Photography by Peter Frank Edwards
Tradition has always been steadfast in my heart when it comes to the holidays. I am sure every family has its customs, and I won’t suggest eliminating any favorites, but perhaps I can introduce three new recipes to “sneak in” this holiday season.
Let’s start with a breakfast recipe that has been a hit in our families — Pluck It Cake. We don’t have Thanksgiving or Christmas morning without it! The cake is SO delicious right out of the oven and even better as dessert later in the day following the traditional turkey sandwich. Pay attention to the steps and the ingredients — and don’t make any substitutions!
My next favorite is a side dish that came from a friend in Madison, Ga., in the late 70s — Holiday Baked Fruit. The original recipe called for canned fruit with the magic ingredient of fresh coconut macaroons from my favorite bakery. Now we use fresh ingredients so this recipe represents my adaptation to that rendition. It is truly delicious with poultry or ham and could even be a dessert with ice cream on top.
Last, but certainly not least, is my sister Bitsy’s Spankin’ Vegetable Beef Soup. If you know that your December will be packed, make this stress-free soup ahead for dinner. The children at camp love it and it freezes well, so it’s a great way to accomplish a lot quickly. I have shared my husband’s vegetable soup recipe in a previous issue and this one is a close second. There is nothing better in the winter than a hot bowl of soup.
Take the challenge to get in the kitchen with one of these tried-and-true recipes. Let us know what you think by sharing
@veryverastewart and @augmagazine.
Bitsy’s Spankin’ Vegetable Beef Soup
This is my sister’s recipe and I love to make it for a large crowd. It’s a hearty soup that can be served for lunch or dinner! Be sure to freeze any leftovers, as the extra soup would be great to pull out and defrost for a rainy day.
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 3 hours
Yield: 10 to 12 servings
INGREDIENTS
6 to 8 lbs. cross-cut beef shanks or hind shanks
4 tsp. kosher salt, divided
10 cups beef broth
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 medium Vidalia sweet onions, chopped
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 (12 oz.) package frozen baby lima beans
1 (10 oz.) package frozen corn
1 (10 oz.) package frozen peas
1 (12 oz.) package frozen okra
1/2 cup pearl barley
2 (15 oz.) cans tomato sauce
1 tsp. Montreal® Steak seasoning
DIRECTIONS
- In a large pot over high heat add the beef shanks, 2 teaspoons salt and the beef broth. Bring to a boil.
- Add celery, carrots, onions, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, parsley, basil, thyme, black pepper, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer over low heat, uncovered, for 2 hours.
- Remove the meat from the pot, chop it up and then return it to the pot.
- Over high heat, add the remaining 2 teaspoons salt, all the frozen vegetables, barley, tomato sauce and Montreal® seasoning.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for at least one hour or longer.
- Serve hot and enjoy! Any leftovers can be frozen in an airtight container.
Holiday Baked Fruit
This is a sweet side dish! Choose a mix of your favorite fruits to use in this classical Southern dish that will warm you from the inside out. Most people choose canned fruit when making this dish, but I always prefer to use fresh.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 30 minutes
serves: 8 people
INGREDIENTS
16 dried coconut macaroon cookies, crumbled
4 cups fruit (fresh peaches, pears, pineapple chunks, Cosmic Crisp® apples, or blackberries)
3/4 cup pecan halves, toasted
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup golden sherry
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and prepare a 2-1/2 quart baking dish with cooking spray.
- In the prepared baking dish, layer 1/4 of the crumbled cookies, 1/3 of the fruit and 1/4 cup pecans.
- Repeat the layers twice more. Top with brown sugar and the remaining cookie crumbs.
- Combine the sherry and melted butter in a small mixing bowl. Pour over the layered ingredients in the baking dish.*
- Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until heated through.
*If preparing ahead of time or the day before, do not pour the sherry mixture over the baking dish until just prior to baking.
Pluck It Cake
Sometimes the most challenging part of this recipe is finding the right biscuits! The house is filled with the best aroma on Thanksgiving and Christmas morning with this recipe, not to mention how easy it is to walk by the counter and just pluck a bite!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Serves: 12 to 16 people
INGREDIENTS
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 cups dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
3 (12 oz.) cans Pillsbury® Buttermilk Flaky Layers refrigerated biscuits (10 biscuits per can)
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 300 F and prepare a 12-cup Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Over medium heat, combine the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, stirring until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat.
- Open each can of biscuits and cut each biscuit into quarters. Layer half of the dough pieces in the pan, making sure the rounded edges are facing the pan.
- Pour half of the brown sugar mixture over the dough. Cover with the remaining dough pieces and then top with the remaining brown sugar mixture.
- Place the pan on a cookie sheet and bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before flipping the pan onto a serving plate.
- To serve, allow your guests to pluck a piece from the cake while it is still warm.
Seen in the Nov/Dec 2024 issue of Augusta magazine
Have feedback or a story idea? Our publisher would love to hear from you!
9 + 10 =
The post In Good Taste appeared first on Augusta Magazine.
