Home Cooking With Trisha Yearwood: Stories and Recipes to Share With Family and Friends (16 page)

Put the corn oil in a 9-inch heavy cast-iron skillet that has been well seasoned to prevent sticking (
see Note
).

In a large bowl, mix the cornbread mix, onion, cheese, broccoli, black pepper, and jalapeño pepper. Stir in the sour cream, buttermilk, and melted butter to make a thick batter.

Heat the oil in the skillet and spoon in the batter, pressing it evenly to the edge. Oil will come up around the edges of the skillet. Spread this oil over the top of the batter to make the bread brown. Bake for 45 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully loosen the edges and bottom with an egg turner. Put the bread on a rack to cool.

FROM BETH:
Four thinly sliced yellow squash may be substituted for the broccoli.

Heat the oil to 350°F in a deep fryer or Dutch oven.

In a 1-quart mixing bowl, stir the cornmeal, flour, onion, jalapeño, corn, and eggs until blended. Allow to stand for 5 minutes.

Drop the batter by teaspoonfuls into the hot oil. Don’t overcrowd; leave room for the hushpuppies to be turned. Cook the hushpuppies to a golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Keep the cooked hushpuppies warm in the oven while cooking the rest of the batter. Lightly salt to taste before serving.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease the cups of 2 mini-muffin tins and set aside. Cream the butter and brown and granulated sugars. Add the beaten egg yolks, flour, baking powder and 2 tablespoons of the cherry juice, blending well. Fold in the egg whites. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon of chopped nuts in the bottom of each muffin cup. Spoon in 1 teaspoon of batter, then place half a cherry in the center of the batter. Drop another teaspoon of batter on top. Sprinkle a few chopped nuts on top of each muffin. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the tins and dust with powdered sugar while hot.

FROM BETH:
Using a measuring spoon to measure the batter will keep the muffin cups from running over. They are good with or without the powdered sugar coating.

Most people have dessert as the sweet reward after a satisfying supper.
I tend to save dessert for an afternoon snack with coffee, so that I can be hungry for it and then savor every bite.

There’s something for everyone in this chapter. Our daughter August isn’t a chocolate fan (insert audible gasp here!). I usually make an alternative for her when I’m baking a chocolate dessert. From
Key Lime Cake
to
Magic Lemon Meringue Pie
, there are lots of choices for those who don’t like to wallow in chocolate, like most of us!

Fresh Apple Cake

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Thoroughly grease a 10-inch Bundt pan with Crisco and lightly flour it.

With an electric mixer, beat the sugar, eggs, and oil until smooth. Add the orange juice and mix well. Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and beat well. Add the vanilla. Stir in the walnuts and apples, until blended. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven, let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a cake plate.

For the glaze, combine the butter, sugar, baking soda, and buttermilk in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil the mixture for 5 to 10 minutes, until it thickens slightly and begins to turn light brown. Take off the heat. Using a toothpick, punch 15 or 20 holes in the top of the cake and pour the glaze over the cake. Let the cake set and cool before serving. Store the cake in an airtight cake carrier in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

FROM GWEN:
Cakes baked in Bundt pans tend to stick, so liberally grease and flour your pan for a perfect cake.

Lizzie’s Strawberry Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 × 13 × 2-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

With an electric mixer, beat the cake mix, gelatin, oil, strawberries, and water until fully combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and gently smooth the top. Bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in the pan.

In a blender or food processor, puree the butter, sugar, and strawberries for the glaze until smooth. Poke holes in the cake with a toothpick, then pour the icing over the cake, allowing some of it to seep into the cake. The more strawberry syrup you add, the thinner your icing will become. Store this cake, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Key Lime Cake