Rhubarb Cobbler

3 cups diced rhubarb
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. grated orange rind
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. fat
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. baking powder

Mix rhubarb with sugar, flour, orange rind, nutmeg, butter and water. Pour into a shallow baking pan. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Cut in fat and add milk. Pat out soft dough and fit over rhubarb. Make air holes in top. Bake 20 minutes at a moderate temperature.

Maple Popcorn Balls

1 cup maple syrup
1 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup water
3 quarts popped corn
1 cup nuts

Boil syrup, butter and water to hard ball stage (290 degrees on a candy thermometer). Pour quickly over the combined popped corn and nuts, stir until well coated. Shape quickly into balls.

Potatoes and Peas Au Gratin

2 pounds small new potatoes, cooked and peeled
1 bunch green onions, cut in 1-inch pieces
2 cups new peas, or 1 package frozen peas
2 cups thin cream sauce
1/4 cup grated American cheese

Cook onions and peas together until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Make cream sauce with 2 Tbsp. butter, 2 Tbsp. flour, 1 tsp. salt and 2 cups milk. Arrange potatoes and vegetables in buttered 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Add cream sauce and sprinkle grated cheese over the top. Brown in 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.

Cracklin' Bread

1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
2 cups buttermilk
3 Tbsp. flour
1 1/2 cups cracklings
1 1/2 cups white cornmeal

Mix cracklings with dry ingredients. Add buttermilk and beaten egg. Beat until combined. Pour into hot greased skillet. Bake at 450 degrees for about 25 minutes or until light brown.

Little Hickory Colonels

1 1/2 cups chopped hickory nuts
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla
2 Tsp. flour

Beat egg, sugar, and vanilla until thick. Add gradually the chopped hickory nuts and the flour. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chunk style peanut butter
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda

Cream sugars and shortening. Beat in eggs, add peanut butter and vanilla. Mix well. Add dry ingredients. Drop by teaspoon on greased sheet. Flatten with wet fork criss cross. Bake at 325 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Coconut Macaroons

I made these yesterday and they are delicious and super easy!

3 cups coconut
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Combine all ingredients and drop by teaspoonfuls onto well-greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Pear Pie

Line a 9-inch pan with pastry. Pare and slice firm pears to equal 6 cups. Mix together 3/4 cups sugar, 1 tsp. nutmeg (or cinnamon), and 2 Tbsp. flour. Mix lightly through the pears. Put filling in pastry lined pan and dot with 1 1/2 Tbsp. butter. Cover with top crust. Bake at 425 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes, until nicely browned.

Strawberry Jam Cupcakes

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups sifted flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup sour milk
1 cup strawberry jam

Cream sugar with shortening until fluffy, add eggs and blend. Sift flour, salt, spices, and soda together and add alternately with milk to creamed mixture. Fold in jam and bake in greased muffin pans at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Frost with favorite frosting. Makes 20 cupcakes.

Apricot Delight

number 2 can apricots
2 Tbsp. tapioca
4 Tbsp. shortening
1 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/3 cup milk

Place apricots in baking dish and sprinkle with tapioca over fruit. Make a dough of rest of ingredients, pour over fruit. Bake at a moderate temperature for 20 - 30 minutes.

Shepherd's Pie

Cut the meat from the shank end of the leg of lamb into cubes. Flour and brown these in a little hot fat, add water to nearly cover and season with salt and pepper, rosemary, thyme and chopped onions. Cook slowly in a covered pan 1 hour, add a few sliced carrots and cook 10 to 15 minutes longer or until meat and vegetables are tender. Thicken, if necessary, with a smooth flour and water paste. Add some cooked peas, pour into a casserole and top with fluffy mashed potatoes. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are lightly browned.

Curry Buttered Potatoes

1/2 cup butter
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
6 medium sized raw potatoes, peeled

Melt butter in small pan. Stir in salt, pepper and curry powder. Cut potatoes into lengthwise strips about twice as thick as french fries. Lay potatoes in a single layer on a foil lined broiler pan. Brush generously with curry butter. Broil about 5 inches from heat source until potatoes are tender and well browned - about 10 minutes. Turn potatoes, brush with curry butter and brown other side - about 10 minutes.

Piccalilli

I've come across a number of recipes for piccalilli and I honestly didn't know what it was. After a bit of researching, it's pickled vegetables with spice and was considered part of the ploughman's lunch (a cold lunch of meat, chesses, and bread) and was used to flavor the meat. It was popular in the mid 1800's. There are many different versions of course because of varied taste preferences. Here are two different recipes for piccalilli.

2 pecks green tomatoes
2 quarts sliced onions
4 red peppers
1/2 box whole allspice
5 pounds sugar
3 cups salt
6 green peppers
2 Tbsp. powdered allspice
2 quarts vinegar

Grind and mix together tomatoes, onions, red and green peppers. Add salt, put in strainer and let drain overnight. Put spices in a cloth bag. Combine all ingredients in a pan with spice bag, and cook slowly for two hours. Seal in hot jars immediately.

Here's the second version:

4 cups celery
4 cups carrots
2 green peppers
2 pimientos
4 tart apples
2 cups sugar
2 cups vinegar
2 Tbsp. salt
2 Tbsp. celery seed

Clean and chop all vegetables, but not too fine. Peel apples and chop. Add remaining ingredients and cook gently until carrots and celery are almost tender. Pour into clean jars and seal while hot.

Pralines

One of my favorite treats from New Orleans!

2 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. soda

Boil for 5 minutes.
Add:

2 Tbsp. butter
1 cup chopped pecans

Boil to soft ball stage (245 degrees). Beat until creamy and drop from spoon on waxed paper.

Pecan Balls

1 cup butter
4 heaping Tbsp. powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 cup grated pecans

Sift flour and salt together. Cream butter and sugar. Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Roll in small balls and bake for 12-15 minutes at 275 degrees. Roll in powdered sugar when removed from oven, and again when they are cold.

Caraway Cheese Muffins

1 1/2 cups sifted flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup grated American cheese
1 cup whole bran cereal
2 tsp. caraway seeds
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp. melted shortening
3/4 cup milk

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add cheese, cereal and caraway seeds and stir lightly. Combine egg, melted, cooled shortening and milk. Add to dry ingredients, stirring only until combined. Fill greased muffin pans 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Dandelion Salad

I remember as a kid going to a great aunt's house out in the country. Upon arriving us kids were given the task of going out and gathering dandelions. My great aunt would have a big kettle of water boiling ready to cook them up. Dandelion greens have made a bit of resurgence and can be bought canned at some supermarkets.

dandelion greens
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 can lima beans, drained
1 tomato, cut up

Pick dandelion greens by the whole plant, trim off roots and remove marred leaves. Place greens in pan, wash several times and drain. Chop greens fine, place in mixing bowl and add salt, vinegar and olive oil. Mix well, add lima beans and tomato. Toss together.

Ground Beef Stew

2 lbs. ground beef
2 tsp. meat seasoning
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups bouillon
1 lb. tomatoes
1 bay leaf
3 medium potatoes, diced
6 medium carrots, quartered
12 small onions

Break up meat with fork in bowl. Sprinkle with meat seasonin and salt. Brown in deep, heavy skillet. Add stock, tomatoes and bay leaf; bring to boil. Add potatoes, carrots and onions. Cover tightly and reduce heat. Simmer 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. To thicken, add 3 Tbsp. water to 2 Tbsp. flour; stir to a smooth paste. Gradually add to stew, stirring constantly, until thickened.

Fresh Apple Bread

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup grated apples
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
1 cup pecans
1 1/2 Tbsp. buttermilk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs and apple. Mix in sifted dry ingredients to which pecans have been added. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla. Pour into greased loaf pan. Sprinkle top with a mixture of sugar and cinnamon. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Brown Bread

3 Tbsp. shortening
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup raisins
2 tsp. soda
2 cups boiling water
4 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts

Cut up fruit and sprinkle soda over it. Add boiling water and let stand until other ingredients are mixed. Cream shortening and sugar, add eggs, flour, salt and vanilla. Beat all together thoroughly and add nuts last. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Banana Bread

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 large ripe bananas, crushed
1 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups sifted flour
1 cup chopped nut meats

Cream shortening and sugar. Add crushed bananas and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Add sifted flour, soda and salt and mix well. Stir in nuts. Place dough in greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Double-Deck Brownies

Bottom Deck:
1/2 cup sifted flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup butter, melted

Top Deck:
1 square unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2/3 cup sifted flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Frosting:
1 (6-ounce) package chocolate bits

For bottom deck, sift together flour, baking soda and salt and combine with rolled oats and sugar. Mix in melted butter. Pat mixture into bottom of 7 x 11-inch baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. For top deck, combine chocoate, butter and sugar; add egg and beat well. Sift dry ingredients and add alternately with milk and vanilla to chocolate mixture. Fold in chopped nuts. Spread batter over baked bottom layer, return to oven and bake for 25 minutes. Cool, frost with melted chocolate bits and cut into squares.

Molasses Brown Bread

1 cup flour, sifted
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup quick rolled oats
2 cups corn meal
1 cup unsulphured molasses
2 cups sour milk
1 cup raisins

Sift together flour, soda, and salt. Add quick rolled oats and corn meal; reserve 1/4 cup in which to coat raisins. Stir in molasses and sour milk. Mix raisins with 1/4 cup dry mixture; add to batter and mix well. Turn into 4 greased number 2 cans, filling each 2/3 full. Cover with metal foil or 2 layers of brown paper tied in place with strong cord. Place on rack in large kettle with tight fitting cover. Pour in boiling water to 1/3 the height of the cans. Steam for 2 hours.

Spice Muffins

1 cup flour, sifted
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp. molasses
4 Tbsp. melted fat
3 cups corn flakes, crushed slightly after measuring

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. Combine egg, milk, molasses and slightly cooked fat. Add to flour mixture, stirring only enough to dampen flour. Fold in cereal flakes, being careful not to overmix. Bake in well-greased muffin pans at 400 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes.

Orange-Raisin Muffins

2 cups sifted flour
3/4 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup raisin
1 tsp. grated orange rind
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup melted shortening

Sift together flour, soda, salt and sugar. Stir in raisins and orange rind. Combine egg, buttermilk, orange juice and shortening. Add to flour mixture, stirring only until flour is moistened. Fill greased muffin pans 2/3 full. Bake at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Breakfast Coffee Ring

1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup melted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups sifted flour
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. grated orange rind
confectioners' sugar icing
chopped nuts if desired

Beat egg slightly. Stir in milk and butter. Sift together sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients and orange rind to milk mixture, stirring only until well blended. Pour into a greased 9 inch ring mold. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes. Cool on rack for about 5 minutes. Remove from pan. When cool, drizzle with confectioners' sugar icing over top. Sprinkle with chopped nuts.

Types of Molasses

So yesterday I listed unsulphured molasses as one of the ingredients and I received a question regarding what was the difference between molasses and unsulphured molasses. I thought I'd answer that question today.

Molasses is made from sugar cane, which takes about 15 months to mature naturally. Because few places have the long growing climate to bring the sugar cane to maturity, the canes are treated with sulpher fumes during the sugar extraction process.

Molasses is made by boiling the juice extracted. The first boiling removes very little sugar and makes fancy molasses - it is of the highest grade and is used on the table as a topping on biscuits or toast. The second boiling creates the darker, more pronounced flavor which most of us are familiar and is used for baking. There is a third boiling which takes place which creates blackstrap molasses which is used in the production of alcohol or as a cattle feed.

So next time your looking for molasses to bake with make sure to read the label.

I can't leave you without a recipe - so here's one for molasses taffy:

1 cup unsulphured molasses
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. butter

Combine all ingredients is a 2 quart saucepan. Place over low heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Cook over medium heat until syrup reaches 272 degrees on a candy thermometer. Pour onto greased platter. As edges cool, fold them towards center or they will harden before candy is ready to pull. When candy is cool enough to handle, press into ball with lightly buttered fingers. Pull until candy is light in color and ready to harden. Stretch into long rope 1/2 inch wide. Cut into 1 inch pieces. Wrap each piece of taffy in wax paper.

Molasses Peanut Brittle

1 cup unsulphered molasses
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. butter
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 cups chopped peanuts

Combine molasses, sugar and butter in a 2-quart saucepan. Place over low heat; stir until sugar is dissolved. Cook over medium heat until syrup reaches 270 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat, stir in baking soda and nuts. Turn into greased 8-inch square pan; spread quickly. When slightly cool, cut into squares.

Spicy Molasses Doughnuts

2 cups sifted flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup unsulphured molasses

Sift dry ingredients together. Add egg, milk, vegetable oil and molasses all at once; mix well. Pour vegetable oil 2 inches deep in skillet and heat to 365 degrees. Drop in batter by teaspoonfuls; fry 2 minutes turning once. Drain on absorbent paper; roll in granulated sugar, cinnamon-sugar mixture or sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

Boiled Custard

4 cups milk
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Scald milk. Beat egg yolk lightly. Add sugar and vanilla. Remove milk from boier in which it was scalded (this keeps the sediment from affecting the texture of the custard). Pour over the beaten egg yolks a little at a time. Place in a double boiler and cook at simmering only until mixture coats a spoon lightly. Take from heat and cool.

Pineapple Fudge

3 cups sugar
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
1/2 cup crushed pineapple
1/2 cup evaporated milk
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Combine sugar, syrup, pineapple and milk in a saucepan. Cook, stirring frequently, to soft ball stage (236 degrees). Let cool slightly. Add vanilla. Beat until thick and smooth. Pour into greased pan. Cut into squares when hard.