W ashington ’ s h oecakes

½ tsp. Active dry yeast

2 ½ cups white cornmeal, divided

3 to 4 cups lukewarm water

½ tsp. Salt

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Mix yeast and 1 ¼ cup of the cornmeal in a large bowl. Add 1 cup lukewarm water, stirring to combine thoroughly. Mix in ½ cup more of the water, if needed to give the mixture the consistency of pancake batter. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

When ready to finish the hoecakes, begin by adding ½ cup to 1 cup of remaining water to the batter. Stir in salt and egg, blending thoroughly.

Add remaining 1 ¼ cup of cornmeal, mixing alternately with enough lukewarm water to make the consistency of waffle batter. Cover with a towel and set aside for 15 to 20 minutes.

Heat griddle on medium high and grease lightly. Use ¼ cup of batter for each hoecake. Cook about 4 to five minutes on each side or until golden brown. Serve with warm, melted butter and honey.

12 ounces semisweet chocolate morsels

12 ounces German Sweet Chocolate, broken into small pieces

2 cups marshmallow cream

4 ½ cups sugar pinch of salt

1 ½ cups (12 ounces) canned evaporated milk

2 tb. Butter

2 cups coarsely chopped nuts.

Butter a 9X13 inch baking dish or pan. Stir together the semisweet chocolate, German chocolate and marshmallow cream in a large bowl. Bring the sugar, salt, butter and evaporated milk to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Boil 1 minute. Reduce heat and simmer 7 minutes, stirring continuously. Pour over chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. Stir in nuts. Pour into prepared pan. Let stand at room temperature until firm, preferably overnight. Cut fudge into small squares. Store in airtight container for up to two weeks.

6 oz. Large elbow macaroni

3 cups milk

Jefferson ’s Macaroni Pie

2 teaspoons all purpose flour ½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 cups (packed) freshly grated Parmesan

2 cups (packed) grated mozzarella

2 cups (packed) Romano cheese

2 tablespoons butter

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees

Butter a 13X9 inch glass baking dish

In a large pot, of boiling water, cook the noodles until tender. Drain but do not rinse.

In a large bowl, whisk milk, flour, salt and pepper until blended. Stir in 1 ½ cup of Parmesan, 1 ½ cup mozzarella and 1 ½ cup Romano cheese. Add noodles and butter and toss to coat.

Transfer mixture to baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheeses on top. Bake until cheese begins to lightly brown on top, about 12-14 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Sylvia Hughes is a retired newspaper editor and columnist residing in Windsor. In addition to three sons, she has a gaggle of grandchildren, many of whom love cooking with her just as she did with her mother and grandmother.