Whipping Cream Pound Cake

October 27, 2016 10:48 AM 6

Every Southern woman needs a go-to pound cake recipe and if you don’t have one, this one can now be yours! [Pound cakes are very old – dating back to publication in a book in 1796! Originally called pound cakes because they contained 1 pound each of butter, flour, sugar, and eggs. All still have those basic ingredients, most include additions of either buttermilk, sour cream, cream cheese, whipping cream, or milk.] I promise this whipping cream version will not disappoint.

wc-pound-cake

I made another one when I got home Saturday because my husband had “FOMO” [Fear of Missing Out] when I brought home that empty cake plate! He also likes my buttermilk pound cake, but says he will need a taste test to pick his favorite. I think he just wants ANOTHER pound cake! He’s not fooling me. We’ve been married 39 years, I know these things…

Ingredients:

  • 2 sticks of butter (room temperature)
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 6 eggs (room temp)
  • 3 cups White Lily all-purpose flour 
  • 1 cup whipping cream (also known as heavy cream)
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla

Instructions:

  • You may use a stand mixer or a hand mixer.
  • Cream butter and sugar on a medium speed until smooth, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Add eggs one at a time, blending lightly after each egg.
  • Now use a low speed and add the flour to creamed mixture alternating with adding in the whipping cream. Begin and end with flour. 
  • Stir in the 1 tablespoon of vanilla.
  • Pour into pan sprayed with Baker’s Joy pan prep and place in a cold oven. You may also use solid Crisco generously in your pan, and then follow with a dusting of the pan with flour.
  • Turn oven to 325° and bake for 1 hour and 15-25 minutes. Check for doneness. All ovens vary, and I usually bake mine for 1 hour and 20 minutes. 
  • Cool 10-12 minutes before removing from pan.

Trust me about the cold oven…just do it!

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October 27, 2016 10:48 AM 6

Old-Fashioned Chocolate-Oats Stovetop Cookie

September 27, 2016 4:30 PM 1

I’ve made two batches of these old-fashioned no-bake cookies the past 2 weeks. These cookies are my husband’s all-time favorite. He reminded me of that just last week when I made them at his request. I remember my mother making these for me and my sisters when we were growing up. They are quick and I usually have all the ingredients on hand. I tell my people they are healthy with the raw oats and cocoa in them…and just don’t mention the butter and sugar. Balance anyone?cookie

 

  • 1 and 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup of milk
  • 1 stick of butter
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 tsp. vanilla flavoring
  • 3 cups oatmeal
1. Go ahead and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large pan on the stovetop, bring the butter, milk, sugar and cocoa to a gentle boil, stirring until smooth.
    [Don’t boil too long – just until mixed well,  30-40 seconds.]
3. Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter and vanilla flavoring. Mix well again.
4. Now fold in the 3 cups of oatmeal. I love this part!
5. Drop by heaping tablespoons on to the parchment paper to cool.
6. Allow them to cool and harden for about 30 minutes.
7. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days (if they last that long)!
Go make some!
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September 27, 2016 4:30 PM 1

Pickled Okra or Okra Pickles!

August 10, 2016 9:43 AM 1

When you are blessed with friends who have both gardens and sharing hearts, this time of year you get okra, lots of okra. (Or as my Granny said, o-kree.) My friend Rhoda and I attend the same church, her family has been there way longer than we have and we’ve been at Second Baptist going on 29 years. She called me last week and said “you want some okra? I will bring it to you!” Now you know that’s a friend indeed! Because if you’ve never cut okra from a garden…well, it will make your hands and arms so itchy. But you forget all that when you are blessed to eat okra any way you can prepare it – fried, boiled, sautéed, or pickled! I’m sharing from my kitchen again with this post on how to make pickled okra.

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Gran Jan’s Pickled Okra
(double or triple as needed, this recipe makes 4 pint jars)
1 ½ pounds fresh small tender okra pods
2 teaspoons dried dill
1 teaspoon celery seed
2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 teaspoons sugar
1-2 tablespoons red pepper flakes (or to taste, or may omit)
(or use fresh cayenne or jalapeño peppers – 1 per jar)
3 tablespoons canning/pickling salt
2 cups water
2 cups vinegar
4 one-pint canning jars and lids, sterilized

1. Prepare jars by washing, sterilizing and simmering bands/lids/jars.
2. Prepare okra by rinsing well under cold running water. Trim just stem ends of okra, leaving the cap intact. Soak okra in cool water for about an hour then drain and pat dry.

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3. Place the spices (dill, celery seed, garlic, sugar, pepper flakes) in a bowl and mix well. Divide evenly among the jars.3
3. Put okra in the sterilized canning jars, placing some of the pods up and some down, packing tightly.4
4. Bring water, vinegar, and salt to a good rolling boil.
5. Ladle the hot vinegar into the jars of okra and spices, filling to within ¼” of the top.
6. Make sure there are no air bubbles in jars, wipe rims clean, and cover jars with lids and screw bands firmly in place. Turn jar gently back and forth in your hand a time or two to mix the spices.
7. Process jars in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Remove jars from water and cool on a dish towel on your kitchen counter. Jars should seal as they cool. I love to hear the pops!

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Allow pickles to mature at least 2 weeks before consuming, if you can’t wait…go ahead and eat some!

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August 10, 2016 9:43 AM 1

Gran Jan’s Tomato Pie

August 1, 2016 11:11 AM 4

Yes, TOMATO PIE! This savory pie recipe is one my husband requests often. He loves it! In fact I made two just yesterday afternoon. With all the wonderful fresh tomatoes available this time of year, it is a summer staple for us. Add a nice green salad, or even a vegetable side and you have a great meal. Tom Pie

INGREDIENTS
• 1 9” pie shell, I buy the Pillsbury ones that come 2 to a package in the refrigerated section of the grocery store , and I use my own pie plates.
• 1 sweet onion (Vidalia if available), chopped & cooked in microwave for 2-3 minutes with a splash of olive or canola oil
• 3-4 medium size ripe tomatoes, diced and drained to remove juice (I let them sit in a colander for a few minutes)
• 2 cups grated cheese (sharp cheddar & mozzarella mix, could use pepper jack)
• 2 strips of bacon, cooked crisply and crumbled
• ¾ cup mayonnaise
• 3 to 4 dashes hot sauce (optional, but actually I use about 7 good dashes)
• salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, place room temperature pie shell in pie plate, and then place in oven to allow to lightly brown for 7-10 minutes.
2. Remove pie shell from oven and set aside. 
3. Place the microwaved chopped onions first in the bottom of pie shell.
4. Next spread tomatoes over the onions, salt/pepper to taste, then top the tomato layer with crumbled bacon
5. Mix cheese, mayo, & hot sauce together
6. Spread cheese/mayo mixture over tomatoes and bacon
7. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until browned, and be sure to let pie cool for 10-15 minutes before serving/slicing

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August 1, 2016 11:11 AM 4

Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe!

May 2, 2016 11:28 AM 0

Cookie

Like many Southern women, I love to cook with cast iron and have a nice collection in my kitchen. I have two cherished skillets that were given to me 30 years ago by an elderly woman at our church back in Athens, Georgia. They are very old (Birmingham Stove & Range) and very special to me…seasoned to perfection. I love old cast iron and that just confirms I’m Southern to my bones.

Most of the time I use my cast iron pans and skillets for cornbread and biscuits. This deep-dish cookie recipe is sweet and good and I just had to share. When my boys were growing up, we rarely had birthday cakes for them. Instead we always ordered giant chocolate chip cookies from the Cookie Store at our local mall. The boys just preferred those cookies and we did too. They were delicious!  The Cookie Store closed and I’ve tried without success to duplicate the recipe…until now!  I hope y’all enjoy this Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie as much as we did when I made it last week! [I used my stand mixer.]

No, grandson Abe had not just eaten Gran Jan’s chocolate chip skillet cookie, but the sweet chocolate smile on his face made me so happy. I will make one for him the next time he comes to visit!FullSizeRender

Ingredients

  • 2  1/2 sticks of melted butter (unsalted)
  • 1  1/4 cups of dark brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup of white granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups White Lily all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 cups chocolate chips
  • vanilla ice cream, to serve (optional but not optional)
  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. and then grease a skillet (I use a 12″ skillet or this square 10″ skillet) with either softened butter or vegetable shortening. 
  2. Place the melted butter and both white and brown sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer. May also use a hand mixer! Mix butter and sugars together on medium-high speed until they’re light and fluffy. 
  3. Now add the 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract and mix again until combined.
  4. Add the dry ingredients and blend at a lower speed. Mix it just until the flour disappears into the batter. Stop the mixer as soon as you get to this point so the cookie won’t be tough.
  5. Add the chocolate chips and fold them in by hand. Give the sides and bottom of the bowl a good scrape to get all that delicious dough!
  6. I greased my skillet with butter, then scraped the cookie dough into the pan and smoothed it out to an even layer.
  7. Bake the skillet cookie at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, until it is golden, and the edges have nicely browned. I always look to see if it has started to pull away from the sides like in my picture. It is better to undercook a wee bit than overcook!
  8. Let the skillet cookie cool for 20 minutes. Use a knife to cut it into wedges or squares like I did with this square skillet.
  9. Serve with ice cream!

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May 2, 2016 11:28 AM 0

The Loft Link-Up [Potluck…]

July 8, 2015 2:39 PM 4

THe_Loft_Link_Up

I’ve been away from “THE LOFT” for two weeks and I’ve missed this weekly connection with new friends and certainly my friend Leah Adams.  However, I thoroughly enjoyed some time away from my office and all things electronic and media – but I’m glad to be back today with this Potluck topic.

My dictionary app defines potluck as “a food or a meal that happens to be available without special preparation or purchase; a meal especially for a large group to which participants bring various foods to share; whatever is available or comes one’s way.”

To me, the word Potluck brings to mind memories of 38 years as a pastor’s wife and many, many, many (did I say many?) covered dish lunches, suppers, and fellowship times around the table. I believe meal time is so important and something sadly missing in today’s families. A time to relax, connect, and share conversation. When I was growing up we didn’t eat on the run, or really even eat “out” very often. Most families ate at home…together. Some of my sweetest memories surround being in the kitchen with my mother and my sisters.  Although I do recall many squabbles with whose turn it was to wash the dishes and whose turn it was to dry! Gotta love being raised in a house full of sisters. To this day one of my favorite times is when both of my boys have their feet back under their mama’s table! 3GenerationsSo for our potluck gathering today at The Loft I am going to literally share a potluck with you – some of my favorite recipes. Click on the title link below for each one and I hope you will try one, or some, or all of them. I will tell you that the meatloaf recipe receives more “hits” than any on my blog! So fun!

Icebox Banana Pudding

Morton Meatloaf – Delicious!

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Jalepeno Cornbread Muffins

Southern Tomato Sandwich 🙂

Peach Cobbler!

Quick & Easy Lasagna

Buttermilk Biscuits

Happy Potluck! It’s Wednesday, how about that? Many churches have potluck suppers on Wednesday night!

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July 8, 2015 2:39 PM 4

Icebox Banana Pudding

June 2, 2015 8:00 AM 6

BPI reached way back in my recipe box this past weekend for this Southern delight! By way back I mean I’ve had this recipe for over 30 years… Even the title signifies it’s an old recipe. You don’t hear the refrigerator called an “icebox” these days! There was a sweet older woman in our church in Athens, Georgia named Miss Lillie Bell, and this is her recipe. When I was a young wife and mama she was a mentor to me, but I didn’t realize that’s what was happening at the time. All I knew was that she loved me. She just quietly came alongside and helped me with my two young boys. She worked in a mill that made clothes for children and she literally provided clothes for my boys when they were toddlers.  She made teacakes for my husband Gary too – that will be another post for another time!

I brought this banana pudding to work yesterday to celebrate working surviving 🙂 one year in the Superintendent’s office. (See yesterday’s post!) Here is the recipe for you:

ICEBOX BANANA PUDDING

  • 2 four-serving sizes of Jell-O Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix
  • 3 cups of cold milk
  • 1 can of Eagle Brand condensed milk
  • 1 large container of Cool Whip
  • 1 box of Nilla Wafers (no off brands please)
  • 6 to 7 bananas

I layer mine in a trifle bowl – wanted you to know that first!

  1. Using a mixer (I use a hand mixer) mix the instant pudding mix and 3 cups of cold milk in a large bowl.
  2. Pour the Eagle Brand milk in the pudding mixture, continue to mix until creamy and well blended.
  3. Now add 1/2 to 2/3 of the Cool Whip (save enough to spread on top) to the pudding mixture and mix well.
  4. Layer in this order: vanilla wafers, bananas, pudding, vanilla wafers, bananas, pudding…repeat!
  5. Top with Cool Whip.
  6. Chill at least 4 hours or overnight is best.

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June 2, 2015 8:00 AM 6
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