ANN BAILEY: Take comfort in these family recipes

• Ann Bailey

Ann Bailey

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When the mercury dips below zero, my enthusiasm for cooking grows. For me, cranking up the oven and baking a batch of cookies or putting a pot of soup on the stove is a way to combat the cold.

Last weekend, for example, on Saturday I made two batches of banana bread and filled the cookie jar with homemade chocolate chip cookies. For supper we had chicken tortilla soup with from-scratch cornbread.

Sunday supper was beef barley soup with my husband, Brian’s homemade bread.

This weekend, I’m planning to make a stew that cooks for several hours in the oven. Not only does the stew taste wonderful, it permeates the house with a great aroma when it is cooking.

Soup, stew and cookies are at the top of my list when it comes to “comfort foods.” So is my grandmother, Anna’s scalloped corn recipe, which I wrote about a few weeks ago. I thought I’d share the recipes for scalloped corn and a few of my other favorite comfort foods, courtesy of my mom’s and grandmother’s files. If anyone wants the recipe for the stew, which is called Gone All Day Beef Stew, you can e-mail me and I’ll send it to you.

Here the recipes from my mom, Marcia, and grandma, Anna:

Scalloped corn

1 can whole kernel corn, drained.

1 can cream style corn

2 tsp. sugar

6 Tablespoons butter

2/3 cup milk

4 eggs

1 cup saltine cracker crumbs

Diced onion to taste.

Directions: Lightly beat eggs and put them in a large bowl. Add other ingredients and mix. Pour into casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees F. for one hour. (I usually bake it covered for about 45 minutes, and uncover it for the last 15).

Hamburger Hotdish

2 pounds hamburger

½ pound bacon

1 onion, chopped

½ package egg noodles.

2 cans tomato soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream style corn

Grated cheese

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions: Cook egg noodles and drain. Fry hamburger, bacon and onion, drain. Add to cooked noodles. Add soups and corn. Place in casserole and top with grated cheese. Bake at 350 degrees about one-half hour or until hot and bubbly.

Bean Bake

8 slices bacon

1 large onion, cut into rings

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

½ teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup cider vinegar

2 cans butter lima beans

1 can green lima beans

1 can red kidney beans

1 can pork and beans.

Directions: Sauté bacon and onions until bacon is crisp and onions are tender. Drain. Place dry mustard, brown sugar, vinegar and garlic powder into a Dutch oven. Cook 20 minutes. Add bacon, onions and beans. Bake for one hour, covered, in the oven at 350 degrees F.

* Master Waffles

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt.

4 teaspoon baking powder

1 Tablespoon sugar

½ cup milk

¼ cup cooking oil

2 eggs, beaten separately.

Directions: Sift together flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. Beat eggs separately. Add yolks, milk and oil to flour mixture and mix together. Gently fold in beaten egg whites. Bake on waffle iron.

*Although waffles traditionally are a breakfast food, these are hearty enough, when paired with fruit and/or a potato dish, to be served for supper.

Molasses cookies

¾ cup shortening

1 cup sugar

¼ cup light molasses

1 egg

2 cups sifted flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon ginger

½ teaspoon salt

Directions: Cream together shortening, sugar and eggs. Sift together dry ingredients. Blend dry ingredients into shortening, sugar and eggs mixture. Chill in refrigerator for one hour. Form dough into walnut-sized balls and roll in sugar. Bake at 335 degrees F. for 10 to 12 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet. Remove from oven and place pan on cooling rack for a few minutes, then remove cookies from pan and place on rack until completely cool. Store in airtight container.

Lemon dessert

Graham cracker crumbs

1 can evaporated milk chilled

1 package lemon gelatin

1 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Make gelatin according to package directions. Put in refrigerator and let it congeal. Whip evaporated milk in large bowl. Add lemon juice to evaporated milk and beat together with electric mixer. Slowly add one cup sugar, beating constantly. Add gelatin and stire together with large spoon. Pour into cake pan. Sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs. Chill in refrigerator until set.

Enjoy!

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