"Ice Cream" Cake

* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 cups sugar
* 1/2 cup cocoa powder
* 2 tsp. baking soda
* 2 tsp. vanilla extract
* 2 tsp. distilled white vinegar
* 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
* 2 cups cold water
* 2 pints nondairy ice cream, flavors of your choice, softened
* 10 to 15 chocolate-cream sandwich cookies (such as Droxies at Keebler.com), finely ground in a food processor
* 1 cup strawberry topping or pie filling

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and baking soda. Stir in the vanilla, vinegar, and oil. Add the water and stir well. Immediately pour the mixture into the two cake pans, dividing evenly, and bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes.

Allow the cakes to cool before removing them from the pans, then divide each cake into two layers. Put the bottom layer of one cake on a serving platter. Spread one pint of the nondairy ice cream over the top and sprinkle it with the ground cookies.

Place cake, uncovered, in the freezer for several hours to firm up.

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Carolina Country Hobo Bread

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of raisins
2 teaspoons of baking soda
1 cup of boiling water
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of chopped nuts
3 tablespoons of shortening
1 egg, beaten
2 cups of flour
1/8 teaspoon of salt

Pour the boiling water over the raisins and baking soda and let stand until cool. Combine the other ingredients with the raisin mixture and bake in a greased loaf pan at 350 degrees for 60 minutes or until done.

Southern Biscuits Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup Crisco shortening
1 cup buttermilk

Directions

1. Combine the dry ingredients. Gently kneed (cut) in the shortening until the mixture looks like "meal" (a very course powder)

2. Add the buttermilk, stirring GENTLY until a dough starts to form.

3. When you get a "sticky" dough ball, turn out on board, flour lightly, and form a flat mass. Cut out the biscuits with a biscuit cutter.

4. Place the biscuits on a cookie sheet and then into a 450-degree preheated oven. Bake until tops are a golden brown (about 10-12 minutes).
Yields 8-10 biscuits according to the size of biscuit cutter you use.

Tip 1: If you do not have a biscuit cutter, check your drinking glasses for one with the diameter the size you want your biscuits. While not the preferred tool, it will work.

Tip 2: Obtaining the correct consistency of the dough takes a little practice. Just add the buttermilk a little at a time and watch for the dough to form as you stir. You may be tempted to add too much flour to prevent the dough sticking to your hands. Don't! It should be light, puffy and sticky when you take it out of the mixing bowl. You can sprinkle lightly with flour after it is on your board to prevent sticking. Don't over flour.

Tip 3: Do NOT handle the dough any more than necessary. Over handling will make tough biscuits. When you turn the dough out on your board, try to double the dough over on itself only three times while flattening it out.

Tip 4: Use buttermilk rather than regular milk. If you do not have buttermilk, you can make a substitute by adding 1 tsp white vinegar in 1 cup regular milk. Stir and allow to sit for 1 minute before use.

Tip 5: Make sure to preheat the oven. Never start your biscuits in a cold oven.

Tip 6: When cutting out the biscuits, push straight down and back up with the biscuit cutter. Do not push down and "twist" or turn the biscuit cutter. This can cause uneven cooking and flat biscuits.

Tip 7: If you want fluffy biscuits, leave a 2" space between the biscuits on the cookie sheet. If you want crispier biscuits, place the biscuits with their sides touching.

Hushpuppy Recipe

4 cups vegetable oil
2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups milk
1 cup water

In a cast-iron skillet or a large heavy fry pan over medium-high heat, heat vegetable oil to 350° F or until a small amount of batter dropped into the hot oil sizzles and floats. Do not let the oil get too hot or the center of the hushpuppies will not cook thoroughly.

In a large mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, egg, salt, baking soda, milk, and water. Mix until batter is smooth and free of any lumps. Batter should be stiff (if batter is too dry, add milk; if batter is too thin, add cornmeal).

Using two spoons, push a small amount of batter into hot oil (370° to 380° F). After about 10 seconds, hushpuppies will float to the top and begin to brown. Fry for approximately 5 minutes or until golden brown, turning to brown all sides. Remove from oil and place hushpuppies on paper towels; continue cooking the remaining batter (fry in small batches, adding 4 to 6 hushpuppies to the oil at a time). NOTE: They can be held in a 200° F oven until serving time (approximately 30 minutes). Serve hot.

Makes 2 dozen hushpuppies.