Poorman's County Pancaked UnFrenched Toast (Fried Bread)

Ok.....so for those of us who grew up in the Country Life, there were foods that we ate that never seemed to reach the populous. This is one of my County Life dishes. This can be made with what you already have or the ingredients can be bought cheaply.

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

Slices of Texas toast, French bread, or any thick bread (as little or many as you want)
Butter
Powdered Sugar (or regular)
Cinnamon
Syrup

*Optional fresh or canned fruit

Directions:

I like to mix my cinnamon in my butter and let it set out to soften at room temperature.

Butter both sides of the bread with the cinnamon-butter and fry on medium heat in a skillet (I like cast iron).

 

Once this is browned to desired color, sprinkle on a little powdered sugar to make it purdy.

Arrange on a plate and add syrup.

Although I like mine with just the butter and syrup, an alternate option is to add a little fruit on top; strawberries, blueberries, blackberries (you get the picture).

You can even use canned pie filling. I always keep cans of the mixed fruit, blueberry or cherry pie filling on hand, just in case I need them. These can be purchased at the Dollar Tree for $1.

I also sometimes buy French bread or similar, at Wal-Mart on the “discounted about to expire” rack for 50 cents.

Crackling Corn Bread

This particular recipe came from my collection of Depression and WWII recipes. Notice that there are no eggs or milk used . When I make mine , the cornbread batter is made differently. You can use your favorite cornbread recipe and just add the crackling to it.

 

Crackling are small pieces of fried pork fat with the skin on. No refrigeration is needed, so depending what store you are at, they can be found near the meats, sometimes where the Mexican foods are, sometimes where the chips or bread is located. Ask an associate to help locate product.

Ingredients:

2 cups water ground corn meal
2 ½ tbs. Self rising flour
½ cups water or enough to make a soft batter

Directions:

Mix well and add 1 ½ cups crackling that are about the size of peas. Pour into hot fat in a baking pan. Bake in preheated oven 475 degrees until golden brown.

Short'nin' Bread (Cake-Bread)

Remember the old song? Mama's little baby loves short'nin, short'nin'. Mama's little baby love short'nin' bread!

Here is the recipe. Short'nin Bread is gingerbread made without the ginger and flavored by cinnamon, nutmeg and molasses. It is best baked in a well-seasoned cast iron skillet or pan.  This is an old one folks, so enjoy!

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
½ cup buttermilk
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup molasses
1 egg, slightly beaten

Combine flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl. Mix well and set aside. Dissolve soda in buttermilk; stir well and set aside.

 

Combine butter and molasses in a heavy saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add to flour mixture. Stir in buttermilk mixture and egg

Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted n center comes out clean. Cool in skillet 10 minutes; invert cake onto plate, Yield: one 10-inch cake.

Nebraska Corn Muffins

Corn Muffins with a slight kick.  You may have to adjust the amount of Tabasco if you want it to be spicier than what the recipe calls for.  This can also be made in that cast iron frying pan, which will give it a wonderful crust.  Delish!



1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tbs sugar ( or more)
2-1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk, at room temperature
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs, at room temperature, slightly beaten
1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly butter twelve 3 x 1-1/4 inch muffin cups

Stir together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt.  In another bowl combine the milk, oil, eggs and Tabasco.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, add the milk mixture and stir just to combine.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until toothpick inserted in the center of muffin comes out clean.  Cool for 5 minutes before removing muffins from cups.  Serve warm

The recipe calls for fresh or frozen corn,  Dare we use creamed corn?

Kidney Beans with Salt Pork

This is another recipe that calls for the “Secret Sauce”. This is from an old cookbook and was originally written using Kidney beans. This recipe, I think, can be adapted for any dried bean such as Kidney, Navy, Pinto, Lima, Cranberry, Black-eyed Peas,  etc.  I prefer the Pinto and Cranberry beans over the Kidney beans.

I realize that people used to make their own moonshine and “happy juice”, but I am kinda wondering if maybe the parents and grandparents used this to cook everything with! Maybe those Family Recipes were passed down....minus the “Secret sauce ingredients”. What do you think?

3 oz. salt pork
2 medium sized onions, chopped
1 tbs. flour
No. 2 can red kidney bean (or beans of choice)
2 tbs. cooking cherry

 

Cut salt pork into ½ inch dice; turn into skillet and pan broil slowly until crisp. Add finely chopped onion and cook slowly until onion is soft and yellow, stirring to prevent scorching. Blend in the flour to a smooth paste, then stir in beans and sherry thoroughly, then simmer gently for 10 minutes.

If you prefer the homemade beans, then cook them to your preference and then add this to beans and let simmer to blend flavors.

I love cooking with cast iron. Not only do you Not have the flakes sometimes associated with no-stick cookware, but the cast iron retains heat for better cooking temperature and as an added bonus you implement some iron into your dish. If you have a cast iron pot this would taste awesome!

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

This is the old-fashioned cake recipe made from scratch for Pineapple Upside-Down cake. If your want the homemade taste of cake, like mom and grandma made this is it.

My easier quicker version is on the bottom of the page.

I think the trick to this recipe is the vessel that is used for cooking this in. For me, this cake has to be cooked in a Cast Iron Frying pan. This will give it the right texture crust and a pretty, appealing color.

1 cup sugar
3 tbsp corn starch
No. 303 crushed pineapple (sic original recipe) I like to use sliced pineapple
2 tbsp melted butter
½ cup maraschino cherries
1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
2 ¼ tsp baking powder
1/3 cup shortening
2 eggs, beaten
½ tsp vanilla
½ cp milk

Mix 1/3 cup of sugar with the corn starch, add juice drained from the pineapple and cook in a heavy 10-in skillet over direct heat stirring constantly until sauce boils and becomes clear. Add pineapple and butter. Drain cherries and arrange in a pattern on the pineapple mixture. Sift flour, measure and resift 3 times with salt and baking powder. Cream the 1/3 cup shortening until soft, add the remaining 2/3 cups sugar and the eggs, and beat vigorously until smooth and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla. Add flour mixture and milk alternately, beginning and ending with flour and beating well after each addition. Turn batter into skillet over pineapple. Bake in a moderate oven at 350 F, for 35 to 40 minutes or until center of cake is springy when lightly pressed with finger tip. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a serving plate.

My Easy Version:

Use either Pineapple, Yellow or White boxed cake mix.

Can of sliced pineapple (drained)
Maraschino Cherries (drained)
Brown sugar
2-3 tbsp butter

Mix cake mix of choice and set aside.

Melt butter in cast iron frying pan. Add brown sugar and just a little of the pineapple syrup and stir until well blended and evenly distributed in pan (not as thick as a paste and not as thin as gravy). Arrange pineapple slices with cherries placed in the center of each pineapple slice. Pour batter over this. Bake 350F 30-40 minutes until center of cake is springy when pressed. Cool 10 minutes then turn out onto a pretty plate.