GeorgiaHomemade sourdough bread.. Mmm hmm. So as Pat and I have been making our way up and down the East Coast we've made several fun stops. One place was my cousin in laws where he opened up his beautiful home (on the bay) in VA to us for an evening. Not only was he amazingly kind to open his home he also made this beautiful sourdough bread. I had to get a pic of it before we cut into it. Sooo good. Amy Gigi gifted many of her cookbooks to me. One of which is a 1981 copy of Boarding House Reach: Famous Smith House Recipes. For those that don't know, The Smith House is a bed and breakfast and family style restaurant in Dahlonega, Georgia. I first dined at The Smith House with Mom and Grandma in the Spring of 1987 I believe. In subsequent years we'd go there for Thanksgiving dinner. So I was delighted to receive this little cookbook. I am happy to report that it contains the recipe for their bomb ass fried chicken. One recipe that caught my eye is something called Queen Elizabeth Cake. It appeared to be surprisingly simple. And it naturally appealed to the foodie within. I had to know, is this cake somehow directly related to Queen Elizabeth? The answer is yes. If you find yourself curious here's the link In the meantime I had a cake to bake. It takes less than an hour. It's moist and full of flavor. Yes, the ingredients don't exactly scream "flavor" but this is by no means a dull cake. It's moist and a bit more low fat. A wonderful "Just because" perhaps dessert after Sunday dinner. It's commonly served as a tea cake. Which makes sense. If you plan to have it with a cup of tea I would recommend Her Majesty's favorite, Earl Grey. Queen Elizabeth Cake From Boarding House Reach: Famous Smith House Recipes (copyright 1981) 1/4 cup butter 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 1/2 cups flour 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used pecan) 1 cup boiling water 1 cup chopped dates 1 teaspoon baking soda Icing 5 tablespoons sugar 5 tablespoons evaporated milk 2 tablespoons butter Toasted coconut and nuts Pour boiling water over chopped dates. Let stand until cool and then add baking soda. Cream butter and sugar well. Add eggs, flour, vanilla and nuts. Add date mixture. Pour into a long flat pan or a loaf pan (I used my heart shaped cake pan, as it was made with love.) bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes. Combine sugar, milk, and butter in pan and boil until thick, approximately 3 minutes, spread on top of cake and sprinkle with coconut and nuts. I did slightly tweak the recipe to where I used 1/2 cup of Splenda in the cake and 3 tablespoons of sugar in the icing. I adjusted the milk and butter accordingly. And now I suggest that we all feast like queens and kings. Bread is the foundation of civilization.
Until next week, Amy and Georgia |
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