Sweet Tea and Jesus Shoes

by Various

  1 tablespoon mace

  1 tablespoon grated nutmeg

  1 teaspoon cloves

  1 tablespoon vanilla extract

  6 lbs. raisins,chopped

  2 lbs. dates, chopped

  2 lbs. citron

  1 lb. nuts (pecans, walnuts or almonds), chopped

  1/2 lb. candied cherries

  1/2 lb. candied lemon and orange peel, mixed

  2 cups wine or brandy

  Dredge all the fruits in a mixture of flour and cinnamon.

  Mix butter, eggs, sugar and vanilla till fluffy. Add molasses and baking soda dissolved in water. Sift together flour and spices. Add alternately with grape juice/coffee. Fold in the flour-dredged fruits and nuts.

  Fill two tube pans, leaving one inch at top for rising.

  Bake at 250 degrees for 5-6 hours. Test with toothpick until center is clean.

  Cool for ten minutes by turning upside down on a soft drink bottle. Remove from pans. Pour one cup wine or brandy over each cake; wrap in a tea towel and put away for 4-6 weeks. Each week pour1/2 cup wine over the tea towel to soak the cake.

  Cakes baked between mid-November and Thanksgiving are ready to serve at Christmas.

  Chocolate-Nut Pound Cake

  Nancy Knight

  —Uncle Clete’s Bell

  Ingredients:

  3 cups of sugar

  5 eggs

  2 sticks of softened butter

  3 cups of sifted flour (sifted 3 times)

  1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  1/2 cup of shortening

  1 cup of milk

  2 teaspoons of vanilla

  1/2 teaspoon of salt

  2 squares of chocolate, melted

  1 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts

  1/2 cup of pecan or walnut halves

  Mix together flour, salt, and baking powder . Set aside. Pour milk and vanilla into a bowl and set aside. Cream sugar, butter, and shortening together well. Add eggs one at a time and beat. Turn mixer to low and add half of flour mixture and half of milk mixture. Beat completely. Add chocolate and continue to beat. Add remaining flour and milk, beat more. Finally, add chopped pecans.

  Pour cake mixture into a greased and floured tube pan. Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes until done.

  Icing: Chocolate-Nut Pound Cake

  2 cups of sugar

  pinch of salt

  1/2 cup of milk

  1/4 cup cocoa

  1 stick butter

  1 teaspoon vanilla

  3/4 cup pecan halves

  Melt butter in milk. Combine mixture with sugar, cocoa, and salt. Bring mixture to a boil and boil for two minutes, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Beat with electric mixer until thick enough to spread.

  Note: Cake must be cool before icing. Ice cake. Arrange pecan halves on top of cake and serve.