BANANA & BLUEBERRY BREAD
2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick margarine
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups mashed bananas (4-5 medium bananas)
3/4 cup buttermilk (or whole milk to which a tablespoon vinegar added and let stand 10 min.)
1 1/2 cups blueberries (fresh, frozen, or canned)

Cream margarine and sugar until well mixed. Add bananas, nuts and eggs stirring until well blended.
Mix dry ingredients together and add alternately with milk to the banana mixture. Add vanilla and
fold in blueberries.

Grease two 9x5 loaf pans. Pour batter into pans and bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until loaf
tests as done. If top is browning too fast, cover with foil.

Source: 1984 New Orleans Times Picayune Cookbook recipe contest
First place in bread category - Diane Centanni

Back to Top

BLUEBERRY SAUCE
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed if necessary
1/4 cup each orange juice and water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt

Combine all ingredients in saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat 4 to 5 minutes or until thickened. Makes about 2 cups.
Serving Tip: Serve on pancakes, waffles, blintzes, ice cream, puddings or pound or angel food cakes.

Back to Top

BREAD PUDDING
12 egg yolks
2 cup sugar
1 stick margarine, melted
1 T. cornstarch
1 T. vanilla
8 hamburger buns (reg size)
1/2 gallon milk
optional - raisins, apples, etc.

Break buns into chunks. Soak in milk. Beat egg yolks, sugar, margaine, cornstarch and vanilla. Add to bread/milk mixture. Add fruit if desired. Pour into a 9X12 pan sprayed with Pam. Place in larger pan; fill with hot water at least half way up sides of pan. Cook in 300-325 degree oven for 1 hour or until custard tests done.
Meringue:
12 egg whites
1/2-1 t. cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar
Beat together - Place on pudding - Bake 350 degrees till brown

Back to Top

CHOCOLATE CAKE
2 pkg (4 oz each) German Sweet chocolate
3 T. water
2 pkg. (3 oz each) Cream cheese, softened
2 cups confectioners sugar
1 t. vanilla
3 1/2 cups Cool Whip
2 baked 9 inch chocolate cake layers, cooled and split into 4 layers

Stir chocolate with water and heat until melted. Beat this into cream cheese with
mixer. Beat in sugar and vanilla. Blend 1/3 of this mixture into the Cool Whip.
Fill layers with this mixture. Frost top and sides with the 2/3 that did not have
Cool Whip added. Store cake in refrigerator.

Back to Top

CREAM PUFFS
1 cup water
1 stick butter or margarine
1 cup flour
1/4 t. salt
4 large eggs

Heat water and margarine to boiling in a deep saucepan. Add flour and salt all at once. Stir fast, still over heat until batter follows spoon around pan.
Take pan from heat, allow to cool slightly. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Batter should be shiny-smooth, thick, and holding its shape.
Spoon batter into mounds two inches apart on a non stick baking sheet. Swirl each mound so it will burst into puffs as it bakes. (I make 10 or 11 out of this and can stretch to 12.)
Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes until puffed and golden. Do not open oven during baking. Remove from cookie sheet and cool on rack. When nearly cool, cut off top, pull out any necessary puff to make a large cavity for filling and fill with the following cream filling.
Makes 10 large puffs.

1 1/2 cups sugar
7 T. cornstarch
1/2 t. salt
4 cups milk - needs to be rich whole milk to be really good - like Kleinpeter Golden Gurnsey
4 egg yolks, beaten slightly
2 T. margarine
2 t. vanilla extract

In a 2 qt container that will fit in microwave - blend sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually add the milk, mixing well. Microwave on high. Stir every 3 or 4 minutes. When mixture begins to thicken, stir a small amount into the beaten egg yolks, and then stir this mixture into the hot pudding. Cook until smooth and thick. Remove from microwave, add margarine and vanilla extract and mix well. Fill puffs, cover hole with piece removed earlier, and dust with confectioners sugar if desired.

Back to Top

DEATH BY CHOCOLATE
Bake 2 layer chocolate cake from mix. (any - devils food, fudge, German choc )
Use 1 layer to serve 12 people.

Break cake into pieces in a container that can be covered with plastic wrap. Pour
1/2 cup Kahlua over the broken cake, cover tightly, and set overnight, or at least
several hours. A trifle bowl works well.

Prepare 2 boxes of chocolate Jello mousse or the equivalent of another brand.
(I used three boxes of Knorr Mouse)
Spread over cake. Top this with 8 oz. Cool Whip. Crush 3 Heath Bars and
sprinkle on top. Refrigerate.

Back to Top

HUMMINGBIRD CAKE
3 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup salad oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (8oz.) can crushed pineapple, undrained
2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (1 cup for cake, one for frosting)
2 cups chopped bananas

Frosting: 1(8oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 stick margarine
1 box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine cream cheese and margarine and cream till smooth. Add powdered sugar beating until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla.
Combine dry ingredients in large mixing bowl. Add eggs and oil, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened. Do not beat. Stir in vanilla, pineapple, pecans and bananas.
Spoon batter into 3 well-greased and floured 9 inch cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely.
Spread frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with the 1 cup chopped pecans.

Back to Top

LEMON MERINGUE PIE

9 inch pie shell baked (not too brown because has to return to brown meringue) 425 - 450 degrees
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups boiling water
3 eggs yolks (4 if not large)
6 Tablespoons lemon juice (3-4 lemons)
1 1/2 Tablespoons grated lemon rind (I just grate some from each lemon into bowl and add the juice to it)
1 Tablespoon butter or margarine

Mix sugar and starch in thick saucepan. Add boiling water, stirring constantly. (Don't boil water so as to change the measured amount) Cook till thick. Add beaten egg yolks, butter, juice and rind. Continue to stir and cook till thick enough not to be runny.
Filled baked crust with this mixture, cooled slightly
Beat egg whites with pinch cream of tartar and approx. 1 Tablespoon confectioners sugar per egg. Add cream of tartar before beating at all and then the sugar when almost stiff enough. Brown meringue in 350 degree oven.

Back to Top

LEMON MERINGUE PIE II
9 or 10 inch pie shell baked (not too brown because has to return to brown meringue) 425 - 450 degrees
2 cups sugar
6 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups boiling water
4 eggs yolks
8 Tablespoons lemon juice (4, maybe 5 lemons)
3 Tablespoons grated lemon rind (I just grate some from each lemon into bowl and add the juice to it) – can even use more if want very tart
2 Tablespoon butter or margarine

Mix sugar and starch in thick saucepan. Add boiling water, stirring constantly. (Don't boil water so as to change the measured amount) Cook till thick. Add beaten egg yolks, butter, juice and rind. Continue to stir and cook till thick enough not to be runny.

Filled baked crust with this mixture, cooled slightly

Beat egg whites with pinch cream of tartar and approx. 1 Tablespoon confectioners sugar per egg. Add cream of tartar before beating at all and then the sugar when almost stiff enough. Brown meringue in 350 degree oven.

Back to Top

SPICED PEACHES
1 piece ginger root (sometimes we do not put this)
2 sticks cinnamon
1 Tablespoon whole allspice
1 Tablespoon whole cloves
4 cups sugar
3 cups vinegar
1 1/2 to 2 cups water
24 – 30 firm-ripe, peeled peaches

We just put spices loose in syrup – never have tied them up. Put all but peaces in pot, bring to boil and let medium boil 2 or 3 minutes to get spices into syrup. Add peeled peaches few at a time and cook slightly (will kind of change color). Lift out peaches and continue till all peaches done. With all peaches removed, bring to rolling boil, put all peaches back into syrup (container must hold all of them), turn off or remove from burner, cover and let set overnight – Next day you can package in syrup and freeze or will keep in fridge for probably 6 weeks.

Back to Top

STRAWBERRY MUFFINS
3 cups All-purpose Flour
2 cups Granulated Sugar
1 Tbs. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
2 cups fresh Strawberries; rinsed, hulled, and sliced
1 cup Vegetable Oil
3 large Eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups Walnuts or Pecans, chopped

Pre-heat oven to 375-F degrees and lightly oil full-size muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine the strawberries, vegetable oil, and eggs. Stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Gently fold the chopped nuts into the batter.
Fill the prepared muffin tins three-quarters full and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the muffins test done in the center.
Remove the muffins from the tins after cooling for a few minutes, and repeat the process until all the muffin batter is used.

Back to Top

STRAWBERRY SNOW
1 angel food cake
8 oz cream cheese
12 oz Cool Whip
1 cup milk
3 cups confectioners sugar

Whip together and pour over broken cake. Slice 2 to 3 pints fresh strawberries, sugar and let stand to
draw juice. (Large bag of frozen can be used)

1 1/3 cups water
1 cup sugar
red food coloring
1 tsp lemon juice
3 T corn starch

Bring above ingredients to a boil. Remove from heat and fold in 1/2 pkg strawberry jello. Chill
slightly and fold in strawberries. Pour over first layer and refrigerate.

Back to Top