The original cornmeal batters, as made for the settlers by the Indians, consisted of cornmeal, salt and water. These simple batters quickly evolved to include eggs, butter and milk, and were the basis of many of the most celebrated Early American breads, cakes and puddings.

2 cups white cornmeal
1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted, cooled

Preheat oven to 450°F. Butter 9x9x2-inch baking pan. Mix first 4 ingredients in large bowl. Whisk buttermilk, eggs and butter in medium bowl to blend. Stir buttermilk mixture into dry ingredients to blend (do not overmix). Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean and top is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool in pan. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.)

Serves 12.

Bon Appétit
November 1996

You will need to bake the Buttermilk Corn Bread and allow it to cool before you begin preparing this stuffing.

Buttermilk Corn Bread
8 bacon slices
5 tablespoons butter
3 cups chopped onions
2 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped shallots
4 teaspoons dried rubbed sage
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 1/2 cups pecans, toasted, coarsely chopped
2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
3 large eggs, beaten to blend

Preheat oven to 325°F. Cut corn bread into 3/4-inch cubes. Place corn bread cubes on baking sheet and toast until dry but not hard, about 15 minutes. Cool. Transfer to large bowl.

Butter 8x8x2-inch baking dish. Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 6 minutes. Using tongs, transfer bacon to paper towels; reserve 1/4 cup bacon drippings in skillet. Cool bacon and crumble. Add butter to bacon drippings in skillet and melt over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery and shallots; sauté just until pale golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in sage and thyme. Add to corn bread cubes in bowl. Mix in pecans and crumbled bacon. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Stir 1 1/2 cups chicken broth into stuffing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in eggs. Reserve 9 cups stuffing for turkey. Moisten remaining stuffing with remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth. Transfer to prepared dish. Bake stuffing in covered dish alongside turkey for 1 hour. Uncover stuffing and bake until top begins to crisp, about 5 minutes longer.

Serves 12.

Bon Appétit
November 1996

I cup pumpkin
3/4 Cc. applejuice concentrate
1/2 t. vanilla
1/3 c. milk
2 egg whites
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1 c. raisons
1/2 c. ground nuts
the last 2 are optional

preheat oven 375 grease or use paper and pan combine pumpkin, juice, vanila, milk and egg. In seperate bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, raisons and nuts. Add flour mix to pumpkin mix, stirring just to combine. bake 20 min.

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup pecans, toasted, chopped

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 9 1/4 x 5 x 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in medium bowl. In small bowl, mix mashed bananas, milk and vanilla. Using electric mixer, beat shortening in large bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in sugar. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat banana mixture and flour mixture alternately into shortening mixture in 2 additions each. Stir in pecans. Transfer to prepared pan.

Bake bread until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool completely. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Wrap tightly in foil and let stand at room temperature.)

Makes 1 loaf.

Bon Appétit
November 1998
Susan C. Samuel, Montgomery AL
The Cook's Exchange

Mashed potatoes give this spectacular bread a moist texture.

17 ounces red-skinned potatoes (about 3 medium), peeled
5 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, room temperature
4 teaspoons coarse salt
1/2 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
3 envelopes dry yeast
Pinch of sugar
4 large eggs
8 cups (about) unbleached all purpose flour
Cornmeal
3/4 cup golden raisins (optional)
1 egg, beaten to blend (glaze)
Sesame or poppy seeds

Combine potatoes and 5 cups water in large pot. Cover and boil until potatoes are very tender, about 40 minutes. Ladle 1 1/4 cups cooking liquid into small bowl and reserve; cool reserved liquid to lukewarm. Drain potatoes. Transfer potatoes to medium bowl and mash potatoes until smooth. Place mashed potatoes in strainer set over large bowl of electric mixer. Using rubber spatula, press mashed potatoes through strainer. Add 3/4 cup sugar, butter, 4 teaspoons salt and 1 1/4 cups reserved cooking liquid to mashed potatoes. Using dough hook, beat until well blended.

Combine 1/2 cup warm water, yeast and pinch of sugar in small bowl. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add to potato mixture and beat to blend. Beat in 4 eggs. Mix in enough flour, 1 cup at a time, to form soft dough. Turn out dough onto generously floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour as necessary to form soft elastic dough, about 10 minutes. Lightly oil large bowl. Add dough, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Oil 2 large baking sheets. Sprinkle generously with the cornmeal. Turn out dough onto floured surface. Divide dough in half; knead each piece lightly. If desired, knead raisins into 1 piece of dough. Divide each dough piece into 3 equal portions. Roll out each portion between work surface and palms of hand to 15-inch-long rope. Form into braids, using 3 ropes for each braid. Tuck ends under and pinch ends together. Place 1 loaf on each baking sheet. Cover with towel and let rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush loaves with egg glaze. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or poppy seeds. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Continue baking until loaves are deep golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on bottom, about 25 minutes longer. Transfer to racks and cool completely. (Can be made ahead. Wrap tightly in foil and freeze up to 2 weeks.)

Makes 2 loaves.

Bon Appétit
November 1994

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup mashed potatoes
1/2 cup potato water
1 pkg. dry yeast and 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp.salt
1/4 cup Crisco
1 egg
Flour

Mix 1/2 cup sugar with next three ingredients in a bowl.Let set overnight.Add remaining sugar and all the remaining ingredients and mix well,add enough flour to make soft dough.Let rise.Knead and shape into rolls,place on a greased cookie sheet,and let rise again .Bake at 350 until brown.

This one was posted by Nick.

1 cup sour cream (8oz)
1 stick margarine, melted
1 cup self rising flour, sifted

Combine all igredients in a bowl, Stir until well mixed. Bake in ungreased muffin pans at 450° for 15 minutes. Dough can be kept in refridgerator for 1 week.

* I sometimes add a bit of sugar to this recipe for a sweeter roll taste.

This one was posted by Victoria Tash.

I got this off of a bag the store sells over- ripe bananas in. Tried 3 or four recipies in different cookbooks, and all failed, until I tried this one. Hope it works for you. (I just use all white flour, that Whole wheat flour just sounds "too healthy" for me!

8T. (1 stick) butter, at room temp.
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup flour (all purpose)
1 tea. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup Whole wheat flour
3 large ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. preheat oven 350 deg, grease 9x5x3 pan
2. cream butter & sugar till light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each
3. Sift flour, baking soda & salt together, stir in flour & add to creamed mixture, mixing well.
4. Fold in bananas, van. & nuts
5. Pour mixture in pan, and bake 50 or 60 min. or till tester comes out clean- cool in pan 10 min, then in rack.

P.S. Did you know you can freeze ripe bananas in their peels to use for baking at a later date? Works great if they are on sale, and you don't feel like cooking that day.

This one was posted by Rooloo.

1/2 cup Crisco
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 tsp.lemon rind
1 beaten egg
1-3/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp.baking soda
1 very ripe banana, mashed
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Cream Crisco,sugar,and lemon rind,add egg,sifted flour,baking powder and soda.Mix banana and sour cream together.Add flour mixture and banana mixture alternately to crisco mixture.Beat until smooth,add nuts.Place in greased bread pan.Bake at 350 for 50 minutes.
(Hint...WHEN YOU TEST THE BREAD WITH A CAKE TESTER,THE BREAD SHOULD NOT BE TO DRY ON TOP.

This one was posted by Nick.

5 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup flour (use as needed)
1 tsp. salt
2 1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup margarine or butter
1/4 cup sugar
2 envelopes active dry yeast
OR
2 Tbles active dry yeast
2 cup quick cooking oats
1 Tbles. caraway seeds

The number of slices used to calculate the recipe was not given or checked. Guessed about 16 half-inch slices per loaf to make 32 servings. Stir together 2 cups of flour and the salt in a large bowl. Heat the milk, margarine and sugar together over low heat until the margarine is soft. Add the liquid to the flour. Beat for 2 minutes on the medium speed of an electric mixer or 300 strokes by hand. Combine 1 cup of flour and the yeast. Add to the batter. Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed or 300 strokes by hand. Stir in the oats and caraway with a wooden spoon. Stir in enough additional flour to make a stiff dough.

Turn out onto a floured board. Knead until smooth, 8 to 10 minutes. Place in a greased large bowl. Brush the top with vegetable oil. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until double in size, about 1 hour.

Punch the dough down. Divide it in half and shape to form two loaves. Place in two greased 8 1/2 " x 4 1/2 " loaf pans. Brush with melted margarine or butter. Cover and let rise until nearly double in size, about 1 hour. When almost doubled, preheat the oven to 375 F. Bake for about 40 minutes or until brown. Cool before slicing. Makes 2 loaves.
1 slice = 78 calories, 1 starch exchange 2 grams protein, 16 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fat, 181 mg sodium.

This one was posted by Emma.