Sweet Potato Cake!

This is undoubtedly one of the best cakes you will ever make or eat!  Ok, I realize this might be subjective and just my opinion, but as you have probably noticed we make and therefore have to eat a lot of cake.  Therefore, I do consider myself a bit of an expert on what is a good cake...lol.  

The recipe for this cake is a very old family recipe that has been handed down through the decades.  It was always one of my mother's favorite cakes through the years and was usually brought to family reunions and special dinners and such.

This is such a moist and delicious tasting cake and it just gets better as it sits and soaks in that yummy icing.  You do not have to be a sweet potato eater to like this cake either.  My husband hates sweet potatoes and he loves this cake.

So have I enticed you enough to try this?  I hope so!  This is the perfect cake for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but why wait until then?  Make one now and give it a test run!   This is what you will need and my only advice is to follow the directions exactly for the best results:

1 1/2 cups oil

2 cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs, separated (reserve the whites)

4 Tbs. boiling water

2  1/2 cups all purpose flour

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. vanilla

1  1/2 cups grated raw sweet potatoes that have been peeled

Frosting

1 cup evaporated milk

1/2 cup butter ( 1 stick)

1 cup sugar

3 egg yolks

1 tsp. vanilla

1  1/2 cups flaked coconut

1 cup pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl mix the oil and sugar with an electric mixer unit smooth.  Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating after each addition. 

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together.   Add the boiling water and mix. Add the flour mixture to the oil and egg mixture and mix. Add in the vanilla.  Fold in the grated sweet potatoes.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they are stiff and form peaks.  Gently fold the egg whites into the batter until blended.

Prepare three 9" cake pans by lining the bottoms with parchment paper or wax paper and spraying them well with nonstick baking spray.  The type that contains flour works best for this.  Take my advice and do not skip this step!  This cake is very moist and can stick or the layers can break if you do not line your pans.  Divide the batter evenly among the pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.  A pick inserted in the center should come out clean. 

Remove from oven and allow to cool before turning onto a cake plate.

Prepare frosting when the cakes have cooled by combining the evaporated milk, sugar, butter, egg yolks and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat.  Cook for about 12 minutes, stirring constantly or until the mixture has thickened. 

Remove from heat and add coconut.  Beat until cool and thick and spreading consistency. 

Stack cake layers on a cake plate and frost between layers, top and sides.   Garnish the top with the nuts.   This frosting sort of runs down the sides of the cake and you can spread it around the sides.  The consistency will be similar to the frosting you use on a German Chocolate cake.

 It's a beautiful thing! Sorry, but I just love this cake! 

  



Mama's Macaroni and Tomatoes...My Comfort Food!

"Macaroni and Tomatoes" is a dish that my mother has been making all of my life.  It just says comfort food to me!  Every year, when my mother asks what I want her to cook for my birthday dinner, I always say macaroni and tomatoes or breaded tomatoes, which I also love. 

 Nobody makes either dish that tastes exactly like Mama's does.  You know those recipes that only your mother or grandmother make to taste just that certain way and even though they might be good, they are just not the same as theirs.  This is one of those dishes for me.

Several of you have written and asked me about a recipe for Macaroni and Tomatoes and sort of like the Southern Goulash, I used to think we were the only family that ate it, but I have learned a lot of you grew up with it also.  It seems like such a simple thing to prepare, but to get it right, there are a few key ingredients.

 It also might seem like a dish, kids wouldn't eat, but we have some children in our family that will eat all of this you can make and set in front of them, and it's not nearly as fattening as macaroni and cheese! Mama usually served it with pinto beans and cornbread, which was really good! 

 Here is what you need for this old fashioned recipe:

1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni

2 cups water

1 tsp. salt

1  (15 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained

2 cups V-8 juice

1 tsp. bacon drippings

1 Tbs. butter

2 tsp. sugar

black pepper to taste

Place the macaroni in 2 cups salted boiling water and cook until the pasta is  just starting to soften.  Add the tomatoes,  V-8 juice, bacon drippings, butter, sugar and black pepper to taste.  Cook just until the pasta is done and has absorbed some of the juices.  Don't leave the bacon drippings out, that is one of the keys to the flavor! 

You can add cheese to this or sprinkle with Parmesan, but this is one dish I don't like to add cheese to!  I know it's hard to believe, but it's true!



Fried Potatoes!

Fried Potatoes, like so many foods we call 'fried' in the South, are really not deep fried per se.  They are skillet fried and they are so good!  These potatoes can be served at any meal.  

They are great for breakfast with eggs and biscuits and gravy, some country ham or bacon and they are equally good for supper with pinto beans, collard or turnip greens and cornbread! 

Fried Potatoes have a different texture than say, French fries or typical hash browns.  They are soft and yummy on the inside, because you sort of steam them first, but they are crispy and browned on the outside from frying them uncovered at the end.  Not all sides will brown or crisp as you can see.  

One key to good fried potatoes is to use the right potato and to not move them around too much in the pan.  

Here is what you will need:

1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil

1 Tbs. bacon drippings

5-6 large Russet potatoes (baking potatoes work best)

1 medium sweet onion, diced (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

You will need a large skillet with a top.  If you use nonstick, you can use a bit less oil.  If you use cast iron, you will need a bit more oil.  Either works fine.   Heat the oil and bacon drippings on medium high heat.  It needs to be hot enough to sizzle.  

Peel, wash and diced the potatoes.  The number of potatoes you use really depends on how many you are cooking for and how much they eat.  A good rule of thumb is one potato per person, if they are large potatoes, and in my family throw in an extra one or two, because they love some fried potatoes.

Carefully slide the potatoes into the skillet.  That oil will pop so be careful. If you are adding onion, add it now also.  I don't use the onion in my fried potatoes, mainly because my mother never did and my family doesn't like it.  I, personally, think it's  a nice addition.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper. I like a lot of black pepper on these.   

With a spatula, lightly toss the potatoes to coat them all with oil.  Cover with the skillet lid and reduce the heat just slightly.  Cook covered for about 12-15 minutes.  Check them about halfway to be sure the bottom isn't getting too brown.  This steams the potatoes and softens them.

Uncover them and with a spatula, start to turn them in sections so the underside is more on top. Sprinkle again with little salt and black pepper to taste. Turn the heat up a bit and let them fry uncovered for about 10 more minutes.  Turn them one more time and let them go about 5 minutes or until they are all tender and browned enough.  There is no real rule of when this is.   It's up to what you think and how brown you like them. 

 You don't want to cook them so long they get hard or steam them covered so long they fall apart.  Also, do not turn them too much.  We turned these three times basically.

When they are done, I turn them out on a paper towel lined dish.  Serve immediately!

 



Potato Cakes!

 In the South, we don't believe in wasting anything.  Many of us were brought up with this way of thinking deeply ingrained in us by parents who were brought up with this as a matter of survival and necessity.  If you have leftovers, you save them and eat them or figure out a way to reorganize them and make them interesting the second time around. 

 I am sure that is how the potato cake came to be.  I know that is when my own mother would make them, when we had leftover mashed potatoes.  I am not sure how my grandmother ever had enough leftover mashed potatoes to make them when she had to mash potatoes for 13 people, but I guess sometime she did. 

My mother-in-law only had 4 children and she used to tell me that in order to have enough leftover mashed potatoes for potato cakes, she would cook extra potatoes and put some aside for the next day.  We do love our potatoes in this part of the country. 

These are really very simple to make and just like salmon patties, everyone does it just a bit different to suit their own tastes and their families tastes.  They are also called several different names by different folks....potato cakes, potato patties, potato pancakes...all the same thing.

 This is the way my mother always made them and what we like.  Her potato cakes are a little puffier and light than some and you will see why if you make them.

 Here is what you will need:

2 cups cold mashed potatoes
1 egg
1/2 cup self rising flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbs. finely minced onion (optional, we don't use onion)
oil for frying

Mix the potatoes, egg, flour and baking powder.   Add onion if using it.   Heat about 2-3 Tbs. oil in a skillet until hot.  Make sure your oil is not enough or the potato cake will just spread out and not stay together.  

Scoop with an ice cream scoop and drop in the hot oil.  Flatten slightly, but don't mash down too much.  Cook until nice and brown on one side and then turn them over and cook until nice and brown on the other side.   Remove to a paper towel lined plate. 

Serve with a little sour cream and chives or green onion or just plain.  These are good with any meat or with beans and cornbread!

Sharon's Squash Bake!

I know many of you, like me,  look for different ways to use all of that garden yellow squash during the summer and this is a wonderful way to use some of it!   I love this squash recipe.   It's simple, but the taste is just amazing!  It was given to us, by a friend of ours, Sharon, who was my parent's neighbor for years.  She is also a really good southern cook and loves to experiment with different recipes!  Here is what you will need for this recipe:

6 medium size yellow squash, cut in 1/4 inch slices and then in half moons or a large dice

1 medium sweet onion, diced (Vidalia works well)

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 tsp. Cajun seasoning (can use seasoned salt)

black pepper to taste

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1 sleeve butter crackers, crushed (like Ritz)

4 Tbs. butter melted

In a skillet over medium heat saute the onion and squash in the olive oil just until crisp tender.   Sprinkle with the Cajun seasoning (we use Tony Cachere's) or seasoned salt and a sprinkling of black pepper.   Add the Parmesan cheese, Cheddar cheese,  and the sour cream and stir together.   Place in a shallow casserole dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. 

Mix the crushed cracker crumbs with the melted butter and sprinkle evenly over the top! 

Place in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until it is just browning and bubbly.

This is so good served with fresh tomato slices and maybe some Southern Green Beans with New Potatoes and Bacon!





Mama's Old Fashioned Breaded Tomatoes!

  

When I posted the recipe for Mama's Macaroni and Tomatoes , I was surprised how many of you said that Breaded Tomatoes was also a comfort food for you.   I don't know why I was surprised, because I have always loved my mother's breaded tomatoes.   She has been making them as far back as I can remember and I am sure her mother made them before her. 

 Tomatoes are something there are usually always plenty of in the South, fresh in the summer and canned tomatoes the rest of the year.  You just can't beat tomatoes you can yourself.  The flavor is just so much better than store bought.   Mama usually always has her own canned tomatoes and that is what she uses, but you can make these with the crushed canned tomatoes you buy at the store also and it's still good.   The other keys to good breaded tomatoes are you have to use white bread, real butter and don't skimp on the sugar.   Here is what you will need:

1 quart (32. oz.) canned tomatoes, do not drain (if buying store bought, buy the crushed tomatoes)

10 slices of day old white bread (like sandwich bread)

1/2 cup sugar

4 Tbs. butter (1/2 stick)

Pour the tomatoes in a 2 quart casserole that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.  Stir in the sugar.  Tear 8 slices of the bread in pieces (leave the crusts on) and gently mix into the tomatoes. 

Break the other two slices in pieces and lay right on top.  Cut the butter in thin pats and just cover the top.  

Place in a 375 degree oven and bake for 45 minutes. 

This is just a really simple dish, but it tastes like home to me!



Lemon Chess Pie!

Chess Pie is about as southern as pie gets!  The history of where Chess Pie got it's name is debatable, but it's a pie that has been around for many, many years.  In my part of the country, Chess Pie was probably made much more than even Pecan Pie back in the day, due to the fact that pecans do not grow in our area and were not as readily available.   Some say Chess Pie and Pecan Pie taste the same, but they do not taste all that similar to me.  Pecan Pie is more syrupy and Chess Pie is more of a custard like consistency. 

There are variations on the flavors of Chess Pie and this Lemon Chess Pie is one of those variations.  I like the addition of the lemon, because the tartness of the lemon cuts the sugar somewhat in this very rich pie. 

  Here is what you will need for this "Lemon Chess Pie":

1 unbaked 9" deep dish pie shell

1 stick butter, melted (1/2 cup)

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (you will need about 2 fresh lemons)

2 Tbs. lemon zest

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1Tbs. flour

2 Tbs. cornmeal

1 tsp. white vinegar

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 cup half and half

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together butter and sugar.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.  Place the unbaked pie shell on a cookie sheet.  Pour the mixture in the shell and carefully place in the oven on the center rack.  

Bake for 45-50 minutes.  The top will brown, but do not overbrown it.   The thin brown crust on top is typical for a Chess Pie.  Allow to cool before slicing!  

Serve plain or...

with a dollop of whipped cream!  Delicious!



Homemade Gingerbread!



 Nothing smells any better baking than gingerbread to me!  It also smells like Fall and holidays!  For some reason gingerbread makes me slightly nostalgic for a time gone by.  I don't know why, because I am not much of a person to live in the past, but I always think of relatives long gone when doing anything having to do with gingerbread.   Just the smell of it, reminds me of being a little girl and my mother making it or relatives who made it. 

This recipe is well over 100 years old and has been passed down in my family through the generations.  My own mother got it from her great aunt so you can see that it is very old and dates back to the late 1800's at least. 

You will notice it calls for butter or lard, which back then would be the two choices you had for baking.  I realize most of you won't use lard, but I am keeping the recipe authentic.  Feel free to use shortening if you don't use the butter.

To make good gingerbread, you have to have good molasses or as the type here in Kentucky is called, sorghum molasses.  Kentucky and Tennessee are the top producing states for sorghum and therefore sorghum syrup or molasses.   Making syrup or sorghum molasses is very labor intensive and just about a dying art.  

The sorghum used in this gingerbread came from a Mennonite farm a county over from ours that still grow sorghum and make the molasses with it. 

This gingerbread is the cake like version instead of the cookies some people think of and it's good served just plain, sprinkled with some powdered sugar or with a warm caramel sauce. 

 Here is what you will need:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter or lard

2 eggs

1 cup molasses

2  1/2 cups all purpose flour

1  1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1  1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1 cup hot water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together sugar and butter (or lard).  Add eggs and mix. Add molasses.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. 

Add the flour mixture to the sugar, butter and egg mixture and then beat in the hot water.  Mix just until combined. 

Pour into a shallow baking pan that has been well greased or sprayed with nonstick baking spray.   Use a 9"x13" pan with and edge on it.    Bake for about 25 minutes.

Cool slightly before cutting.

Serve sprinkled with powdered sugar!

Or with a warm caramel sauce and a dollop of whipped cream for something even more special!



Caramel Sauce
1 stick butter (1/ 2 cup)
1 cup milk
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

To make the warm caramel sauce, which you can serve over each piece or without, mix the butter, milk and the sugars in saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil.  Allow this to boil for 3 full minutes, stirring constantly.   Remove from heat and stir in 1 tsp. of vanilla.   This will thicken as it sits, but should be served slightly warm over each piece.