Appalachian Cider Beans

Cider beans are a love letter to baked beans. Pinto beans with fresh local cider, salt pork, and sorghum syrup are baked all day. Eating these with cornbread is required!

Ingredients

  • 3 cups dried pinto beans or beans of your choice
  • water for soaking
  • 3 cups fresh apple cider
  • 10 oz salt pork (also known as side meat)
  • 2 small yellow onions, peeled & left whole
  • peeled cloves of 1 whole head of garlic
  • 6 tablespoons of sorghum syrup (molasses may be substituted if sorghum is not available)
  • 1 tbsp mustard powder
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp apple cider syrup (optional)

Method

Cover the beans with a few inches of water in a large bowl or pot and soak overnight for 12 hours.

Drain the beans and discard the water. In a medium saucepan, simmer the beans with the cider over medium heat for about 30 minutes. Drain the beans and reserve the cooking liquid.

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Slice the salt pork to about the thickness of thick cut bacon. Cover the bottom of a cast iron pot with a lid or a bean pot with about half of the pork. Add the beans to the pot. Bury the onions and the garlic cloves in the beans. Cover the beans with the remaining salt pork slices.

In a microwaveable bowl or measuring cup combine the sorghum syrup, vinegar, apple cider syrup, and mustard powder. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir until well combined. Pour over the beans. Add the reserved apple cider cooking liquid. Add hot water until the beans are just covered. Cover the pot.

Bake for 4 hours. Remove from the oven and check the liquid level. If the beans appear too dry, add additional water. Cover the beans and return to the oven. Bake for additional 2 hours or until beans are tender.

Serve with cornbread.

Recipe by Katie

Mini Banana Pudding Cups with Meringue Topping

Growing up in the South, banana pudding was a regular and popular dessert at our house.  Mom always made the custard from scratch in a double boiler.  An idea came to me to make the dessert in individual cups and put a meringue topping on it.  This will make 6 6-ounce ramekins of pudding.

1 ¾ cups of vanilla wafer crumbs.  About 55 cookies plus 6 for decoration

1 stick of butter, melted

¾ cup of granulated sugar, divided

2 cups whole milk

3 large eggs, separated

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 Bananas

Pulse the vanilla wafers in a food processor until they are fine crumbs.  Pour into a bowl and mix with the melted butter until all the crumbs are moist. Press the crumb mixture into 6 6-ounce ramekins. Use about 4 tablespoons of the crumb mixture on the bottom and up the sides about ⅔ of the way up.  Place the ramekins in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to set the crust.   

Place a metal or glass bowl over a pot of simmering water-there should only be about 1” of water in the pot, and the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl.  Pour 2 cups of milk into the bowl.  Whisk in the egg yolks, ½ cup of sugar and cornstarch. Stir with a spatula or whisk over the simmering water until it is hot and thickened.

Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract.  Using a ½ cup ladle, divide the custard into the 6 prepared ramekins.  Press about 4-5 slices of banana into the custard in each cup. 

Separate the 3 egg whites into a clean mixing bowl.  Using the whisk attachment on your stand mixer, whisk whites until they are almost forming peaks.  Add   ¼ cup of sugar to the whites.  Beat until the egg whites are stiff and shiny. 

Divide the meringue among the 6 ramekins and toast the tips using a small butane torch.  For decoration, insert 1 vanilla wafer into the top of each pudding cup.

Crispy Cheddar Cheese Wafers

This recipe makes a delightful appetizer for tailgating or for holiday parties. The wafers are crisp with a little kick of spice from the cayenne pepper.  You can top them with pecans, as I have, or leave them plain. 

1 stick of unsalted butter at room temperature

8 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups of flour

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt

Approximately ⅓ cup of water

Using a stand mixer, cream the butter and shredded cheese together.  Stir together the flour, cayenne pepper and salt.  Add the flour by batches to the cheese mix.  The mix will be crumbly at this point.  Add cold water a tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together in a stiff dough.

Knead the dough slightly, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Remove from the refrigerator and roll the dough out to ¼ inch thickness.  Fold the dough over and repeat.  Return the dough to the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.  Repeat this process a total of 4 times.  Chill for 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into 2 parts and return the second part to the refrigerator.  Roll out the dough to ¼ thickness or less.  The wafers will rise in height during the cooking process. Cut out shapes, or using a pizza cutter, cut into diamonds.  If topping with pecans, brush a small amount of beaten egg on the center of the wafer before placing the nut.  Repeat with remaining dough.  You will not need to use additional flour to work with the dough. 

Place the wafers on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper.  Bake at 350° for 15 minutes.  The bottoms of the wafers should be browned when done.  Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.

Mama’s Coconut Pie

My father loves coconut deserts and Mama came up with this simple to make, delightful pie to serve the family.  It has become a tradition to in our family to serve it around the holidays, birthdays and other special occasions. It’s quite a rich pie and goes wonderfully with a cup of coffee.

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

¼ cup buttermilk

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

7-ounce package of shredded coconut

 Dash of salt

Mix all ingredients together in a medium sized bowl and pour into an unbaked pie shell.  Bake at350° for 45 minutes or until set in the center.

Katie’s Carolina Jam Cupcakes

This is my adaptation of the “Tennessee Jam Cake” or “Kentucky Jam Cake.” Jam cakes are spiced, feature jam in the batter (typically blackberry) and can include chopped dried fruit and nuts. They are usually layered with caramel icing and served around the holidays.

In my Carolina version, the jam is a triple berry with blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries. I used mace instead of nutmeg and Ceylon cinnamon for a more refined spice flavor. I rarely have time for layer cakes and fancy piping in our busy house, so cupcakes are a quick and easy solution for this traditional Southern treat. You could also make into two loaf cakes.

Ingredients

For the jam:

  • 3 heaped cups frozen mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries)
  • 1/2 cup granulated cane sugar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp lemon zest

For the cake:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1/4 cup shortening (I prefer a non hydrogenated variety like Nutiva)
  • 1 1/4 cup granulated cane sugar
  • 4 eggs, room temperature
  • 2 1/2 cups cake flour (I like King Arthur)
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground allspice
  • 1 tsp ground mace
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 2/3 cup buttermilk

For the white caramel icing:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 3 cups granulated cane sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Optional:

  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins
  • 24 pecan halves

Method

Make the jam. Combine the frozen berries, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a saucepan. Heat over low heat until the berries are thawed and juicy. Bring to a low simmer and cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until the mixture starts to gel on the back of a spoon. While the mixture cooks, mash the berries intermittently with a spoon or a potato masher. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line muffin tins with 24 paper liners.

Make the cake batter.Combine the flour, salt, soda, and spices in a bowl and set aside. Cream the butter, shortening, and sugar in a stand mixer on high for about five minutes. Add the room temperature eggs two at a time, mixing until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute on high in a stand mixer. Scrape the sides the bowl between each addition. Add half the flour mixture and mix on low until just combined. Do not over beat! Add the buttermilk and mix until just combined. Add the remaining flour and the jam and mix until just combined. If using chopped nuts and raisins, add these now, folding in by hand.

Distribute evenly between the lined muffin tins. Bake for about 20 minutes. Allow to cool before icing.

Make the white caramel icing. Melt the butter in medium to large saucepan. Add the sugar, milk, salt, and vanilla and bring to a simmer. Cook on low to medium heat until the mixture reaches the soft ball stage or 235 – 245°. Transfer the hot caramel to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until creamy. If the mixture becomes to thick or sticky, add a small amount of cream and beat until the consistency is smooth again.

Top the cooled cupcakes with a dollop of the caramel icing, and garnish with pecans, if desired. Here’s a tip for creating a quick candied pecan: dip the halves in the caramel icing prior to beating. Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet at 350° for about five minutes.

Recipe by Katie

Grandma’s Tea Cakes with Pecans and Raisins

Both of my Grandmas made Tea Cakes, dating back to the 1915’s.  Mom’s mother had a pecan orchard and plenty of nuts, so she included them, along with raisins, in her Old-Fashioned Tea Cakes. Dad’s mom made them without any add-ins.  I have happy memories of eating them at both Grandmas’ houses.  This recipe is for the fancy Tea Cakes.   Most recipes call for rolling the dough and cutting the Tea Cakes out, but both of my Grandmas just pinched off some dough and used their fingers to flatten the Tea Cakes, so that’s the method I am recommending

¼ cup unsalted butter at room temperature

¼ cup butter-flavored Crisco

1 ⅓ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup buttermilk

½ cup chopped and toasted pecans

½ cup golden raisins

In the large bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and shortening until creamy.  Add the sugar and beat on medium low speed until creamed.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. 

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt and whisk the ingredients to combine.  Add about half of the flour mix to the butter mixture and beat until combined.  Pour in the buttermilk and mix to combine, then add the remaining flour.  The dough will be soft and sticky. Finally, add the nuts and raisins and mix to combine thoroughly.  Using a spatula, scrape together the dough into a ball. 

Turn the dough out onto a piece of Saran Wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.  Remove from the refrigerator and using a medium ice cream scoop, portion out 9 scoops of dough onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet.  Flour your hands and form the scoops into balls.  Using your fingers, press the balls down to about ¼ inch.  Make sure you leave about 1 ½ inches between raw cookies, as they spread out. Bake at 350° for 10-11 minutes or until the bottoms of the cookies are lightly browned.  Cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet.  Remove to a rack and finish cooling the cookies.  Store in an airtight container.

Recipe by Mary