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Downhome Recipes

Walking with Grandma
(We found this among my grandmother Eunice Jernigan Gillis' pictures.)

I like to walk with Grandma,
Her steps are short like mine
She doesn’t say, "Now hurry up,
"She always takes her time.
 I like to walk with Grandma:
Her eyes see things mine do—
Wee pebbles bright,
a funny cloud,
Half hidden drop of dew.
Most people have to hurry;
They do not stop and see.
I’m glad that God made GRANDMAS,
Unrushed and young like me!
WCTU Messenger, Colorado

Muddin was a wonderful grandmother with an infectious laugh accented by delightful dimples and sparkling blue eyes.

 

A Delicate Cake for Tea

Aunt Pat’s Lemon Cheese Cake

Apricot Delight Salad

Apricot Jell-O Topping

Black Cherry Salad

Chicken Wiggle

Coconut Cake Icing

Coconut Frosting

Cold Fruit Soup

Cranberry Relish

Delicate Tea Cakes

Devils Food Cake Icing

Easy Cranberry Salad

Elkanah’s Favorite Devil Food Cake

Honey Almond Cranberry Bread

Jean Burson's Chicken Pie

Jean's Chocolate Cake

Lemon white icing for Aunt Pat’s Lemon cheesecake

Mammy's Tea Cakes

Mammy’s Lane Cake

Muddin's Chocolate Fudge Icing

Muddin's Coconut Cake

Mexican Corn Bread

Muddin's Egg Custard

Muddin's Favorite Pound Cake

Muddin's Perfection Salad

Muddin's Prune Cake

Muddin's Prune Whip Cake

Muddin's Sour Cream Cake

Mulled Cranberry Cocktail

Naomi's Buttermilk Cake

Naomi’s Butter Nut Cake

Naomi’s Spiced Tea

Never Fail Sponge Cake

Sybil Mitchell's Fudge Pie

Sybil’s Open House Perka-A-Punch


 







Muddin's Prune Cake

2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda
1 tablespoon cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup shortening
1 cup prunes – cooked
Topping
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup cream or top milk
1/2 pound prunes
1 cup pecans
Tablespoons butter

Combine the ingredients above the filling. Cook at 350 degrees. Add topping. Source: "Pat Gillis Cooper"

Jean Burson's Chicken Pie

My husband Joel likes this dish of my Mother's better than any other. 

1 Chicken -- boiled

1 Can Veg-all Mixed Vegetables

1 Can Mushroom Soup

Salt and Pepper

Chicken Broth

2 Eggs -- boiled

2 Pillsbury Pie Crusts

Boil chicken seasoning with chicken bouillon

Set chicken aside to cool. Keep broth.

Grease casserole dish and line with one of the

Pillsbury pie crusts. Cut up chicken and arrange in

dish. Add Veg-All. Add Mushroom Soup. Add about

a cup of chicken broth, or to desired consistency.

Blend. Add salt and pepper. Layer eggs along the top.

Lattice strips of piecrust on top. Bake at 375.

 

Lemon white icing

1 cup sugar -- 1/3

1/3 cup water

2 Tablespoons light corn syrup

2 egg whites

1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

Combine sugar, water and corn syrup.

Cook over medium heat until soft peaks form Continue to heat slowly adding

hot syrup mixture. Add powdered sugar and vanilla beating until

frosting is thick enough to spread. Source: "Pat Gillis Cooper"

Aunt Pat’s Lemon Cheese Cake 

My Aunt Pat was our family's best cook. This was my father's favorite cake and she baked it for him as comfort food. I remember after my Aunt Elizabeth passed away, his last sibling to remain, my mother's sisters, Virginia and Pat prepared us a meal as we stopped in Brewton on our way from being with Aunt Elizabeth as she passed away on the way to the Palmer Cemetery in Furman for the funeral. This cake represents love.

 

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup milk

3 1/4 cups cake flour

2 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 egg yolk

Cream sugar and butter. Combine flour, baking powder, salt

and add to creamed mixture. Alternate with milk mixture.

Stir in flavoring. Beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into mixture

of batter. Pour batter into 3 floured and greased 9 inch cake pans.

Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool. Add Lemon Cheese

Filling between the layers and Lemony White Icing on the cake.

 

Chicken Wiggle

After Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner, we were sure to see this on the table. I love it!!!

1 Chicken -- cooked and chopped

1 Can English Peas

1 Can Mushrooms

1 Small Bottle Pimento

Chicken Bouillon

1 Package Egg Noodles

Boil the chicken with 1 tablespoon of bouillon.

Cool the chicken and cut into small pieces. Cook noodles in chicken broth and bouillon. Salt and pepper to taste. Add other ingredients and simmer for 15 or twenty minutes.

Mother’s favorite ingredients have always been tomatoes, onions, bouillon, and garlic salt.

 

Mammy's Tea Cakes

Mammy made these when I had "company."

Recipe By :

2 Cups Sugar

1 Cup Crisco

1/2 Cup Buttermilk

3 Eggs

1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla

Flour Sufficient to Make Soft Dough

Cream lard and sugar. Add beaten eggs. Sift soda and baking powder into one cup of flour.

Add this to the sugar and lard mixture. Add milk and vanilla. Continue adding small amounts of flour to make a soft dough. Put heaping teaspoon into cups of muffin pan sprayed with Pam or Baker's Joy.

Apricot Delight Salad

*My Daddy's favorite for Thanksgiving and Christmas

Recipe By :Sharman Ramsey

1 large can apricots -- chopped

1 can pineapple -- crushed

2 packages Apricot or Orange Jell-O

2 cups water -- boiling

1-cup fruit juice

3/4 cup marshmallow

Mix Jell-O with water and fruit juice till thickened or just dump. Add topping.

NOTES: This is my father's (Dr. E. G. Burson) and my children's favorite. I fix it every Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Apricot Jell-O Topping

Recipe By: Sharman Ramsey

1/2-cup sugar

3 Tablespoons flour -- Blend w/sugar

1 egg -- well beaten

1 cup apricot juice (mix 2 small cans for enough juice) Cook until thickened. Cool.

Add one carton of whipping cream whipped and chilled.

 

Black Cherry Salad

I got this recipe from my father's U of A roommate's wife Francis Cannon. Daddy and Pugh roomed together over the movie theater and in return swept out the theater. Mother and Daddy took me to Tuscaloosa and dropped me off at the Cannon's to spend the night before checking in for Rush. As they drove away, my mother leapt out of the car and ran back to me with her arms outstretched as I ran for her. If it had not been for my future husband, Joe, being there in Tuscaloosa, I would probably have been a dropout at that point. 

Francis fixed this Jell- for the meal she prepared for us all. 

Recipe By: Francis Cannon

1 1/2 cups fruit juice

1 package cherry Jell-O

1 can Bing Cherries

1 can pineapple -- crushed

1 cup almonds -- blanched and sliced

1 cup port wine

Drain cherries and pineapple well. Mix juices.

 

Heat 1 cup of juice to boiling. Dissolve Jell-O in this. Add remaining 1/2 cup of juice and 1/2 cup of port wine. When cool and beginning to set, add fruits and nuts. 1 or 2 T of lemon juice may be added if desired. Red port wine--Swiss colony is best. Source: "Frances Cannon (Mrs. Pugh Cannon)" Note: Pugh Cannon was Dr. Burson’s roommate at the University of Alabama. They cleaned the movie theater on weekends for extra money.

Tea Cakes

2 quarts of flour

1 cup of butter

1 teaspoonful of soda, dissolved in

2 tablespoonfuls of sweet milk

5 eggs

3 cupfuls of sugar

2 teaspoonfuls cream of tartar

Season with lemon or nutmeg.

Delicate Tea Cakes

Whites of 3 eggs beaten to a froth.

1 cupful of pulverized sugar

½ cupful of sweet milk.

1 teaspoonful cream of tartar

½ teaspoonful of soda

2 ½ cupfuls of flour

1 teaspoonful of almonds

½ cupful of melted butter.

 

A Delicate Cake for Tea

 

Beat the yolks and whites of two eggs separately; to the yolks add two coffee cups of sugar, and two cupfuls of sweet milk; then four tablespoonfuls butter creamed; next the white of the eggs, lastly, four cupfuls of flour with one teaspoonful soda, two teaspoonfuls cream of tartar, sifted in the flour. Bake in shallow pans.

 

Naomi’s Spiced Tea

2 cups Tang

2 ½ cups sugar

½ cup instant tea

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

1 tablespoon dehydrated lemon peel

 

Naomi’s Butter Nut Cake

3 sticks margarine

2 cups sugar

3 cups plain flour

Sift before measuring

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon soda

¼ teaspoon salt

3eggs, separate, beat white until stiff

3teaspoons butternut flavoring

Filling:

1 box 4X sugar

¾ stick butter

1 8-ounce package cream cheese

1 cup pecans

1 tablespoon butternut flavoring

Lula Pearl’s Frosted Meat Loaf

2 pounds ground beef

½ cup Kraft French dressing

½ cup dry breadcrumbs

½ cup chopped onion

2 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Mix Well and bake until done.

Frosting

2 cups hot mashed potatoes

1 beaten egg

½ cup Miracle Whip Salad dressing

Boil until light brown. Garnish with strips of pimento, mushrooms or parsley

George and Jean

 

Mexican Corn Bread

1 1/2 cups white corn meal

3 Tablespoons plain flour

1 can cream style corn

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup salad oil

2 eggs

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 Jalapeno peppers or chili peppers

2 teaspoons chopped bell peppers

1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1/4 cup green onion

Mix like corn bread. Bake in hot greased iron pan for 35 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Do not overbake. Source: "Eunice Gillis"

 

Muddin's Chocolate Fudge Icing

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup cocoa

1/4 cup milk

1 box of confectioner’s sugar

Melt butter. Add other ingredients. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Boil 1 minute. Then beat until creamy enough to spread. Source: "Eunice Gillis"

 

Muddin's Favorite Pound Cake

1 cup butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups cake flour -- sifted three times

1 teaspoon baking powder

5 small eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Cream together butter and sugar. Sift 2 cups of cake flour three times with 1-teaspoon baking powder. Add alternately whole egg then flour until used four large eggs or 5 small eggs. Add one-teaspoon vanilla, one-tablespoon fresh lemon juice. Grease pan and flour it. Do not open oven for 50 minutes.

 

Muddin's Coconut Cake

3 egg whites

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup shortening

1/2 Tablespoon vanilla

3 egg yolks

1/4 cup coconut -- grated

2 1/4 cups flour

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 tablespoon salt

3/4 cup coconut milk

Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Beat 1/2 cup sugar 2 tablespoonfuls at a time. Cream shortening and vanilla. Beat in sugar. Add egg yolks well beaten. Stir in grated coconut. Stir in dry ingredients and add coconut milk. Fold in egg whites. 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees in pan.

Coconut Cake Icing:

2 cups sugar

2 tablespoonfuls white syrup

1/2 cup water

2 egg whites

1 Tablespoon vanilla

Sprinkle fresh coconut.

Source: "Eunice Gillis"

 

Muddin's Prune Whip Cake

2 cups sifted flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon Crisco

1/2 cup prune juice

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs -- air beaten

1 cup nuts

Prune Whip Frosting

3 egg whites

1 cup Brown sugar

1 cup white powdered sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons prune juice

1 1/2 cup chopped nuts

6 prunes

 

Muddin's Perfection Salad

1 plain Gelatin

1/4 green pepper

1 cup celery -- chopped

1 1/2 cabbage -- chopped or shredded

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups water,

1/4 cup vinegar

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup carrots – chopped

 

Mix Gelatin, sugar and salt in saucepan. Add 1/4 cup water. Place over low heat till Gelatin dissolves. Remove from heat and stir in remaining water. Source: "Eunice Gillis"

Muddin's Sour Cream Cake

6 eggs

1 carton sour cream

3 cups sugar

3 cups plain flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon almond

2 sticks butter

Separate egg yolks and whites. Sift flour, salt and soda together. Beat egg yolks, sugar, sour cream, and vanilla until thoroughly mixed. Add flour mixture. Beat well. Beat egg whites and fold into mixture. Bake 1 1/2 hours at 325. Do not open for 1 hour. Source: "Eunice Gillis"

 

Never Fail Sponge Cake

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon lemon extract

1 cup flour

Beat whites stiff. Add half the sugar and beat again. Beat yolk with remainder of sugar for five minutes. THEN ADD TO WHITES AND BEAT. Stir in flour a little at a time. Bake in loaf or in two layers. Source: "Eunice Gillis"

Muddin's Egg Custard

3 cups scalded milk

3 eggs slightly beaten

1/4 Teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg or vanilla extract

1/2 cup sugar

Source: "Eunice Gillis"

Naomi's Buttermilk Cake

6 eggs

3 cups sugar

2 sticks butter

3 cups sifted cake flour

1/4 teaspoon soda

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Separate eggs. Beat egg whites with 1/2 cup sugar. Put soda in a cup of buttermilk. (Let it stand aside). Beat egg yellow, 2 sticks of butter and 2 1/2 cups of sugar until fluffy. Sift flour and add buttermilk. Add the last of the egg whites. Cook in a 300 degree oven till done.

Mammy’s Lane Cake

Batter:

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup butter

1 cup sweet milk

4 1/2 tablespoons baking powder

a little salt

8 egg whites beaten stiffly

1 teaspoon of vanilla flavoring

 

Filling:

8 yolks of eggs

1 1/2 cups of butter

1 1/2 cups of sugar

1 cup raisins

1 cup coconut

1 cup nuts

half a glass of wine

Mix butter, egg yellows and sugar. Cook a little. Then add fruit, nuts and wine and cook a little more.

Coconut Frosting

Combine in a sauce pan

2 egg whites

1 1/2 cups of sugar

5 Tablespoons of cold water

1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter

pinch of salt

Cook on high speed 5 minutes then switch to medium. Beat constantly with beater (about 7 minutes) or until frosting holds peak

Remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Continue beating 2 minutes or until stiff enough to spread. Spread on cold cake and sprinkle coconut or nuts.

Sybil Mitchell's Fudge Pie

1 stick butter melted

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup plain flour

1/4 cup cocoa (2 squares)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup nuts

Mix sugar cocoa, butter, then eggs and put in pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

 

Rosemary's Coconut Pie

1 1/2 cup milk

3 eggs separated

2 tablespoons of flour

3/4 up sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix in 1 cup of coconut while cooking the above ingredients. Pour into pie crust.

Beat 2 egg whites until stiff. Then add 4 tablespoons of sugar. Beat and then spread on the pie. After the meringue has cooked awhile

at 350 degrees add another cup of coconut to the top of the pie. Source: "Rosemary Thornton"

 

Jean's Chocolate Cake

Place in bowl 1/2 cup of shortening. Sift together into the bowl:

2 1/4 cups of sifted cake flour

1 3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon salt

Add

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup sour milk

Beat two minutes on medium speed.

Add

2 1 ounce squares of melted chocolate.

2 eggs

1/2 cup of sour milk

Scrape the bowl and beat 2 minutes.

Bake in 2 8 inch greased and floured pans at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

 

Elkanah’s Favorite Devil Food Cake

¾ cup butter

1 ½ cup sugar

2 eggs

2 cups flour

½ cup cocoa

1 teaspoon soda

1 cup sour milk

Cream butter and sugar. Beat eggs and add to mixture. Sift flour, cocoa, and soda together and add alternating with milk. Bake 2 layers in moderate oven. Cool and ice.

Devils Food Cake Icing

1 tablespoon butter

box of confectioner’s sugar

2 squares of melted chocolate

1 cup of sour cream and one teaspoon of vanilla

 

Cold Fruit Soup

1 12 ounce can frozen orange juice, mixed as directed

1 ½ cups sugar

6 whole cloves

1 2" cinnamon stick

4 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries (sliced and drained)

2 ripe bananas sliced

1 can (16 oz.)

Reserve ½ cup orange juice.

Put remaining juice in large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add spices. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.

Blend cornstarch in ½ cup orange juice to make a smooth paste. Stir into hot mixture. Cook and stir until thick. Boil for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Pour into large bowl. Cover and chill. When ready to serve , remove spices and add fruit. Source: Sybil Mitchel

 

Easy Cranberry Salad

1 lb. Cranberries

1 lb. Seeded grapes halved (canned may be used)

1 lb. Miniature marshmallows

1 cup chopped nuts

1 cup sugar

1 pint whipping cream, whipped

Mix the ingredients thoroughly in a large bowl. Chill and serve.

 

Sybil’s Open House Perka-A-Punch

2 quarts cranberry juice

2 quarts unsweetened pineapple juice

1 quart water

2/3 cups brown sugar

1 Tablespoon whole cloves

1 Tablespoon whole allspice

2" cinnamon sticks

2 lemons sliced and quartered

Put juice and water in 30 cup percolator. Place other ingredients in percolator basket.

Perk for 30 minutes—makes 28 servings or 5 quarts.

 

Honey Almond Cranberry Bread

Makes 2 9 by 5 by 3 loaves

cups biscuit mix

1 teaspoon ground allspice

2 cups fresh cranberries rinsed and drained

Grated peel of one orange

1 cup chopped blanched almonds

2 eggs, well-beaten

1 cup honey

½ cup milk

½ cup orange

Combine the biscuit mix, allspice, cranberries, orange peel and almonds. Add well-beaten eggs, honey, milk and orange juice and beat until well-blended.

Spoon mixture into two greased and floured 9x5x3 loaf pans. Bake in a moderate oven at 350 degrees 50 to 55 minutes or until top springs back when touched. Remove from pans and cool thoroughly on a rack. Slice thinly to make sandwiches. Suggested fillings—cream cheese and jelly—deviled ham and thinly sliced apples—or for the children, peanut butter and jelly.

Cranberry Relish

cups or 1 lb. Fresh cranberries

oranges, quartered

1 apple quartered

1 lemon quartered

2 cups sugar

Put cranberries and the fruit, including the peel, but not the seeds—through a food grinder—coarse blade—or use your blender. Stir in sugar and chill.

This relish keeps well for several weeks in the refrigerator.

 

Mulled Cranberry Cocktail

2 cups cranberry juice

2 cups apple juice

½ cup maple flavored syrup

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

Combine all ingredients. Heat just to boiling point. Pour into mugs and garnish each with a marshmallow.

Source: Sybil Mitchell

 

 

 

 

 

   

Recipes