Idea Alley

Coffee cake recipe recalls '63 postcard

Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

"Your Overnight Coffee Cake brought back memories of my mom's favorite coffee cake," writes Linda Wolf, regarding a recipe that appeared in Front Burner on Dec. 27.

"I have a yellowed postcard from 1963 when I requested the recipe after our move to Arizona. I now have her 1952 Methodist Church Cook Book from Hope, Kan., with the recipe."

Bohemian Coffee Cake

1 cup butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

3 cups sifted flour

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chopped dates

1 cup chopped nuts

In a bowl, blend butter, sugars and flour. Reserve 1 cup for topping.

In a separate bowl, beat eggs. Stir baking soda into buttermilk and add to eggs. Add salt and vanilla. Mix well, then stir into flour mixture. Pour into a greased 9-by-13-inch baking pan and top with dates, nuts and reserved flour-butter mixture. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes. (Wolf suggests baking the cake at 350 degrees for a little longer. She also notes the recipe can be halved.)

When it comes to hearty winter meals, it's hard to beat beans and cornbread. The following recipes are from Jeffrey L. Palsa.

"Here are a couple of favorite [recipes]. They are especially comforting in the winter," Palsa writes.

Broccoli Cheese Cornbread

8 ounces frozen broccoli pieces thawed, drained well and chopped

1 packaged cornbread mix (Jiffy Mix is Palsa's go-to)

3 eggs, beaten

1 medium onion, chopped small

4 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Make sure the broccoli has been pressed dry between towels to remove any excess moisture.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and thoroughly mix. It will be thick. Pour into a 10-inch iron skillet for best results or 8-inch square pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until set in center.

Farmer's Pinto Beans and Meatballs

3 cups cooked pinto beans with liquid (from 1 cup dry pinto beans cooked and seasoned to taste or use canned)

1 pound ground beef

2 large yellow onions, finely chopped

1/2 cup ketchup OR barbecue sauce OR steak sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Bring the beans to a simmer.

Mix the beef, onion, ketchup, salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika together. Using a small scoop, shape into balls; drop the meatballs into the simmering beans. Leave over medium heat until meatballs are done.

Great with above cornbread.

REQUEST

• Leckerli torte for Cynthia Skinner. The dessert was featured on a travel show recently and is comprised of an 8-inch leckerli cookie spread with frosting and topped with a layer of sponge cake, more frosting and then a second cookie on top. Leckerli is a Swiss spiced cookie that includes honey, hazelnuts, almonds, candied citrus and Kirsch.

Send recipe contributions, requests and culinary questions to Kelly Brant, Idea Alley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203; email:

kbrant@arkansasonline.com

Please include a daytime phone number.

Food on 01/17/2018

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