Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Sweet Potato Pie

Today's recipe is from this blog's first guest blogger. Lynn Heinmuller Fisher, one of my Davidge relatives, is an East Coast native who relocated with her family to Midland, Texas earlier this year. She's been busy with her holiday cooking and last night sent me this message to share with all of you:

Here is what is in the oven right now. I highly recommend this EASY and excellent recipe. Can be frozen too! A note about volume, this calls for a 9 inch pie shell, I have 2 9 inch deep dish pie shells and have extra filling - perhaps a 10 or 12 inch pie shell would work better.

1 9 in pie shell
2 Cups cooked and cooled sweet potatoes
1/4 lb butter softened
2 eggs separated
1 Cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp each Ginger, Cinnamon, Nutmeg
1/2 Cup evaporated milk
1/4 Cup white sugar
_________________________________
BEAT all ingredients except egg whites and sugar
WHIP egg whites and sugar to Stiff Peaks
FOLD egg whites into sweet potato mixture
BAKE @ 400 for 10 minutes then 350 for 30 min.

YUM!

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Banana Bread

This recipe is from Shirley Murray, who worked at Camp Rice Moody in Reading, Mass., the Girl Scout day camp my grandmother Norma Cox (Coxie) ran for many years. I spent many summers at that camp beginning when I was too young to be a Brownie Scout; one summer while in college I worked as a swimming instructor/lifeguard at Rice Moody.

Shirley Murray had two daughters and what I remember about all three of them is that they always wore their hair in braids: Mrs. Murray wrapped hers around her head and the two girls each had two long braids.

I've made this banana bread for years, as has my mother, and when she was alive, my grandmother. It is quick, easy, and delicious.

Banana Bread
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

3 or 4 very ripe bananas mashed with fork
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted shortening (I use butter)
1 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cups chopped walnuts (optional)
1 egg

Mash bananas, add shortening and sugar, mix with fork.
Sift dry ingredients onto banana mix.
Add vanilla and nuts if using.
Drop in unbeaten egg.

Bake in standard loaf pan for 45-50 minutes.
May also be made in 3-4 miniloaf pans; bake 30-35 minutes.
When done, remove from oven and cool 10 minutes on wire rack.
Run knife around edge of loaf to loosen; invert pan and remove loaf, leave on wire rack until cooled completely.
Wrap; may be frozen.

Cranberry Orange Bread

For many years I made and gave Christmas cookies to co-workers: several different kinds. The past two years the cookies haven't happened until after I start my Christmas vacation; what do I give my co-workers?

When giving gifts, I try to give only things that are consumed; things that get'used up' rather than taking up space. Last year I decided to give miniloaves of quick breads: cranberry orange (a favorite since childhood - my mother's is still the best..), banana bread (quick, easy, and tasty), and pumpkin bread.

Today's recipe: Cranberry orange bread. A childhood favorite of mine. Moist, flavorful, and tasty. A Thanksgiving and Christmas staple in our house.

Cranberry orange bread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 orange
2 tablespoons melted butter
boiling water
1 egg
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chopped raw cranberries

Sift first five ingredients together.
To juice and grated rind of orange, add 2 tablespoons melted shortening, and boiling water to make 3/4 cup liquid.
Add with beaten egg to dry ingredients, mix well.
Add nuts and cranberries, mix well.

Bake in standard loaf pan for 1 hour or in three or four mini loaf pans for 25-30 minutes. A toothpick inserted into center of loaf should come out clean when done.

Cool for 10 minutes, in pan, on wire rack. Run knife around edge of pan, turn breads out of pan(s) onto rack and cool completely. Wrap well. May be frozen.