Nikki Fraser

Coconut Rum Pound Cake

  • 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon Rum Extract
  • 1 teaspoon Coconut Extract
  • ¼ cup Coconut Rum
  • 1 cup heavy cream

Mix butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until it becomes fluffy (for about 5 minutes). Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each egg, then mix in salt then beat in extracts. Reduce speed to low and add half of flour then add in the rum and continue to mix on low speed, then remaining flour. Scrape down side of bowl, then beat at medium-high speed 5 minutes to be sure everything is mixed together well, the batter will become satiny.

Get your tube pan and grease the pan with Crisco, then dust it with flour so the cake does not stick to the pan. Spoon the batter into a tube pan. Place pan in oven and turn temperature to 350°F. Bake until golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in middle of cake comes out with a few crumbs adhering, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Cool cake in pan on a rack 30 minutes. Run a thin knife around inner and outer edges of cake, flip the cake out on a cooling rack then turn it right side up…dust it with Confectioners sugar.



It just tickles me to pieces that folks are so interested in my recipes. At 83, I’ve been cooking for so long that it just comes natural; it’s who I am. I wake up in the morning with cooking on my mind and in my heart. I must admit that I don’t really measure anymore. I can pretty much estimate a teaspoon or a cup by using the palm of my hand or any regular bowl or cup. So the amounts listed are “pretty close” to accurate. The key is to taste as you go—then throw in a little more if it doesn’t seem right. The key to cooking is relaxing. Have a cocktail--I prefer Scotch on the rocks with a splash of water--and fellowship with friends and family while cooking. On weekends, I cook with my daughter Stephanie and granddaughter Kellie. Of course I taught them everything they know. But the love in the kitchen is really the secret ingredient to all my dishes. - Aunt Frances

Kelli's Banana Nut Bread

  • 3 cups of plain flour
  • 2 cups of sugar
  • 1 tsp of salt
  • 1 tsp of cinnamon
  • 1 tsp of baking soda
  • 1 tsp of baking powder
  • 1 tsp of vanilla extract
  • 1 cup of chopped walnuts
  • 1 1/2 cup of vegetable oil
  • 1  8 oz crushed pineapple
  • 2 cups of ripe bananas
  • 3 eggs beaten

Combine dry ingredients first, then add remaining ingredients stirring until batter is thoroughly moistened. Spoon batter into 2 greased loaf pans Bake for 1 hr and 15 minutes or until done. Cool at least 10 minutes before removing from pan.

FRIED FISH

You MUST prepare your chicken for frying by soaking it for at least 2 hours in salt water to remove all the blood and bacteria. Then you pull out a big, burnt cast iron skillet -- one that your mama used because it’s good and seasoned. - Aunt Frances

  • 2 cups cornmeal
  • ½ cup flour
  • ½ cup Old bay
  • ¼ cup Cajun Seasoning
  • 4 tbsp Crab seasoning
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup hot sauce

Prepare skillet by pouring about an inch of vegetable or canola oil in the pan turning it on a low to medium flame to heat until your fish is ready for frying. If frozen, soak fish in luke warm water, until thawed. If not frozen just rinse and pat dry. In a large plastic ziplock type storage bag mix in all dry ingredients. Close bag & shake well so they all mix evenly. Separate, in a large bowl mix eggs milk & hot sauce together, dip fish into egg mixture in bowl then place in bag of dry ingredients & shake until fish is generously coated. Once your oil is hot gently place the fish in the pan. Fly fish until crispy & golden brown on both sides. Once done remove from pan and place on paper towels to drain excess grease.

COLLARD GREENS

You MUST prepare your chicken for frying by soaking it for at least 2 hours in salt water to remove all the blood and bacteria. Then you pull out a big, burnt cast iron skillet -- one that your mama used because it’s good and seasoned. - Aunt Frances

  • 2.5-3 lbs collard greens (or kale)
  • Country ham hock (or smoked turkey if you’re trying to be healthy)
  • 2 tbsp chopped celery
  • 2 tbsp chopped green pepper
  • A dash of garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp of sugar (maybe a little more)
  • 1 hot torridor pepper

In large pot, fill halfway with water and boil a country ham hock or smoked turkey to release the natural seasoning of the meat. No salt and pepper is needed. While it’s cooking, pick the greens to remove all large stems. You must wash (scrub!) the greens to get all the mud and grit off of them. In fact, I wash my greens 3 times to be safe. Then, par boil them in another pot to ensure I get whatever I missed with the first 3 washings! Drain the greens and add to the pot with the ham hock/smoked turkey. Add the remaining ingredients and cook at medium high heat until tender.

HOT YEAST ROLLS

  • 1/4 cup warm water
  • 1 cake yeast (do not use dry yeast—it does not rise as well)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 4 cups sifted all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 stick margarine (not butter—it’s too greasy)
  • 1 tsp salt

Put 1 cake yeast into 1/4 cup lukewarm water.  Let it rise.
Heat the milk but don’t let it boil.  Add margarine so it melts in the milk and then let it cool.
Pour into bowl - add salt, sugar, egg and 2 cups flour.  Mix together really well.
Add the yeast and lukewarm water – mix well.  Then add the remaining 2 cups of flour.

Grease the dough with crisco (by rubbing in the palms of your hand).  Cover the bowl with a towel and let it rise for 2 hours.  Squeeze the dough in your hand to make the rolls (clumps) and let rise for 1 more hour.   Put on a greased baking sheet and cover with the towel again.  Let it rise for 1 hour. Bake at 425 degrees for approximately 15 minutes – but watch it to be sure they are lightly browned! 

PEACH COBBLER 

  • About 8 cups of fresh, canned or frozen sliced peaches (if canned drain all the syrup, you won’t need that)
  • 1 ½ cups of sugar
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 splashes of rum (about 1 tbsp)
  • 4tbsp of flour 4tbsp of water

Put your peach in a large pot & add sugar…the peaches will make their own juice. Let it simmer for about 10min. Add in all other ingredients EXCEPT the flour.

Mix flour & water together until it forms to a semi thick consistency (like gravy). As your pot simmers pour in the flour water mix, but stir gently as you pour. Your mixture will thicken up a bit, that’s just what we want it to do! Once it thickens pour the peaches mixture into your cobbler dish.

Cobbler Crust

  • About 2 cups of flour
  • ¼ tsp Almond Extract
  • 2 dashes of salt
  • ¼ cup Crisco (plus a small hunk more)
  • 1/8 cup baking powder

Mix all the dry ingredients together and spoon in the Crisco…you may need to use a hand dough blender, but I mix mine with my hands. Once mixed, roll it out and place some in the bottom of a casserole dish. Pour the peaches on top, place the rest of the crust on top and bake at 350 for about 30 min. Once it turns to a beautiful golden brown and the peaches start to bubble out the top, it’s done.

FRIED CHICKEN

You MUST prepare your chicken for frying by soaking it for at least 2 hours in salt water to remove all the blood and bacteria. Then you pull out a big, burnt cast iron skillet -- one that your mama used because it’s good and seasoned. - Aunt Frances

  • 2 1/2 to 3 lb Fryer Chicken (cut up)
  • Hot Sauce
  • 2 Cups Flour
  • Crisco
  • 1 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
  • ¼ tsp Red Pepper
  • ½ tsp Black Pepper
  • 1 tbsp Paprika
  • 2 tbsp Garlic Powder
  • ¼ cup Season All (McCormicks)
  • 2 tbsp Cajun Jerk Seasoning (McCormicks)

After soaking, rinse the chicken in fresh water, pat dry and lay it aside in a big bowl. Pour about ½ cup of hot sauce over the chicken and toss it around a bit-- to give a little kick. Put about 1 ½ cups of Crisco (maybe a little more) in the frying pan and turn on a medium flame to heat it up…not to high, you don’t want to scorch the pan or the Crisco, but high enough so that it melts but is not super hot.

Pour the seasonings into a medium sized brown paper bag or a zip lock freezer bag and shake it up. Taste the mixture to make sure it has good flavor. Drop 3 -4 pieces of chicken in the bag and shake until it’s coated evenly on all sides. Now, turn your flame up to a medium high so the grease gets nice and hot. Gently place the chicken in the hot grease and watch it sizzle. Turn the chicken over after about 7 minutes so it browns on the other side. Once brown, slightly reduce the flame (only slightly!), and let the chicken fry for another 15 minutes (or so) on each side. The chicken should have a pretty golden brown coating when done. But keep in mind that just because the coating is brown, doesn’t mean it’s cooked all the way through so check, by cutting through the middle with a knife. When done, remove the chicken from the oil, place on a plate lined with paper towels (to soak up the excess grease) and serve piping hot.