Great Grandma Wood's Pound Cake

4/5/2023

This is my maternal great grandmothers pound cake recipe, she as famous for and I remember her making it when I was very little. It has been a staple in my family for years and I'm glad to share it with you! You can use either butter for more flavor or vegetable shortening for a crispier exterior - I use a combination to get the best of both worlds, but Grandma Wood would have just used what she had on hand. She also used a can of evaporated milk, but I switched to cream which gives a creamier taste to the cake - you are welcome to use either or could even use half and half or milk. It tastes great plain, but a glaze and fruit is a favorite way to dress it up for the holidays. It's also great toasted and topped with butter!

Pound Cake

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour or cake flour
3 cups sugar
8 Tbsp. butter, softened
8 Tbsp. vegetable shortening
6 eggs
1 cup cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt

Serves 10 - 12
Cook time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Cream sugar, shortening, and butter with beater attachment in stand mixer (a hand mixer will work too). Add eggs, one at a time, letting each on combining completely before adding the next. Alternate adding flour and cream, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla and salt. Pour into greased bundt pan.
Do not preheat oven. Put cake into cold oven and turn to 325 to bake for 1 1/2 hours. When cake tester comes out clean of crumbs remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes, then invert onto wire rack and allow to cool.
*This cake is great warm or at room temperature. It is good with a glaze, but works great toasted with butter or jam too!

Chicken with Mustard Sauce

4/4/2023

A great recipe for chicken breasts: it cooks quickly and has a flavorful sauce on the side. The cream helps mellow the mustard flavor out some and make a beautiful sauce to go over any starch you'd like.

Chicken with Mustard Sauce

Ingredients

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
1 shallot, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
2 Tbsp. Wondra or AP flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. whole grain mustard
3/4 cup cream, at room temperature
3 springs thyme, destemmed
salt & pepper, to taste

Serves 4
Cook Time: 45 minutes

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat; add 1/2 the olive oil and 1/2 the butter. Slice chicken breasts horizontally to make 4 thin chicken cutlets. Pan-fry cutlets about 3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Do not crowd pan and cook chicken in 2 batches, if necessary. Remove to plate and set aside.
Add remaining olive oil and butter and cook shallot until translucent. Sprinkle with Wondra or flour and cook for about 1 minutes so flour can brown. Deglaze with wine and allow to cook until alcohol cooks off. Add mustrads, cream and thyme. Allow sauce to reduce for at least 15 minutes; add chicken to sauce and cook for about 5 more minutes.

Quick Cook Chicken Fricassee

4/4/2023

A quick cooking version of a classic. It uses boneless skinless chicken and frozen vegetables to speed up the cooking time, while adding cream to create a delicious creamy sauce. Goes great over couscous or quinoa.

Quick Cook Chicken Fricassee

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 12 oz. bag frozen vegetables, thawed
2 Tbsp. Wondra or AP flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup cream
3 springs thyme, destemmed
salt & pepper, to taste

Serves 3-4
Cook Time: 40 minutes

Heat a deep sauté pan over medium-high heat; generously salt & pepper both sides of the chicken thighs. Pan sear each side of chicken until golden brown and crispy, but do not worry about cooking through. Remove browned chicken and set aside. Not having the skin on will make the chicken want to stick to the pan more than the usual method, but be patient and the skinless chicken will release.
Add onions and celery to pot, cook to soften; add garlic and cook for one more minute, then add bag of vegetables. Coat vegetables in Wondra and allow to cook for another minute or two.
Deglaze with wine, scrapping browned bits off the bottom of the pan, cook wine until alcohol cooks off. Add stock and bring to a simmer. Add chicken back to pan and allow to cook through to 165, uncovered; add cream and simmer until mixture is reduced.
Great with couscous or quinoa for an easy side.

Chicken Fricassee

4/4/2023

A classically slow-cooking dish, Chicken Fricassee is a great dish for entertaining. You start by pan searing bone-in, skin-on chicken, then sautéing any vegetables you like (I like onion, celery, carrot, mushroom, and asparagus, but you can change as you'd like) then cook everything in a rich broth. I like this served over grits, but rice or any starch will do.

Chicken Fricassee

Ingredients

6-8 chicken thighs or 1 whole chicken cut up into 6-8 pieces (bone-in skin-on either way)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
8 oz. cremini mushrooms, quartered
8 oz. asparagus, chopped
2 Tbsp. Wondra or AP flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken stock
3 sprigs thyme
salt & pepper, to taste

Serves 6-8
Cook Time: 1 1/2 hours

Heat a Dutch oven or high walled saute pan over medium-high heat and pan sear each side of chicken until golden brown and crispy, but do not worry about cooking through; this may take two batches, do not crowd the chicken or it will steam and not brown well. Remove browned chicken and set aside.
Add onions, celery and carrots to pot, cook to soften; add garlic and mushrooms and cook until mushrooms give up their juices and start to brown, then add asparagus and cook for a few minutes till bright green. Add Wondra and cook to remove raw taste.
Deglaze with wine, scrapping browned bits off the bottom of the pan, cook wine until alcohol cooks off. Add stock and thyme sprigs and bring to a simmer. Add chicken back to pan and allow to cook through to 165, covered; this will continue to cook low and slow for 45 minutes to an hour. You can continue cooking over the stove or pop it in an oven set to 300.
Great over creamy stone ground grits.

Hummingbird Cake

4/4/2023

A Southern classic: the Hummingbird Cake is a cousin of the Carrot Cake but instead of carrots it's full of pineapple, pecans, and bananas. It's got a creamy, tangy cream cheese icing and is great as-is, but you're welcome to color it a festive Robin's Egg Blue for a spring get-together.

Hummingbird Cake

Ingredients

Cake

2 2/3 cup cake flour
1 cup pecans, chopped and toasted
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple
12 tsp. apple pie spice
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
Frosting
16 oz. cream cheese, softened
12 Tbsp. butter, cubed, at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
teal gel food coloring (or with regular food coloring use 7 drops blue and 2 drops green for every cup of icing - scale up or done as needed - or blend to your desired blue color)
brown food coloring (or with regular food coloring, mix one drop of each color until you about 1/2 tsp. of coloring)
fresh pink flowers, for decoration

Serves 12
Cook time: 1 hour

To make the cake: preheat the oven to 350. Grease or butter two 8" cakes tins.
Toss pecans in a little flour just to coat them. Whisk the flour, apple pie spice, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Beat the eggs and sugar in a separate bowl with a mixer on high speed until thick and light, 5 minutes. Gradually beat in the vegetable oil; mix in the pineapple and mashed banana. Gently mix the flour mixture into the egg mixture, being careful not to over mix. Fold in the pecans and transfer the batter to the prepared pans.
Bake until the cakes are firm and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Cool in the pans on a rack, 25 minutes, then invert the cakes onto the rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting: beat the cream cheese with a mixer until fluffy, then gradually beat in the butter until combined, then beat in the powdered sugar. Add the lemon and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. Add teal food coloring one drop at a time until you achieve your desired color.
Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread about half of the frosting on top, then cover with the other cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Put the brown food coloring in a small bowl and dip just the tips of a brush into the color; using your wrist, flick the brush all over the cake until you get brown speckles all over. I would wait until shortly before serving the cake to do the brown food color, it can bleed if done too far in advance; I also recommend doing a few test flicks on a paper towel till you get the hang of it.
Decorate with fresh pink flowers.

Green Stuff

4/4/2023

I know what you're thinking, but this really is a great update to an old classic buffet dish. It's got pineapple and cream of coconut and a creamy topping. In addition to being tasty, it's a beautiful side dish to a festive table!

Green Stuff

Ingredients

1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup boiling water
14 oz. cream of coconut (usually used for pina coladas)
1/4 cup key lime juice
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple
2 or 3 drops green food coloring, optional
7 oz. marshmallow fluff
8 oz. cream cheese or mascarpone, softened

Serves 12

Sprinkle gelatin over cold water and set aside. Bring 1/2 cup water to a boil and mix into cold water-gelatin mixture. Stir to combine. Whisk in cream of coconut, lime juice, and yogurt. Stir in pineapple and food coloring.
Pour into mold and refrigerate overnight.
Meanwhile, beat marshmallow fluff and cream cheese until they form a cohesive mixture. Put into a zip-top bag fitted with a star-tipped point.
When you are ready unmold your gelatin, use the cream cheese mixture to pipe around and on-top for decoration.

Minted Peas

4/4/2023

One of the easiest side dishes you can make! These minted peas are a great addition to any buffet or festive event, but are especially great for a spring get-together. The peas are a pop of brightness to the table and mint adds a tasty twist to a great side.

Minted Peas

Ingredients

8 Tbsp. butter
6 cups peas, frozen
1/2 cup mint, julienned
salt & pepper, to taste

Serves 12
Cook time: 15 minute

Melt butter in large sauté pan or saucepan over medium heat, add peas and cook through till warmed. Add mint, salt, and pepper, to taste and cook for 2 or 3 more minutes.
Serve immediately.

Pickled Deviled Eggs

4/4/2023

A classic Easter starter with a twist: the eggs are first pickled in a beet brine for 24 hours and then deviled. The beet juice gives them a beautiful pink color and the pickling brine gives them a nice briny bite. A great additions to your spring buffet!

Pickled Deviled Eggs

Ingredients

1 dozen eggs
1/4 cup mascarpone
1/4 cups mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. white balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper, to taste
1 quart of pickled beets, beets removed (just put beets in a separate container in the fridge until eggs are pickled)
jarred onion relish, optional for garnish
chopped chives, optional for garnish

Makes 24 deviled eggs
Cook Time: 5 minutes, 24 hours to brine

Put eggs in a large pot, bring pot to a boil with eggs in it. Once water begins to boil, turn off, and let eggs sit in water for 5 minutes, remove from water, and drain. Cool eggs immediately in an ice water bath and gently shell (these eggs are very undercooked and fragile, be gentle). Gently drop shelled eggs into beet brine. Put brine and eggs in refrigerator and brine for 24 hours.
The next day, remove eggs from brine with a slotted spoon - now you can add the beets back into their brine. The eggs will have toughed up a little from the brine, but should not be rubbery (this is why you undercooked them initially). Split eggs in half, lengthwise and scoop the yolks out. Mash yolks with a fork and mix together with mascarpone, mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper.
Put mixture into a zip-top bag and snip the end off. Pipe filling into egg halves and garnish with a little pickled onion, optional.