No More Taking The Easy Way Out

Ladies, I owe you an apology. I’ve been told by what I thought was a good family friend that I have “ruined good women,” by taking the easy way out – by printing recipes that call for store-bought pie shells, boxes of cake mix, Bisquick, etc. I am sorry to all of you for trying to simplify your lives and I won’t take the easy way out again, at least for this week, anyway! I was just sitting there, enjoying good food and fellowship with friends and neighbors at Bethelview Methodist Church’s spring Pinto Bean Supper – never had a better time – when the husband of a hard-working woman and one of the best cooks around came up to me, politely offering to fill my water glass, while at the same time telling me that I had ruined good cooks by filling their heads full of crazy notions. Gary Brown, you might read my column every week, but I can almost bet that your sweet wife, Linda, has never succumbed to using my shortcut recipes. Of course, it might do her good if she did, after I see her grubbing stumps in the yard and working harder than most men when I pass by that lovely home of yours every day!

So, now that we’ve got that out of the way, I guess I’ve been shamed to reach far back in the corners of my recipe files and find something that ain’t too easy. Friendship means a lot to me and I sure do like ol’ Gary. I hope this makes him happy.

Martha White Corn Meal Supper Biscuits

1 ½ cups Martha White® Self-Rising Flour
½ cup Martha White® Self-Rising Corn Meal Mix
1 teaspoon sugar
1/3cup shortening
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
(14 biscuits)

Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly grease cookie sheet. In medium bowl, combine flour, corn meal mix and sugar; mix well. With pastry blender or fork, cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add buttermilk; stir with fork until a soft dough forms and mixture pulls away from sides of bowl.

On lightly floured surface and with floured hands, knead dough just until smooth. Roll out dough to ½ -inch thickness. Cut with floured 2-inch round cutter; place biscuits on greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 450 degrees F. for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Old Fashioned Cornbread Dressing

1 pan baked cornbread, cooled
1 bunch celery, washed, trimmed, chopped
1 large loaf light bread (sandwich white bread)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
4 to 6 eggs
1 teaspoon powdered sage
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
Coarsely chopped meat of 1 boiled chicken or fryer chicken
1 to 2 large onions, chopped

Chicken or turkey stock and pan drippings in which the chicken or turkey was cooked, or 2 to 3 cans commercial chicken stock

With hands, crumble cornbread and light bread together. Add seasonings. Stir in eggs, chicken meat, onions, celery, and moisten with the chicken stock or drippings. Mixture will be soupy. If it is dry, add more chicken stock. Turn mixture into large, well-greased sheet cake pan or roasting pan. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for about one hour to one and a half hours or until top of dressing is golden brown. If making giblet gravy, ½ to ¾ cup of the dressing may be removed to stir into the giblet gravy to thicken it either before or after cooking, or at any time during the baking process.

Grandmaw’s Sour Cream Chocolate Scratch Cake

3 squares unsweetened chocolate melted and cooled
2 ¼ cups brown sugar
½ cup unsalted butter softened
3 eggs
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. cornstarch
2 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream
1 cup boiling water

Double Chocolate Icing:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips melted and cooled
¼ cup shortening or unsalted butter
¾ cupunsalted butter or unsalted margarine
3-4 cups confectioners’ sugar, measured then sifted
1/3 cup cocoa, measured then sifted
½ cup cream or half-and-half

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 (9-inch) layer pans and line with parchment paper circles or a 9 by 13 inch rectangular pan. Cream the melted, cooled chocolate with the butter. Add the sugar until fluffy and well blended. Add the eggs, a bit at a time until mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk dry ingredients to blend. Add dry ingredients, along with sour cream to the batter, alternating dry ingredients and sour cream until batter is smooth, mixing on low speed of mixer, scraping bowl often. Add boiling water. Batter will be thin. Pour into
prepared pans.

Bake 35-40 minutes until cake springs back when gently pressed with fingertips. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto cake rack.

Chocolate Icing:
Cream shortening and butter or margarine together with l cup of the confectioners’ sugar. Add remaining confectioners’ sugar, cocoa and melted chocolate. Whip on high speed, add in a bit of milk or cream to get light, fluffy consistency. If not using right away, re-whip before using. Add additional milk or cream to get correct consistency (a tablespoon at a time.)

 

Don’t forget your copy of “Lovin’ Spoonful . . . Cooking With Family and Friends,” a compilation of nearly 400 mouth-watering recipes by Sherrie Norris. It is available at all locations of High Country Media – Boone, Banner Elk, West Jefferson, and at The Avery Journal in Newland, all Boone Drugs, Black Bear Books, Trailway Laundry, Wilcox Emporium,( top level, booth 312-W,) and beginning June 15 at Mast Store locations.