By Andy Bedwell
Happy Mother’s Day to all of you wonderful mothers and grandmothers! This week, I want to honor my mother Virginia McCleskey and my two grandmothers, Icy Sanford and Mary Frances McCluskey. All three were wonderful cooks.
Peanut Butter Cookies
1/2 cup Crisco shortening (she used lard)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups sifted plain flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cream Crisco and peanut butter. Add sugars, beaten egg and vanilla. Sift flour, soda and salt together and add egg mixture. Form into small balls and press with fork. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.
Andy’s Note: These were always in my Granny Mac’s kitchen.
Coconut Pies
2 cups sugar
4 cups whole milk
7 heaping tablespoons of flour
8 eggs (divided)
1/2 stick margarine
1 tablespoon lemon flavoring
Large bag coconut
2 baked deep-dish pie crust
Mix sugar and flour together and then add milk, eight egg yolks and margarine. I always start on medium heat and then turn to simmer until thick, stirring constantly. When thick, add lemon flavoring and coconut. Mother always had tall meringues on her pies. Not me. Cool them and slap some real whipping cream on top.
Andy’s Note: Everyone at Eastside Presbyterian Church loved mother’s Coconut Pies.
Grandmother Icy’s Banana Pudding
1 cup sugar
2 heaping tables flour
3 egg yolks
2 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
3 large bananas
Mix sugar and flour together. Beat yolks and add sugar and flour. Add milk a little at the time. Cook until thick. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites after cooked mixture has cooled. Add vanilla. Layer, beginning with vanilla wafers, sliced bananas and pudding. After layering, top with a few crushed wafers.
Andy’s Note: Icy Sanford was a wonderful cook and was famous all over Piedmont for Icy’s Tea!
Happy Mother’s Day cooking,
Andy
“Southern Cooking with Andy Bedwell” may be purchased at The Messenger at 1957 Rainbow Drive.