White Fruitcake

3 c. white sugar
1 lb. butter
1 t. cinnamon
2 fresh coconuts (peeled and shredded)
11 large eggs
5 c. AP flour
2 t. vanilla
1 lb. candied pineapple, diced
1 lb. candied red cherries
1 lb. candied green cherries
3 c. chopped black walnuts (or 4 c. mixed nuts)
2 lbs. white raisins

Cream sugar, butter and eggs, beating well. 
Roll nuts, raisins, and fruit in flour.  Fold into cake batter. Add coconut and mix well. Bake 2 1/2 hours at 250 in 2 tube pans. This makes 2 LARGE cakes.

Mom received this recipe from our neighbor, Callie White, many, many years ago.

Sweet Potato Yeast Rolls

Ingredients

·         3/4 cup (6 ounces) warm water

·         1 scant tablespoon (1 package) active-dry yeast

·         1 cup (9 ounces) mashed sweet potatoes (see note below)

·         1 cup (8.5 ounces) milk - whole or 2% preferably

·         1/4 cup (2 ounces) unsalted butter - melted

·         2 Tablespoons brown sugar

·         2 teaspoons kosher salt

·         4 cups (20 ounces) all-purpose flour

Instructions

Combine the water and yeast in a large mixing bowl and let stand until the yeast is dissolved. Add the mashed sweet potatoes, the milk, the melted butter, the brown sugar, and the salt. Stir until all ingredients are evenly combined. Add the flour, stirring until a shaggy dough is formed and no more dry flour is visible. This dough will be very sticky.

Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let stand until doubled in bulk, at least 2 hours or as long as 5 hours. The dough can be used immediately, but it's easier to work with if you can refrigerate it for at least 2 hours. The dough can also be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.

When ready to shape the rolls, sprinkle your work surface with a little flour and turn the dough out on top. Sprinkle a little more flour on top and press the dough into a thick disk. Use a bench scraper or knife to divide the dough into 24 pieces. Shape into balls and place about 5 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and allow to rise until the rolls are roughly doubled in size, about 45 minutes in a warm kitchen.

About 20 minutes before the rolls are finished rising, preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit.

Remove the cover and bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes, until they are puffed and toasted brown. Serve warm or room temperature. Rolls are best the first day, but will stay fresh for several days after if stored in an airtight container.

Notes:

·         To make the mashed sweet potatoes, roast a medium-sized (roughly 9 ounce) sweet potato in a 400° oven until completely soft. Strip off the skin and mash.

·         For extra richness, brush the tops with melted butter or egg yolk before baking. So good!

·         These rolls can also be frozen if you're making them ahead of time. Allow the baked rolls to cool completely, wrap them in aluminum foil, and freeze them. To re-heat, let them thaw on the counter and then warm them in a 300° oven for 15 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. butter
1 t. vanilla
1 pound (3 3/4 c.) confectioner's sugar

Let cream cheese and butter warm to room temperature, cream together thoroughly and add vanilla. Gradually beat in sugar. For good spreading consistency, frosting can be thickened by adding additional sugar or thinned by adding milk.

Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Whisk together 1 heaping tablespoon mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, (an optional) 1/2 teaspoon milk(preferably whole or 2%), and a pinch of salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add 1 large peeled and thinly sliced cucumber and 1 large (or 2 small) ripe, chopped tomato and toss to coat. Let the salad sit at least 30 minutes (although the longer the better) before serving.
Optional: Add fresh dill and/or bacon

Fresh Corn Salad

·         5 ears fresh corn, shucked

·         1 cup of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

·         1/2 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)

·         3 tablespoons cider vinegar

·         3 tablespoons good olive oil

·         1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

·         1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

·         1/2 cup chiffonade fresh basil leaves

·         4 strips of bacon, cooked until crisp
8     8 oz. cubed mozzarella (optional)

·          

Bring a pot of salted water to boil.  Once the water boils, put the shucked corn in the water for 3 minutes until the starchiness is just gone. After 3 minutes, drain the hot water and immerse the corn in ice water to stop the cooking and to set the color. When the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob, cutting close to the cob.

Toss the kernels in a large bowl with the red onions, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Just before serving, toss in the fresh basil.  Add the crisped bacon to the top and sprinkle a generous amount of basil atop the bacon.  Taste for seasonings and serve cold or at room temperature.

Smoked Trout Dip

1. 10 oz. boneless smoked trout
2. ½ cup cream cheese
3. ½ cup sour cream
4. 2 tablespoons chives
5. 1-3 T. fresh-squeezed lemon juice (or more, to taste)
6. 3 T. chopped, fresh parsley
7. Fresh-ground black pepper, to taste

Add trout to mixing bowl, flaking it into small pieces with your hands. Mash with fork until finely shredded. Add remaining ingredients, and mix with fork until creamy. Add pepper to taste. Serve with pita chips, crackers and/or crisp vegetables for dipping. 

Serves 4 as an appetizer.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Macaroons

• 
  
• 14 oz. sweetened coconut
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 14 oz. can condensed sweetened milk
• 2 cups chocolate chips
• Melting chocolate (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cookie sheet or baking sheet with a silicon baking mat or non-stick foil or parchment paper
2. Mix coconut, vanilla, condensed milk together in large mixing bowl. Add in the chocolate chips.
3. Take a tablespoon size of the mixture (a cookie scoop works great for this) and roll it in a ball with your hands (please wash them first 🙂
4. Place each on the cookie sheet spaced apart (they will spread a bit) Bake about 15-20 minutes until golden brown (the baking time really depends on your oven, you don't want them to burn, so watch them carefully)

   1. Cool on a wire rack
   2. When totally cool - melt candy chocolate in a double boiler (follow your chocolates instructions) and dip the bottom and roll the bottom sides in the chocolate.  Let cool for about 15 minutes in the refrigerator
   3. Serve and enjoy!!

Chicken Thighs and Marinade

Ingredients

Onion Marinade: 

1 1/2 cup roughly chopped onion

1 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley

Juice of 2 lemons

1/4 cup canola oil

1 garlic clove

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1.  Combine all the ingredients in a blender and puree until the mixture is smooth and about as thick as a milkshake. You may need to add a couple of tablespoons of water to thin the mixture. Toss 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs cut into 1-inch chunks with the marinade and seal in a zip-top bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or up to 2 days. When ready to grill, wipe off the excess marinade, thread the chicken pieces on skewers, and grill directly over hot coals, turning every few minutes, until the chicken has lightly charred on the exterior and is cooked through, about 8 minutes total.