By Kevin Williams
Okay we have a lot of fun posts today so let's just jump right in!
Try this Cherry Tea Cake!
CHERRY TEA CAKE: This recipe comes from a cookbook that Patricia at the Patchwork Quilt blog picked up at an estate sale. Interestingly, the book is from a Mennonite family named the Hochstedlers. That spelling is a little different than the more mainstream: Hochstetler spelling. Variations, though, among the Plain people are not uncommon. Think "Borntrager" and "Bontrager", for instance. Or "Beachy" and "Peachy." I almost didn't post this recipe simply because I'm not a huge cherry fan, but I know a ton of people are and Patricia gave this recipe rave reviews. Check it out here.
SOFTENING BUTTER: I also saw this on Patricia's blog and had to post it. SIGH, I know I have ruined many recipes by over-softening or melting butter when the recipe says it shouldn't. But I hate playing ninja to a cold block of butter in a mix so I'll often just soften it to ease the battle. But it does change the science behind the baking. So Patricia' offers a tip on how to deal with butter that you just want to "soften", not turn into a puddle as I often do. Check it out here.
CHERYL MCNULTY AMISH ART: Check out how her day-dreaming Amish girl portrait is coming along. Can't wait to see how it turns out! Click here.
VISIT TO AN AMISH BOOKSTORE: Erik pays a visit to an Amish bookstore in Lancaster County, PA. I agree with him that Amish bookstores and food places are among the most fun to visit. Amish book stores often thrive while a big Barnes & Noble has trouble staying in business, a testament to the "Amazon effect" on the big guys. I don't think the small Amish-run store's clientele has been poached by Amazon as much. Yet, anyway. Click here to check out Erik's post.
BLOG SPIN - AMISH PINEAPPLE BARS: Spun the wheel and it landed on this: Amish Pineapple Bars. Looks really tasty and interesting. Click here to see the recipe!
BLOG SPIN - YODER'S AMISH PEANUT BUTTER PIE RECIPE: Man, this recipe is a classic from the Amish mainstay in Sarasota: Yoder's Restaurant. They freely and generously give out the recipe, but it still takes a skilled person to make it. But if you to make it yourself, check it out here. And you don't have to travel all the way to Sarasota, Florida to try this pie! The recipe used at the Home Place, a Mennonite bulk food, bakery, and furniture store outside Georgetown, Ohio uses the exact same recipe (there's a family connection to Amanda Yoder who first made the recipe for Yoder's).
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