Pa's Pepper Cheddar Cheese Bread

I love handwritten recipes ... this one is by my Daddy's hand.

He was actually a pretty decent cook although I don't remember him in the kitchen very much until he was on his own.  There would occasionally be a potluck lunch or snack day at his work and he would bring home a recipe for something he had sampled that day.  He would get the ingredients together and give it a try.  He made the first sausage balls and the first almond bark candy in our house and continued to make both every Christmas season as long as he could.  After Mother died, every other week or so he would cook and invite us over for a big lunch. 

His recipe for Pepper Cheddar Cheese Bread became one of my favorites.

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper (I think Daddy may have increased this some)

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup melted butter

2 eggs (would probably mix better if beaten first, but then it wouldn't make such a cute face)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Whisk together all dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Stir in remaining ingredients until well blended and begins to form a ball.  Press dough into a greased and floured 9- x 5-inch loaf pan.  Bake for 35 minutes.  Let cool in pan a few minutes; remove and let cool completely or serve warm if you prefer.     

This makes such a pretty loaf of bread and slices like a dream.  It's also delicious with the Turnip Green Stew.

A whole lot of chopping going on

but only because I took the longer way around to get to the finished product.  This recipe for Turnip Green Stew (adapted a bit from Southern Living) calls for the frozen mix of diced onions, celery, red and green peppers but I had a crisper full of all of the above that were crying to be used. 

Plus, I added in some diced orange bell pepper ... I like a splash of orange every now and then (Go Vols!)  

This recipe for Turnip Green Stew is a quick, one-dish meal in a bowl ... delicious and comforting!

Turnip Green Stew

2 cups chopped cooked ham

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 (16 ounce) packages frozen chopped turnip greens
2 (15.5 ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups (1 cup each) of diced onion, celery, red and green peppers
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon seasoned pepper

Saute chopped ham in olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat about 5 minutes until lightly browned.  Add diced onions, celery and peppers and cook a few minutes more until almost tender.  Add broth and remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 35-40 minutes. 

And yes, it makes a pot full.

 

Linked to Weekend Potluck!!

More Juicing and Zesting

While I'm in a lemon frame of mind I chose a Lemon Lime Cake from an old Cooking Light magazine.  This cake hits the favorite list!  It is delicious and although "lightened" I couldn't tell any difference taste-wise from a cake with un-light ingredients ... although I think you could use the regular version of the lighter ingredients if you wanted.  It's also nice that once you get the lemons and limes juiced and zested, the rest goes together fairly quickly.

So, now there's a good quantity of bald citrus objects rolling around in the refrigerator.

For the Cake:

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup egg substitute
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

1 tablespoon grated lime rind

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups low-fat buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray; line bottoms with wax or parchment paper.  Coat paper with cooking spray.

Place sugar and butter in large bowl and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).  Add egg substitute, lime and lemon zest, and lime juice; beat well.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Spoon batter into prepared pans, tapping on countertop to remove air bubbles.  Bake 30-35 minutes until centers test done.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes on a wire rack.  Remove from pans, peel off wax paper, and cool completely on rack.    

It's cooling.

For the Icing:

1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

1 1/2 teaspoons grated lime rind

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

12 ounces 1/3-less fat cream cheese, softened

3 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Place lemon and lime zest, lime juice and cream cheese in a medium bowl and beat at medium speed until well blended.  Reduce speed to low; gradually add powdered sugar and beat until blended.  Cover and chill for 30 minutes.

Place one layer on cake plate and cover with icing.

Top with second layer.



Cover cake with a thin layer of icing to crumb coat. 

Chill in refrigerator for a few minutes.



Spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake.



Frosting is complete.  Chill one hour before serving.

Cover loosely and store in refrigerator.

A little bit of frosting left over ... just enough for a midnight snack attack!

Funny how that worked out ...

Glazed Lemon Bread

I DO NOT LIKE COLD WEATHER.

But here we are, mid-November, marching fast and furiously toward the depths of winter.  The crisp scent of lemon however, reminds me of warmer days, so when I came across this clipping for a glazed lemon bread I couldn't resist.  Plus, once the oven heats I can open the door and stand next to it and stay toasty warm while all the measuring and mixing takes place.  The downside?  This bread is a fairly quick fix and I had to close the oven door way too soon.

Glazed Lemon Bread

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons lemon zest, divided

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon sparkling sugar

Beat softened butter at medium speed until creamy.  Gradually add 1 cup sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each until blended.

Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Add vanilla.  Stir in one tablespoon of lemon zest.  Spoon batter into a greased and floured 8- x 4-inch loaf pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until center tests done.  Let bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes.  Remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Stir together powdered sugar and lemon juice and spoon evenly over top of bread, letting the excess drip off the sides.  Mix remaining one tablespoon of lemon zest with sparkling sugar.  Sprinkle over glaze to garnish.