Living 2 Eat |

This incredible recipe is one of Georgia’s finest.  It comes from Mrs. Lauren McMann of Blairsville, Georgia.  No doubt, it will become a favorite of yours after the first bite!

Strawberry Sour Cream Pound Cake

1 cup butter, room temperature
2 3/4 cups sugar
6 eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon strawberry extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
1 cup sliced strawberries
Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and sugar in large bowl of electric mixer; add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add strawberry and vanilla extract; mix well. Sift flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, mixing until well blended. Fold in sliced strawberries.

Spoon batter into a greased and floured tube pan; bake for 1 ½ hours or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pan for 15 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

Special thanks to Mrs. Mae L. Brown of Elberton, Georgia for this Southern classic.    If you were raised in the South and attended a church social, you know this dish well!

Crackling “Sausage” Cornbread

1 pound sausage
2 cups self-rising cornmeal
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cook sausage until no longer pink. Drain well.

Combine sausage with remaining ingredients. Spoon into muffin tins.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Yield: 12 muffins

You can use this same recipe to make Strawberry Bread by omitting pineapple and bananas and using the same amount of crushed strawberries.

Mrs. Emma Spinks
Rockmart, Georgia

Banana Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup vegetable oil
1 (8-oz.) can crushed pineapple, undrained
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped Georgia pecans
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups mashed bananas

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine dry ingredients, stir in nuts and set aside. Combine wet ingredients, add to dry ingredients and stir until well combined. Pour into 2 greased and floured loaf pans.

Bake for 1 hour 5 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before turning out of pans.

Strawberry Yum-Yum

2 cups of flour
2 sticks of margarine
1 cup of chopped nuts
8 ounces of cream cheese
2 1/2 cups of confectioners’ sugar, sifted
8 ounces whipped topping
1 quart fresh strawberries, wash and remove stems
1 package strawberry glaze

Layer 1
In a bowl, mix flour, margarine and nuts. Spread in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool.

Layer 2
Cream together cream cheese, sugar and whipped topping. Spread on cooled first layer.

Layer 3
Mix strawberries with the glaze that has been prepared according to package directions. Spread over the second layer.

The Breakers in Palm Beach has a version of this salad and it is wonderful.   Although I am not a salad kind of guy, I do love the taste of the various ‘ingredients’, and coupled with a Vidalia dressing, it is a homerun.   A really good basic Vidalia dressing can be found at Sam’s or Costco.  

Easy Spring Salad

1 package spring salad mix
Desired amount shredded Monterey Jack or feta cheese
Grapes, cranraisins, or blueberries to taste
Toasted pecans to taste
Sweet Vidalia vinaigrette dressing

Mix salad mix, cheese and cut-up grapes or your other choice of fruit. Add chopped pecans to salad and toss with dressing just before serving.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Growing up, my father loved copper pennies and always asked that my mother make them on special occasions.    Brady, Brundi and I never cared for them, but they are a hot item on any Southern menu.

Copper Pennies

2 pounds carrots, sliced in rounds (4 cups)
2 medium onions sliced thin, separated
1 medium green pepper, cut in strips
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 can condensed tomato soup
1 teaspoon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup vinegar
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup cooking oil

Cook carrots in salted boiling water until tender (8 to 10 minutes). Drain. Combine with onions and pepper in large bowl. Stir together remaining ingredients. Pour over carrots. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

This is the ultimate in comfort food.  I prefer to delete the garlic salt from this recipe (from the South Carolina Farm Bureau cookbook).

Hamburger Biscuit Casserole

2 pounds ground beef
1/2 - 1 cup chopped onion
1 14-ounce can tomato sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
2 8-ounce cans buttermilk biscuits
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 8-ounce container sour cream
2 eggs, beaten

In large frying pan, brown ground beef and onion. Stir in tomato sauce, chili powder and garlic salt. Simmer while preparing dough.

Separate 1 can of biscuit dough; pull apart each into 2 layers. Press biscuit layers over bottom of ungreased 10 x 13-inch baking pan.

Combine 1/2 cup of Cheddar cheese (reserve remaining cheese for topping), sour cream and eggs; mix well. Remove meat mixture from heat and stir in sour cream mixture; spoon over dough. Arrange remaining biscuit layers (pull apart in two layers) on top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until biscuits are golden brown.

Hint: To reheat, bake loosely covered with foil, at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes until heated through. To make ahead: prepare, cover and refrigerate up to 2 hours before baking.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.
Yield: 8 servings

Fresh Blueberry Pudding

2 cups fresh blueberries
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
3/4 cup of sugar
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup of milk
1 cup of flour
3/4 cup of sugar
Dash salt
1 tablespoon of cornstarch
3/4 cup of boiling water

Line the bottom of a greased 8 x 8-inch baking dish with blueberries. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

Cream three quarter cup sugar with butter and milk. Add flour and spread over blueberries. Mix three quarter cup sugar, cornstarch and salt together and sprinkle over batter.

Pour boiling water over the top and do not stir!  

Bake at 375 degrees for one hour.

Butter Pecan Tarts

1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 stick salted butter, melted
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients in a bowl with a wooden spoon. Spoon into greased mini-muffin tins or paper lined mini-muffin tins. Fill each cup two thirds full. Garnish each muffin with a pecan half, if desired.

Bake 12-14 minutes.

Yield: 2 1/2 to 3 dozen

Being raised in Immokalee, I have eaten my fair share of fowl.   Quail was always a treat.   Suppose my favorite version of quail is found at Commanders Palace in New Orleans… but that recipe is lengthy and complicated.  But, this recipe is easy and truly Southern.

Ben

Smothered Quail

6 quail
6 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons self-rising flour
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup sherry
 Salt and pepper to taste

Wash and season quail with salt and pepper as desired.  Melt butter in a heavy skillet and brown quail.

Remove quail from butter and place in a deep baking dish. Add flour to butter in skillet and stir well. Slowly add chicken broth and sherry, blend well with a wire whisk. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Bring sauce to a boil, remove from stove and pour over quail. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until quails stick tender.

This recipe can be found in the South Carolina Farm Bureau cookbook.