Coconut Pound Cake

Whilst official origin of this confection is unknown, it's been passed down from the kitchens of Margaret Miller Stewart and Sue Stewart Stranathan. (Ugly rumors hint it may have come from a magazine!)

When properly cooked, this cake develops a thick, crunchy crust that bursts with flavor. Pound cakes store well. Slices can be toasted or pan-grilled to add more crunchy crust or simply to restore that "just baked" flavor.

At least one brave (now ecstatic) soul strayed from Grandma's tried-and-true instructions. Butter was substituted for both shortening and margerine. As of December 2013 this change has been kitchen-tested and Dave-Approved. Results are sinful. Occupy Confessionals as needed.

Ingredients

⅔ c shortening	½ c margarine	3 c granulated sugar	5 large eggs
3 c flour	½ tsp salt	1 tsp baking powder
1 c milk	1½ tsp vanilla	1 c coconut flakes

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees (F).
2. Flour a bundt or ring pan.
3. Mix flour, salt, and baking powder together and set aside.
4. Beat sugar, margarine, and shortening together until smooth.  Add eggs to sugar mixture and beat until smooth.
5. Continue beating and alternating with the milk, slowly add flour mixture and milk to the sugar and egg mixture.
6. Add vanilla and slowly add coconut to the batter, beating until the coconut is evenly distributed. (Note: Coconut tends to collect on the beaters, so you may wish to mix it into the batter with a spoon. Otherwise, be sure to remove and stir it back into the batter.)
7. Pour batter into floured cake pan and place pan on cookie sheet (to catch any spillover during cooking.)
8. Bake for 70-80 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
9. When removed from oven, cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes before turning cake onto a cooling rack. A warm cake releases more easily from the pan. The cake may be returned to the oven and warmed if needed.

Serves as many as are still standing once the fightin' over it is done.

Squash Casserole

We spin this rather familiar Southern comfort up each year from Thanksgiving through New Year's Day. Original handwritten notes from kitchens of Margaret Miller Stewart and Sue Stewart Stranathan have been modified with editorial comment by yours truly and I'm almost certain this recipe was originally discovered on the back of a soup can. I'm a fan of tweaking the originals now and then. Ma Yule may have said it best: " It's jes' like bacon, Hon. It don’t have t'be purty t'taste purty."

Better men have died for less, so I’m not one to squabble with Granny. When it comes to the stuffing mix, use store-bought or Granny’s traditional home recipe, whichever your conscience and family allow. My granny was well-adjusted to the store-bought option. Yet, when it comes to butter, well…it means butter. Butter is worth dying for because it’s NOT margarine and it’s NOT Grease-co comfort-flavored axle treatment.

Ingredients

1 btl your favorite wine (or whatever Granny would’ve been sippin')
2 lb yellow squash, diced	2 medium carrots, coarsely grated
¼ c finely chopped red bell pepper	1 medium onion, diced
8 oz sour cream	1 ¼ stick butter, melted
1 can water chestnuts, slivered	8 oz can cream of chicken soup
¼ tsp salt	½ tsp ground black pepper
8 oz dry stuffing mix	Additional salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Pour one glass wine.
2. Roast, peel, and dice the red pepper.
3. In 3 qt or larger pan, sauté squash, onion, and carrots until squash is tender. This can be done in advance and frozen or refrigerated until needed.
4. Pre-heat oven to 350 DegF.
5. In large mixing bowl combine stuffing mix and butter.
6. Set aside 2/3 c of the mixture for topping.
7. Pour one glass wine.
8. Spread remaining mixture into 3-qt baking dish, lining bottom and sides as well as possible.
9. In large mixing bowl (just re-use the one from the prior step; why wash two?) combine all veggies, soup, and sour cream. Stir thoroughly (at least one glass of wine’s worth.)
10. Pour combined veggie mixture into baking dish on top of the might-be-pretty buttered stuffing.
11. Spread reserved butter-dressing mixture over top of veggies.
12. Bake (all but wine) at 350 degrees for 30-45 min.
13. Serve with remaining wine.

Serves a bushel and a peck of hungry mouths.

Pecan Pralines

This southern treat is a true multi-cultural delight of Mexican, Tejano, and Acadian influence. When properly prepared, a praline may find endless uses but to name a few: a deadly weapon (when thrown correctly,) a sweet kiss of heaven to a glass of bourbon or añejo tequila, to satisfy that sweet tooth that has no room for a piece of pie, or for energizing the young'uns before passing them back to their parents. Either way, they're heavenly sinful.

NOTE: Eat one of these and it becomes your blood sugar. Little splatters that occur while spooning to the paper are excellent snacks for the chef or his helpers.

Ingredients

1 c granulated/white suger	½ c light cream	½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 c light brown sugar	1 tbs butter	Candy thermometer

Directions

1. In 2 quart heavy saucepan, combine both sugar and cream.
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally with wooden spoon.
3. Continue cooking and stirring until the thermometer reads 228 degrees.
4. Add pecans, stirring frequently until the thermometer reads 238 degrees.
5. Remove pan from heat place it on a wire rack for 3-4 minutes.
   WARNING: This superheated sugar mixture can burn you severely. It also solidifies quickly. Spooning to the paper must be done quickly before the mixture can crystallize in the pan.
6. Drop tablespoon of mixture 3 inches apart onto parchment or buttered wax paper.
7. Cool until sugar has recrystallized and candies are cool to the touch.

The finished candy has a color and brittleness similar to almond toffee, but less hard with a dull, sandy appearance. Size and shape are random, but can be made somewhat uniform with practice.

Yield: about two-dozen candies.

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