (1tsp.) and sift again
4 egg yolks
 4 egg whites beaten stiff
1 can Angel Flake coconut which since you can't get that anymore means like a cup
1 cup butter
1/4 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp salt
the 1 tsp baking powder mentioned above)
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp vanilla
Cream butter and sugar . Add egg yolks one at a time to this . Beat well . Add white chocolate mixture and stir . Add flour alternately with buttermilk and vanilla. Don't overbeat. Mix in coconut and nuts. Then fold in egg whites.
Bake at 350 for 25 minutes  in 3 layer pans that were greased and floured.
Icing
I call this candy
2 cups sugar
1 small can milk(5 1/3 oz.)
2 sticks butter(really)
2 tsp vanilla
Cook to soft ball stage..Recall you can do this by dropping it to test it in ice water.
Beat with mixer to thicker spreading consistency.
Enjoy. Yum.

Candy

Aunt Belle's Brown Candy

3 cups sugar

1-cup light cream

2 tbsp. Butter

¼ tsp. Baking soda

½ tsp. Vanilla

2/3 lb. Broken pecan meats

Melt 1-cup sugar in heavy skillet. Pour slowly into saucepan containing 2 cups sugar and cream, which has been brought to a boil. Cook to firmball stage(246 degrees on candy thermometer), stirring frequently. Remove from heat, add soda, stir vigorously, add butter and let stand for 10 minutes. Add vanilla and beat until mixture is thick and loses shimmer. Blend in nut meats; spread in greased 8x12 inch pan.

This was originally in Better Homes and Gardens in 1941

Peanut Butter Fudge

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup milk

½ stick butter

pinch of salt

1 cup peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

Mix sugar, milk, butter and salt in a saucepan. Boil, stirring frequently, until it forms a soft ball in cold water. Remove from stove and add peanut butter and vanilla. Beat until creamy and pour into buttered 9x9 pan. Let cool before cutting.

Sarah Infamous Toffee

On to the toffee….

1 cup chocolate chips (it says milk but you can use regular semi sweet)

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup chopped almonds or walnuts

Melt butter in saucepan. Add sugar . Stir and stir until it turns like gravy and thickens to light tan.

Add 1 cup chopped almonds. Stir and stir constantly until it turns light caramel color and use ice "H2O" test. (drizzle into water(iced) should be crispy not chewy)

Pour on ungreased cookie sheet, spread ¼ inch thick (Carla is thinner) If you need to blot off excess butter with paper towel. Or pour it off from pan. This happens sometimes when you make it sometimes not especially if the heat was just a tad too high at the beginning and the stirring not continuous but it doesn't really hurt the results.. Pour on 1 cup of the choc. Chips they will melt in a minute or so, spread them over the hot toffee with a knife, sprinkle on chopped nuts, cool break up. It takes about 4 hours for the choc to refirm up, less if its cold outside and you put it out which I do in the winter on a back table. But I have to speed it up popped it in the fridge for an hour if I needed it faster.

All things Jello

Red Velvet Salad

1 # 2 can crushed pineapple(drained)

1 package lemon or lime Jello large (I only use lime)

1 ½ cups boiling water

½ cup pineapple juice

1 large package cream cheese(8oz)

1 envelope Dream Whip

½ cup milk

1 large package strawberry Jello

1 ½ cups boiling water

1 large box frozen undrained strawberries

Dissole lemon/or lime Jello in 1 ½ cups boiling water . Add the ½ cup pineapple juice. Beat the cream cheese and sti into Jello. Add the pineapple and chill. Beat Dream Whip with the ½ cup cold milk. Stir into Jello. Chill until firm.

Dissolve strawberry Jello in 1 ½ cups boiling water. Add frozen strawberries. Stir until thawed. Spoon overtop of pineapple mixture.

From Jane Adams and 1^st Baptist Church Morgantown, WVA around 1962

Sub Lime Loaf

(hokey title but it is really good)

I can't give the accreditation…

1 cup Flaked coconut

¼ cup butter

1 ½ cup vanilla wafer crumbs

½ cup sugar

1 cup evaporated milk (chilled/whipped)

1 pkg. Lime jello

 1 cup boiling water

2 tbsp. Lemon juice

1 cup pecans

1 jar(sm) maraschino cherries drained

1 can crushed pineapple

Saute coconut in butter until golden brown. Add crumbs and mix well. Put half of this mixture in the bottom of a 9x9x2 inch dish. Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Add sugar and lemon juice. Chill until mixture begins to congeal. Add the whipped evaporated milk, nuts and cherries. Also crushed pineapple. Mix well. Pour into crumb mixture and top with remaining crumbs.

Chill thoroughly.

Serves 12 to 16

Raspberry Blueberry Salad

1 family size package of Jello-raspberry

2 cups hot water(boiling)

1 ½ cups blueberry juice from drained blueberries plus remainder water (here I just buy a can of blueberries in the fruit section of canned fruit but I do recall her using frozen)

When you make up this as Jello and it starts to congeal add blueberries. Then take ½ a cup of sour cream and swirl through the salad . That part is always a mess. Not too much swirling or it looks like cream pie.

Pies

Mother's Lemon Meringue Pie Filling

5 tablespoons corn starch

2 cups water

1 cup sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

3 egg yolks(slightly beaten)

2 tbsp butter

5 tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp. Grated lemon rind

Mix in the top of a double boiler, ½ cup cold water and 5 tbsp corn starch. Blend in sugar and salt. Add remaining water when blended. Stir constantly until mixture boils. Cover. Cook over boiling water 10 minutes more. Gradually pou hot mixture over 3 beaten egg yolks. Stir constantly. Return to double-boiler and cook 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat. Add butter, lemon juice, and rind. Mix well. Cool and pour into baked pie shell.

Meringue

Beat three egg whites stiff. Gradually beat in 6 tablespoons sugar. Pile on top of pie. Bake in a slow oven (350) for 15 minutes.

Oh this goes in a baked pie shell which always sets me back so as I said I go get one from that nice store made section but mom whips it out of thin air. Recipe for crust below. Cook first.

Lemon Chess Pie

If you like lemon this pie is wonderful, from Virginia traditions and a lady named Mrs. Harvey Seal.

Line a 9 inch pie pan with pastry:

Mom makes hers with 3 cups flour, tsp salt, she sifts it and then measures the 3 cups , sifts again with salt, then puts in a cup of Crisco cut in with a pastry cutter, then she takes a tablespoon at a time of ice water using about 6 or 7 tbsp. At most! Then she balls it up in two balls (two pie crusts) then she rolls this out after making in balls between waxed paper as she feels inadequate rolling without that. (what a joke her pies are fantastic but these are her words. Roll our as thin as possible. Peal off waxed paper on one side, fit in pan, peel off the other side. Then she pinches the top edge as a pie crust. You end up with 2 crusts tho these recipes are for one-so make two!

Put in a large bowl:

2 cups sugar

1 tbsp. Cornmeal

1 tbsp. Flour

Toss lightly with a fork.

Add:

4 eggs unbeaten

¼ cup butter melted

¼ cup milk

4 tbsp. Grated lemon rind

¼ cup lemon juice

Beat with a mixer until smooth and thoroughly blended. Pour into a pie shell and bake at 350 until top is golden brown and filling is set.

Mom's Pecan Pie

A Virginia cook needs to have a good pecan pie recipe to call themselves a cook. Like pralines are to New Orleans or divinity to the south. Anyway this one was from her home.

1 cup white sugar

1 cup white Karo

3 eggs

½ tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Vanilla

¼ cup butter

1 cup pecans

Use spoon not mixer.

Pour in unbaked pie shell

Bake at 350 for say well mom can't recall and I know until set.(35 min?) Her memory is better than mine but today she won't just give me a guess saying she can't recall. Grr. This is worth doing……if you like pecan pie. I almost go under when I eat it-very sweet.

This pie came from a teacher in Cheat Lake School in WVA my first job as an art teacher…

Blueberry Sour Cream Pie

1 16 oz. Carton sour cream

3 tbsp. Flour

3 tbsp. Light brown sugar

1 egg beaten

1 unbaked 9 inch graham cracker crumb crust

2 cups fresh blueberries

½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

Combine first four ingredients and beat well. Spoon half of mixture into crust. Combine blueberries and ½ cup brown sugar . Spread evenly over sour cream mixture. Top with remaining sour cream. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes. Chill several hours before serving.

Cookies

Most of these are mine.

Freda's Sugar Cookies

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup butter

Cream them well.

Add:

1 egg (well beaten)

Sift together and I sift, measure then sift:

 (as we learned to do at our mom's knee and I guess in Home ec. Too)

4 cups flour

1 tsp. Soda

Add that in alternating it with 1/3 cup milk

Then add 1 tsp. Vanilla.

Chill in refrigerator several hours or overnight. Roll thin(very) just a little dough at a time using flour and I use a wooden board, cut in shapes with a cookie cutter. Sprinkle with colored sugar. Bake at 325 for about 6 min but I find I take out when edges are just turning but not all over cookie brown. You get a feel for them after a few times .

Only use real butter….hey she was a dairy lady all the way and lived a 98 year life free of almost every illness except a stroke at 98. But that was partly due to home grown veggies and pure living.

Dream Bars

Mom loves these, so does everyone when I make them. But to me they are strictly ones I "want to like",  so I can resist….that's good

½ cup softened butter

1 ½ cups old fashioned brown sugar(your guess is as good as mine I just use what I have)

1 cup sifted all purpose flour

2 eggs

¼ tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ tsp. baking powder

1 can moist pack coconut

2 tbsp all purpose flour

1 cup chopped pecans

Cream together butter, ½ cup old fashioned brown sugar and one cup flour until crumbly. Pat out into greased pan, 9x9x2 . Bake in moderate oven 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Beat eggs add vanilla extract and remaining 1 cup old fashioned brown sugar with 2 tablespoons of flour, salt and baking powder. Mix well. Add coconut and nut meats. Pour over baked mixture when somewhat cooled.

Return to oven and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, cut into 1 ½ inch pieces and remove from pan. Yields approx. 3 dozen dream bars.

I attended Woodburn Elementary School, 4 –6^th in Morgantown WVA. This recipe was given to me by their cooks

Fudgy Oatmeal Cookies

4 cups sugar

1 cup milk

1 cup butter

3 tablespoons cocoa

2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup peanut butter

6 cups quick oats

pinch salt

Combine first 5 ingredients and boil hard 1 minute. Blend in vanilla and peanut butter. Add oats and mix well. Drop by teaspoonfuls on waxed paper on cookie sheets. Makes 4 dozen-guaranteed to be gone as soon as finished. If too soft you under boiled and if too hard over boiled. So you get the hang of it after a few times….

Carla Caballo's Cream Sugar Cookies

Cream together:

 1 cup shortening

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup white sugar

1 beaten egg

Mix :

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

Add to creamed mixture. Roll to the size of a small walnut and roll in sugar.

I use colored sugar crystals. Put on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 min. on ungreased sheet.

Lemon Squares

1^st layer:

1 cup sifted flour

¼ cup powdered sugar

1/8 tsp.salt

½ cup butter

2^nd layer:

1cup granulated sugar

2 tbsp. Sifted flour

½ tsp. baking powder

1/8^th tsp. salt

2 eggs- slightly beaten

2 tbsp. Lemon juice

1tsp. grated lemon rind

3^rd layer :

½ cup powdered sugar

1 tbsp. Lemon juice

1 tbsp. Melted butter

Combine first 3 ingredients. Cut in cut butter. Press into greased 8x8x2 inch pan. Bake at 325 degrees  for 15 minutes. Mix 1 cup granulated sugar, flour, baking powder, salt , eggs, lemon juice and lemon rind. Pour over baked layer. Bake about 25 minutes longer. Cool. Blend remaining ingredients until smooth. Spread over baked layer. Cut in squares.

But this was from the WVA 4-H, 1968 Cookbook

Peanut Butter Cookies

2 cups flour

½ tsp. soda

1 cup shortening

½ tsp salt

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon milk

set oven to 325 degrees. Sift flour, sift again with soda. Combine fat, salt and peanut butter. Mix well. Push sugar, shortening mixture to one side of bowl. Add eggs, beat well with fork, add milk. Mix together. Add flour mixture into sugar mixture.

Make a ball of mixture about the size of a walnut. With a fork first dipped in water flatten to make a waffle effect.

Bake 15 to 18 minutes at 325 or until cookies are nicely browned.

(dough can be chilled in refrig.)

Peanut Butter Crinkles

1 cup Mazola margarine

(and why it is better if you use that I don't know tho I have used butter too)

1 cup Skippy peanut butter

1cup sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 ½ cups unsifted flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

extra gran. Sugar

Chocolate Kisses unwrapped-I think a small bag

In bowl beat with a mixer at medium speed first six ingredients until fluffy. At low speed beat in next 4 ingredients. Shape into 1 " balls, roll in granulated sugars. Place 2 " apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 for 12 to 15 minutes or until Brown. Immediately press in candy.

Mom's  HOMEMADE Flat Bread  (a favorite with the kids)

1 package active yeast
1/2  teaspoon sugar
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp coarse salt(we always have a box of Kosher salt)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (out in my spice mess but also in salad section of grocery these days)
3/4 cup water (might need a bit more)
1 teaspoon oil

In the bowl of a food processor if possible combine the yeast , sugar, flour, salt and thyme. Pulse to combine the ingredients. Add the water in a steady stream until the dough begins to form a ball, turn it on to a board and knead with the heel of your hand until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Coat a bowl with oil. Place dough in bowl , and cover with a damp cloth. Put in a warm spot to rise until double in size about 1 hour.

When the dough has doubled in size, punch the dough down, scrape it onto the counter and knead it lightly into a smooth ball. Cut into 20 pieces and with a rolling pin out to form very flat 5 to 6 inch circles.

Preheat a stove top grill pan over medium high. Do not oil. Place bread on hot grill and cook without touching it until you see bubbles on the surface about 1 to 2 minutes . Turn and continue to cook 1 to 2 minutes more or until bread has puffed up. Serve immediately.


THIS is my Mom's Banana Bread
 We can't give the source as we don't recall. It might be Marie in Wisconsin  However I think it is the best bread she makes.

3/4 cup butter (it does say margarine is OK)
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas (3 medium looking real old )
2 eggs well beaten
1 tsp. vanilla 2 cup sifted flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
3/4 c. chopped walnuts

Cream butter and sugar thoroughly . Blend in bananas , eggs, and vanilla. Sift flour, baking soda and salt together. Add to banana mixture alternately with buttermilk , mixing thoroughly after each addition.  Add nuts, mix. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9 by 5 by 3 inch pan (loaf pan). Bake at 325 degrees for 1 and 1/4 hours or until done.


FLAN
Now this one calls for everything and the kitchen sink and I especially love it. So if you like flan or are going all out on a Fiesta theme or just want a special dessert to impress the world...I think this one is great.

3 cups granulated sugar
8 whole eggs
8 egg yolks(freeze whites for another desert or make meringues later)
4 (13 oz.) cans evaporated milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
grated peel zest of one orange
grated peel zest of one lemon

To make this dessert  you will need an 11 inch ring mold  of 12 cup  capacity and a larger pan  containing an inch or more of hot water (water bath) in which to place the custard mold during the cooking. The finished dessert requires a serving plate with a rim which will catch the over flow of caramel when the custard is turned out of the mold.

First you must caramelize  part of the sugar. use a heavy bottomed saucepan or skillet for this. Heat 1 1/2 cups of the sugar over medium -high heat stirring constantly, until the sugar melts completely and turns golden brown. Be careful not to touch the caramel with your hands-it's hot as blazes. Pour the caramel into the mold, then rotate the mold to coat the sides. Set aside to cool while making the custard. The caramel will harden inside the mold , but will become liquid again during the cooking.

To make the custard , beat the eggs and extra egg yolks together in a large mixing bowl. Add the milk, the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar , vanilla and grated peels and stir  for at least a minute to dissolve the sugar. Pour the mixture into the caramel-coated mold, cover, and set  it in a larger pan containing an inch or more of hot water. Bake the custard in its water bath at 350 degrees for 1 hour a 15 minutes or longer , until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. You may refrigerate it until ready to turn it out, or let cool for 10 to 15 minutes , then invert it carefully now, onto a serving plate with a rim. Serve warm or chilled.

To garnish , rim the side of the flan with thin slices of orange ...I myself prefer to sugar these.



HERSHEY PUDDING (glamour name)  again it's older than I am I think

3 eggs (separate yolk and whites)
Small box vanilla wafers crumbled
(I do this in a plastic bag with a rolling pin or heavy mallet type thing)
1 cup milk
12 to 16 oz. Hershey bar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup nuts (recommend pecans unless you hate nuts then leave out but I argue for the nuts)
   Chop the nuts up pretty fine but not into dust
1 tsp. vanilla

Add Hershey bars to milk and cook until melted and smooth. Over low heat -sometimes if I find both parts i use the double boiler.
Add egg yolks (beaten) -so heat was low and sugar. Beat well together. Cook until smooth and thick (pudding) . Remove from heat and add beaten egg whites (you beat until pretty stiff but not too stiff before this step) -I fold it together in a bowl I transfer the pudding to as I can't do this well in a pan. Add vanilla. After this mixture cools a little say 20 minutes, make a layer of crumbled wafers , then nuts. Pour mixture over this or spoon it out, repeat crumbs and nuts then pudding. I do this in a rectangular glass pan 2 by 9 by whatever I think its 15...Let cool, serve with whipped cream.


FREDA'S COLESLAW

Freda Vandervort would make this for my birthday.

Use a big grater, Grate cabbage not too fine 9tho I thought of it as fairly fine) . Add celery salt. Very little celery seed. Sometimes some celery leaves if you have good ones.

Homemade dressing:
egg beaten
1/2 cup white vinegar and a bit of water
Add two tablespoons of sugar.
Add 1/4 tsp. salt
Little piece of soft butter
1/2 tsp dry mustard
Add 1/2 teaspoon flour Add a little half and half. Cook until thick (I mean is this cool or what)

Put 1 tablespoon sour cream , mayo (she used Miracle whip)and this dressing on the cabbage. Now mix and fridge.



Riz Biscuits
This is Mom's classic recipe

2 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. soda
3 tablespoon shortening
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cake yeast dissolved in 1 cup buttermilk

Sift flour and dry ingredients . Cut in shortening . Add milk and yeast. Mix as biscuits. Roll 1/4  inch (cut out). Dip in melted butter and place two circles together. Let rise 1 to 2 hour . Bake in 400 degree oven.
You may dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup lukewarm water and then use 3/4 cup buttermilk.


This is my favorite recipe for chicken....
Chicken Maryland Style
2 chickens cut up
salt and pepper
flour
2 eggs
bread crumbs
1/4 cup butter or mild fat
1 cup milk or cream

Clean and disjoint young chickens leaving the breasts whole. Put the necks and giblets into cold water and simmer to obtain a cup of stock for the gravy. Sprinkle each piece of chicken with salt and pepper dip in flour , beaten egg and soft crumbs and place in a greased pan. Bake in a hot oven (450) From 30 to 40 minutes basting frequently with one fourth cup of fat melted in 1/4 cup of hot cup of hot water.
When the chicken is done make a gravy from the fat left in the pan , stirring in 2 tablespoon of flour , 1 cup of milk or cream and the cup of stock made from the giblets. If you like add a few button mushrooms. Serve the chicken with the gravy poured all around it.

Well for now HAPPY COOKING