POSSUM APPLE (PERSIMMON) NUT BREAD

Sift together: 2 cups sifted flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon nutmeg.

Cream together and gradually blend in the above ingredients. 1/2 cup shortening or oleomargarine, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 eggs (beaten), 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add last: 1 cup persimmon pulp cup of nuts of own choice. Pour batter and persimmon/nut mixture into a well greased 9x5x3 inch long pan and let set for 20 minutes before baking. Bake 55 to 60 minutes at 375 degrees. The first thing you need to know about "possum apples" is that during most of their lifespan they are black, hard and more puckery than alum. So much so that they are impossible to eat. Only when they turn orange in mid fall after the frost has hit them a few times and softened them up, do they become soft and sweet. Actually at this point they are becoming rotten. They reach their peak usefulness in early November. Election Day week is usually when I traditionally go to pick them. Although they will cling to the branches well into the winter months and they can continue to be used until then.

It takes a large amount of persimmons to make 1 cup. Wash them, remove the calyx at the top of each berry. Process them through some kind of fine colander or hand operated food mill.

Scrape the pulp and remove the seeds when you add more fruit to the colander. The seeds are a real nuisance, but there is a very interesting legend about them from early American folklore. Split in half each seed reveals a leaf embryo which can resemble either a spoon, fork or knife. The legend says that if the embryo resembles a spoon then it was considered to be good luck. The Asian persimmon is becoming better known in America and they can be substituted in this recipe and they are less trouble to prepare, having very tiny seeds and being of large size that obtaining enough pulp is no problem. Their drawback is that they do not taste as good as their American cousins.

Having tried this bread, anyone will have to agree that "possum apples" are definitely worth the trouble as guests will always beg for more.

ZUCCHINI BREAD

2 cups flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 3 eggs, 2 cups grated zucchini, 1 cup oil, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 4 teaspoon baking powder, 3 teaspoons cinnamon. Combine all ingredients, mixing thoroughly. Pour into 2 large or 4 small loaf pans. Bake in 350 degree oven for 35 minutes for small pans or 50 minutes for large pans.

Option: Add 1 cup chopped walnuts or raisins or both.

HOT WATER GINGERBREAD

Mix together: 1 cup of molasses, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of spry (scant). Sift together: 2 1/2 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons of baking soda, 1 tablespoon of ginger, teaspoon of salt. Stir together with 1 cup of boiling water. Hastily stir in 2 well beaten eggs. This is a very thin batter. Do not add more flour. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until done.

PUMPKIN BREAD

3 1/2 Cups of flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, 3 cups of sugar, 1 cup of vegetable oil, 2/3 cup of water, 2 cups of pumpkin, 4 eggs. Sift dry ingredients with sugar. Make a well and pour in the oil, eggs, water and pumpkin. Stir until well blended. Sprinkle top with walnuts or they can be added to the batter. Bake for 1 hour in 350 degrees oven. Will make 3 regular bread sized loaves.

PERFECT BREAD

1 package of active dry yeast, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 cup of lukewarm water, 1/4 cup of Crisco, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 cup of hot milk (for a much firmer and less crumbly bread use water if you desire), 5 to 6 cups of enriched flour.

Soften yeast in 1/4 cup of lukewarm water for 5 minutes. Then stir until blended. Measure sugar, salt, and Crisco into a mixing bowl. Pour hot milk (or water) over the ingredients and stir, mashing Crisco against sides of bowl until broken into small crumbs. Add remaining water and cool to lukewarm. Stir in 1 cup of flour. Add yeast and 2 more cups of flour. Beat with a wooden spoon until better is smooth and elastic. Stir in 12 to 2 cups more flour. Then with floured fingers work in enough additional flour to make a soft dough that does not stick to your fingers. Turn dough on lightly floured board and knead for 2 minutes for about 100 kneading strokes. Shape dough into a ball and put in a bowl rubbed with Crisco. Cover with a towel and let dough rise until double in bulk-about 1 and 1/2 hours. Punch dough down and turn it on a floured board. Cut dough in half and shape each half into a smooth ball. Shape each ball into a loaf and put into bead pans rubbed with Crisco. Cover pans with a towel and let bread rise until the sides of the raised bread reaches the top of the pans and the center is nicely rounded above it (this may take approximately 1 hour). Place in a pre-heated 400 oven for approximately 45 to 50 minutes until golden brown.

When baked, turn loaves from pans immediately to keep crust crisp. Cool on a cake rack. For a soft, tender crust rush loaves with a light coating of Crisco as soon as they come out of the oven.

BLUEBERRY ZUCCHINI BREAD

3 eggs, 1 cup oil, 2 cups sugar, 2 cups grated zucchini, 3 teaspoons vanilla, 3 cups sifted flour, 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda, 3 teaspoons cinnamon, dash of nutmeg, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 cup chopped nuts, 1 cup blueberries.

Beat eggs until light and foamy. Add oil and sugar, grated zucchini and vanilla. Mix lightly, but well. Add flour, baking soda, spices and baking powder. Which have been sifted together. Blend well. Add nuts and blueberries.

Pour batter into a 9x5x2 inch loaf pan or 4 pans 8x4x2 1/4. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into loaf comes out clean.

PAN BREAD

2 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, a pinch of salt. Mix with water or milk until very thick. Place mixture in well-greased frying pan and cook on a low flame until it stops bubbling. Lift slowly out of pan until the bottom is a golden color then turn it over as you would check a cake. This can also be used to make biscuits.