Some Favorite Recipes


G. W.’S FAVORITE PUMPKIN “PIE”
 

The dish below was called “pie” back in the old days, and is supposed to have been one of George Washington’s favorite dishes.  See what you think.

 pumpkin (5-7 pounds)
6 eggs
2 cups heavy (whipping) cream
½ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon molasses

½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ginger
2 tablespoons butter
Cut the lid off the pumpkin and remove the seeds.  Mix the remaining ingredients together except for the butter.  Fill the pumpkin with this mixture and top with the butter.  Cover the pumpkin with the lid and place in a baking pan.  Bake at 350° for 1 ½ hours, or until the mixture is set like custard.  Serve from the pumpkin, scraping some of the pumpkin meat along with each serving.


JOHNNY CAKE
4 cups yellow cornmeal
3 cups boiling water
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal and boiling water.  Beat with a wire whisk until smooth.  Mix in salt, brown sugar and butter.  Set aside to cool.  Heat oven to 400°.  Lightly grease 2 baking sheets.  Beat eggs into cooled cornmeal mixture.  Divide onto baking sheets and spread into two 8-inch rounds.  Bake until firm in the center and golden brown---20 to 25 minutes.  Cool 10 to 15 minutes before serving.  These are best served fresh---they get quite firm if stored. 


APPLE BUTTER

Fill a kettle with cider, and boil it down to two-thirds of the quantity you started with.  Pare, core, and slice sweet apples.  Add as many to the cider as the kettle will hold without boiling over.  Allow to boil slowly; stir frequently to prevent burning.  Note:  a wooden paddle is traditionally used the stir the mixture.  When the apple butter is smooth and thick, add cinnamon and sugar to taste.  Let cool.  Store in the refrigerator in tightly closed jars.