Recipes

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Pineapple cake

10 to 12 servings

For the cake:

3 eggs

2 cups all purpose flour

1 can crushed pineapple, undrained

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup water

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 cup pecans, chopped

For the frosting:

3 ounces cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ cup margarine

2 cups powdered sugar

• To make the cake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• Beat eggs (with fork or spoon, not a mixer) until light and fluffy. Add flour, pineapple, brown sugar, water and baking soda. Mix well. Fold in nuts.

• Pour batter into an ungreased 9-by-13-inch pan.

• Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.

When cake is done, remove from oven, invert to remove from pan. Allow to cool.

• While cake is cooling, combine cream cheese, vanilla, margarine and powdered sugar to make icing.

• When cake is cool, top with icing.

— From Nancy Ogburn of Irmo, a favorite recipe of her mother’s, the late Alma Gardner Porter

Praline cookies

Several dozen cookies

1 cup light brown sugar

1 tablespoon plain flour

1/3 teaspoon salt

1 egg white, beaten stiff

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups pecans

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

• Stir together sugar, flour and salt.

• In separate bowl, blend egg white and vanilla.

• Combine sugar mixture and egg mixture together. Fold in pecans.

• Drop by teaspoon on heavily greased foil-lined cookie sheet.

• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

— From Blanche Bryan of Columbia, a favorite recipe from her grandmother, Leda Thibodeau Lovett of Louisiana

Japanese fruit cake

10 to 12 servings

For cake:

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup butter

1 cup milk

3 cups flour, plain

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup raisins

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For icing:

1 cup grated coconut

1 cup sugar

1 cup boiling water

1 teaspoon lemon flavoring

2 tablespoons flour

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• Grease and flour three round 9-inch cake pans.

• Combine first 6 ingredients to form a batter.

• When combined, divide batter into three portions.

• Place two portions of the batter into two of the cake pans. Set aside.

• In remaining batter, add raisins, cloves and cinnamon.

• Place this portion of the batter in the third cake pan.

• Bake all three layers at 350 degrees until done, about 30 minutes. When done, place on baking rack to cool.

• While layers are cooling, combine first four ingredients for icing over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Slowly stir in flour to thicken. Ice cake and serve.

— From Bobbie N. Smith of Newberry, whose mother, the late Ruby Nichols, baked this cake each Christmas for her family

Nanny’s lemon pie

2 pies

For the pie filling:

6 eggs yolks, saving whites for meringue

1-½ cups sugar

3 to 4 tablespoons corn starch

1 can evaporated milk

6 tablespoons of real lemon juice, or to taste

2 readymade pie shells, lightly browned

For the meringue:

6 egg whites

½ teaspoon cream of tartar

¼ teaspoon salt

1-½ cups sugar

• To make pie filling, combine filling ingredients in sauce pan over medium heat, beating with hand mixer until thickened. Pour into two lightly browned pie shells. Set aside.

• To make meringue, in large mixer bowl, combine egg whites with cream of tartar and salt. Beat with hand mixer until frothy.

• Gradually add 1-½ cups sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Meringue should be shiny, moist and all sugar dissolved.

• Top pies with meringue. Lightly brown tops under low broiler.

— From Dale Holsenback of Batesburg, whose mother, the late Wilette Fox, loved the taste of lemon

Chocolate gravy

Makes 2-½ cups

½ cup sugar

¼ cup corn starch or flour

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1/8 teaspoon salt

2-¾ cup milk

2 tablespoons margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla

• In sauce pan, mix first 4 ingredients.

• Gradually stir in milk until smooth.

• Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture boils one minute. Remove from heat, stir in margarine and vanilla. Serve over hot, buttered biscuits while hot.

— From Jo Ann Merrifield of Columbia, a recipe her mother, the late Cordia Walker, served regularly for breakfast. The recipe was not original to her mother, but from a winning entry in a rural electrical cooperative newsletter in Oklahoma, where Walker was from.

Doris Bledsoe’s banana pudding

6 to 8 servings

For the custard:

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons self-rising flour

Dash of salt

2 egg yolks

2 cups whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon butter

Vanilla wafers, enough for three layers in a 1-½ quart bowl

3 bananas, sliced

For meringue:

2 egg whites

¼ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

• To make the custard, combine sugar, flour and salt in a saucepan.

• In separate bowl, beat egg yolks in milk very lightly.

• Slowly pour this over the ingredients in saucepan, mixing well.

• Cook slowly on low heat, stirring frequently, until mixture reaches a pudding consistency.

• Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla. Stir well.

• In a 1-½ quart bowl, layer wafers and 3 bananas beginning and ending with the wafers. Pour custard mixture into this, using a knife, pushing layers aside to allow custard to flow to bottom. Set aside.

• To make meringue, beat egg whites until frothy. Gradually add sugar, continuously beating. Add cream of tartar and beat until stiff peaks form.

• Place in 350-degree oven and heat until brown on top.

— From Doris R. Bledsoe of Johnston as submitted by her daughter, Debra Mims of Edgefield

1880 chocolate spice cake

8 to 10 servings

For the cake:

1 cup sugar

½ cup butter

1 egg

1-½ cups flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 heaping tablespoon cocoa

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

For icing:

5 tablespoons melted butter

7 tablespoons brown sugar

5 tablespoons cream

½ cup coconut

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• To make cake, cream sugar, butter and egg together.

• Sift dry ingredients together, omitting baking soda.

• Dissolve soda in buttermilk and add alternately with dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Stir in vanilla.

• Beat three minutes.

• Pour in greased and floured 12-by-8-inch pan.

• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

• While cake is baking, combine ingredients for the icing. After removing cake from oven, spread icing on hot cake.

• Place in oven and broil on low until icing bubbles all over and is light brown. Be careful not to burn.

— From Weita Coleman of Hopkins, granddaughter of the late Debbie Snelgrove. This recipe was a favorite of Snelgrove’s grandchildren

Sylvia Fisher’s noodle pudding kugel

8 to 10 servings

1 pound package wide egg noodles

4 eggs

1 pound carton cottage cheese

½ pint sour cream

Dash of cinnamon

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup white sugar

¾ stick butter, softened

Small can crushed pineapple, drained

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• Cook noodles as directed on package and drain.

• Beat eggs and add cottage cheese, sour cream, cinnamon, sugars, butter and pineapple.

• Add noodles.

• Place in a greased 9-inch-by-13-inch glass baking dish at 350 degrees for one hour, uncovered.

• Sprinkle lightly with additional cinnamon.

• Cut into squares when serving.

— From Suzi Fields of Columbia, daughter of the late Sylvia Fisher, who made this dish for her family throughout the years

Joyce’s macaroni

6 to 8 servings

2 cups jumbo elbow macaroni, jumbo size are best

2 pounds extra sharp cheese

2 eggs

1-½ cups milk

2 tablespoons butter

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

• Cook macaroni about 6 to 8 minutes until tender. Drain.

• Add 1 pound grated extra sharp cheese, stir until cheese is melted and noodles are coated.

• Add eggs, milk and butter. Stir all together.

• Pour into greased casserole dish.

• Top with additional grated cheese.

• Bake for 30 minutes.

— From Nancy Poston of Chapin, who says everyone who knows her mother, Joyce Farmer of Columbia, requests this dish at get-togethers or church suppers

Mother’s lasagna

6 to 8 servings

12 strips of lasagna noodles, cooked

For the filling:

1 (2-pound) carton ricotta cheese

3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

½ cup Parmesan or Romano cheese

2 eggs

Parsley, salt and pepper

For the sauce:

3-4 cans of crushed tomatoes, (Progresso or Furmano’s)

Splash of olive oil

3-4 cloves of garlic (remove after cooking)

Oregano, to taste

Parmesan cheese

• To make sauce, combine sauce ingredients and simmer slowly, for an hour or more. Just before you are ready to use, grate fresh parmesan into the sauce.

• To make the lasagna, mix ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan (or Romano), 2 eggs, parsley and seasoning. Set aside.

• Put sauce on bottom of casserole to cover.

• Lay three noodles on top of sauce.

• Spread ricotta mixture on top of noodles then cover with sauce.

• Lay three more noodles, cheese mixture, sauce.

• Continue layering until you fill the casserole.

• Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

— From Sybil Buckland of Columbia, who says her mother, Marie Hill of Columbia, makes this lasagna at Christmas every year

Ice box pie

6 to 8 servings

2 small boxes of Jell-O, any flavor, but strawberry is a favorite

2 small tubs Cool Whip whipped topping

2 graham cracker pie crusts

• Prepare Jell-O according to package directions, then add whipped topping to prepared Jell-O.

• Place whipped Jell-O mixture into pie crust and chill in refrigerator for at least two hours before serving.

— From Carolyn Smith of West Columbia, who said her mother, the late Authean Shealy of Lamar, used to make this pie for holiday gatherings and other special occasions