| Name | Whose | From | Recipe | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit Cake | Blanche Sutton Oates (1890-1974) | Jean Oates Westbrook /mro | 1/2 lb butter; 1 1/2 C sugar; 5 eggs; 3 C self-rising flour; 1/2 C water; 1/2 C bourbon; 1 tsp vanilla; 1/2 tsp cinnamon; 1/2 tsp ground cloves; 1 lb candied cherries, 1 lb diced candied pineapple; 1/2 lb diced citron; 1 pkg seeded raisins; 1 3-oz can black walnuts; 2 qts pecans Cream butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs one at a time beating well. Add flour alternately with liquids and vanilla. Blend thoroughly. Dredge fruits lightly with flour and add to batter mixing with wooden spoon. Add raisins and nuts. (If you like to decorate top, leave some for this). Cut wax paper to bottom and sides and funnel about 1/2 inch above top of pan. Grease 10 inch tube pan and both sides of paper. Pour batter into tube pan. Cover opening of tube. Cover cake pan with lid. Set cake pan in a container large enough for pan and water for steaming (a stock pot works well). Steam for 1-1/2. Remove to pre-heat 325 degree oven and bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven, put in a cool place for at least a day to cool. Remove from pan. Cover with foil. Place in a cake box to mellow. | This cake was served every Thanksgiving and Christmas at the Blanche and John Martin Oates family home for more than 50 years. |
| Japanese Fruit Cake | Blanche Sutton Oates (1890-1974) | Jean Oates Westbrook /mro | Japanese Fruit Cake 1/2 lb butter or margarine; 1 1/2 C sugar; 5 eggs; 3 C self rising flour; 1 C water; 1 tsp vanilla; 3 tbsp cocoa; 1/2 tsp ground cloves; 1/2 tsp allspice; 1/2 C seeded raisins Heat oven to 375 F Grease-flour 8 or 9 inch pans Cream sugar and butter until creamy, blend sugar gradually. Add eggs one at a time, beating until yolk cannot be seen. Add flour and water alternately until well blended. Add vanilla. Pour half of batter into 2 pans- Bake 15-20 minutes. To second half of batter, add cocoa, spices, and raisins using two pans- Bake as above. Filling: 1 coconut, grated; 1 C sugar; 2 tsps zest of lemon; Juice of 2 lemons; 1 1/4 C water; Mix- Medium heat- bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes/ cool Boiled Frosting: 2 C sugar; 2 tbsp corn syrup; 1/4 tsp cream of tartar; 1 C boiling water; 2 egg whites- stiffly beaten; 1/2 tsp vanilla Dissolve sugar and cream of tartar in boiling water. Add corn syrup. Boil water until a small amount of syrup forms a soft ball in cold water, or spins a thread- (238F) Pour syrup slowly over beaten egg whites, beating constantly until spreading consistency. Assemble the cake using white and dark alternately. Spread cooled coconut on layer, add frosting to each layer over coconut. Note: Short Cut Method - Use cake mix for layers. Frozen grated coconut (12 oz) and 7 minute frosting | This cake was served at the wedding supper of John Martin and Blanche Sutton Oates in the home of Mary Venetia Martin Oates (Mittie). February 10, 1910 on Route one, Faison; now Suttontown Road. This rich, moist cake was always served on Thanksgiving and Christmas day in their home. |
| Apple Scrooch (original recipe) | Blanche Sutton Oates (1890-1974) | Janet K. Oates (Lanier) - recipe passed down by my mother/ mro | 1 quart home canned apples, thick sliced, or small wedges; 1 quart whole milk; 8 eggs, beaten; 1 cup white sugar; 2 tablespoons flour; 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon; 1/2 tablespoon nutmeg; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract; butter Spread apples, including juice, in 12x15x3 inch baking pan. Combine dry ingredients. Stir in mixture of milk, eggs and vanilla. Pour evenly over apples, add small dabs of butter on top. Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until set. (Serves 10) (Also delicious with home canned grape hulls) | Grandmother's recipe, named by Uncle George Edward Oates. Frequently made by my mother (Carrie Oates) |
| Apple Scrooch (Original Recipe Altered) | Jack Oates | Jack Oates /mro | APPLE SCROOCH (Altered Recipe) 1, 20 oz. White House brand sliced apples, 3 cups whole milk, 6 eggs beaten, 1 cup white sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1-1/2 teaspoons nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla, margarine. Cut apples in medium cubes (potato masher may be used) and spread with juice in 9x12x3" baking dish. Combine dry ingredients and stir in mixture of milk, eggs, and vanilla. Pour evenly over apples and add 10 small dabs of margarine on top. Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. | Baked and approved by Jack Oates, April 16, 2000. |
| Chess Pie (Original) | Bettie (Bet) Lindsey Mitchell (mother of Laura Mitchell Oates, 1889-1968) | Laura Mitchell Oates/ Laura (Jim) Oates Smith /mro | To make about 6 muffin size pies: Start with 2 egg yokes; Butter, about the size of a large egg; 1/2 cup sugar; Few drops of vanilla Cream the butter and sugar (mix in stages) by hand, not with a mixer. Add egg yokes and vanilla. The trick is to make a rich, crisp crust. Prefer store-bought lard rather than home lard or Crisco. Make a "short crust" meaning rich with shortening. Roll dough paper thin. Bake in muffin pan until brown on top and filling will not jiggle when the pan is shaken. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, at about 350 degrees. My mother put meringue on top after they cooled. Bet Lindsey was known to have first added a spoon of wild strawberry jam to each of the miniature pies before adding the filling. | Chess pies came to the Oates family in the early part of the 20th century through Laura Mitchell Oates (1889-1968), wife of Edwin Oates. Laura, from Rockingham County, NC, was one of 10 children and learned to make chess pies from her mother, Bettie (Bet) Lindsey Mitchell. The small pies were made in great numbers, usually for family gatherings or special occasions, such as birthdays, and the makings were added from memory. Today any written record of the original recipe may be hard to find. This is what I remember from my mother: Jim |
| Chess Pie | Joyce Oates Odom (daughter of Laura Mitchell Oates) /mro | Joyce Oates Odom | 4 eggs, separated * 1/2 cup soft butter or margarine * 1 cup sugar. Cream butter and sugar, add beaten egg yolks and blend well. Spoon into 12 raw tart shells. Bake at 350 deg. F. until center of filling does not shake (approximately 25-30 min.) Meringue: Beat egg whites until frothy. Gradually beat in 1/3 cup sugar, a little at a time, until dissolved. Spread on pie filling and bake at 400 deg. F. until a delicate brown. | |
| Chess Pie | Velma J. (McCullen) Isenhour | Miriam Oates Grimes /mro | 3 eggs * 1 stick margarine, melted * 1 1/2 cups sugar* 1 tbs,vinegar * 1 1/2 tsp vanilla * 1 tbs corn meal Combine all ingredients, except corn meal, and beat well. Add corn meal and beat until none is visible. Pour into 9 inch regular, raw, pie crust. Bake at 400 deg. F., 10 min., reduce heat to 300 deg. F and bake 30 min. | |
| Moravian Sugar Cake | Unknown | Caroline McCullen / CDM | Moravian Sugar Cake (Makes 4 – 5 9” rounds) 1 cup hot mashed potatoes 2 pkgs. Yeast dissolved in 1 cup warm water & 1 tsp. sugar 1 cup sugar 1 cup butter 2 tsp. salt ½ cup warm milk 2 beaten eggs 5 ½ - 6 cups flour ½ cup potato water Cream butter & sugar. Add potatoes and salt. Add milk and water and beat. Add dissolved yeast and mix. Then add eggs and 2 cups of flour at a time until the dough is the consistency of muffin dough. Let rise one hour in bowl. Punch down, put in pans and let rise one hour in pans. Top with cinnamon, gracious amounts of light brown sugar and dots of butter, punching butter into cakes with your finger. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or till golden brown. Warm to serve. Freezes well. (You may drizzle a little milk over the cake before warming) | |
| Peanut Butter Country Ham | Mildred Barns Thompson/Wilson, NC | Dewey McCullen | Preparation: Place ham in roasting pan, cover with water and soak 12 to 24 hrs.Change water once while soaking. Place ham on rack in pan skin (fat) side up and cover with fresh water. Cooking: Place roasting pan on burner on top of stove and bring water to a boil. While water is coming to a boil preheat oven to 500 degrees. Once water comes to a boil put cover on roasting pan and place in preheated oven for 2 hrs. After 2 hours turn oven off and leave ham in pan in oven overnight. Finishing: Remove skin and some fat from ham. In a bowl mix ½ lb. Brown sugar, 1 med. Jar of peanut butter, and 2 table spoons of sweet pickle juice. Apply peanut sauce on ham, put in roasting pan uncovered in oven on low to medium 5 to 10 Min., watching carefully until peanut sauce is brown. Cool Slice Have Fun!!! Get Fat!!!! Get Indigestion????? | If oven is too hot in finishing stage, the sauce will run off ham. Use 250 degree to 300 degree oven. |
| Lemon Pie | Doris Oates | Doris Oates/mro | 1 can condensed milk 3 lemons (1/2 cup of juice) 3 eggs 1 package graham crackers 1/2 stick margarine 1/2 teaspoon lemon rind (optional) Crumble crackers with rolling pin. Melt 1/2 stick margarine and add to crackers. Put cracker mixture in pie pan. Grate 1/2 tsp. lemon rind, and mix with lemon juice. Separate eggs. Mix milk, egg yolks, and lemon mixture. Pour mixture in cracker crust. Beat egg whites until almost firm. Add slowly, 6 Tablespoons sugar to egg whites. Put meringue on lemon mixture and bake 325 degrees for approximately 25 minutes. | This lemon pie is a favorite of the Doris and Hugh Oates family, especially with Scott and Katharine. When they were little, they liked it so much that their mother, Kate Oates, would not make one for them. She wanted grandma Doris' lemon pie to be special when they went to Mt. Olive. |
| Blueberry Crunch | Hilda Oates Jones | Gail Jones Connell, youngest daughter of Eddis and Hilda | Line the bottom of a baking dish (9X5,10X6)heavily with blueberries; cover blueberries with 20oz can of crushed pineapple (incl. juice); sift dry yellow cake mix over blueberries and pineapple; cover top with 3/4 c chopped pecans; "drizzle" 1&1/2 sticks melted margarine over nuts. Bake @ 325 degrees 45min.-1hr.(Cool Whip or Whipped Cream on top, YUM!) **For the best fresh blueberries stop by Hilda's near Mt. Olive in July and enjoy picking the berries. Eddis planted the cultivated berries (about 16 bushes) years ago and took great pride in caring for them. |