Who are the Best Cooks? Men or Women

I have always loved good food and love to cook good food for people who love good food. With that said, I will not use the words "love" and "good" again in this post.

Several years ago, I prepared a cookbook called Timeless Treasures and sold it as a fundraiser for a local agency that aids victims of domestic violence and rape/sexual assault. I had many recipes from my Granny, my Momma, and my friends. The cookbook was going along smoothly when I heard about a gentlemen in Wake Forest, NC who made the best Cherry Pound Cake.

I contacted him and he met with me and shared his recipe. When the book was published it was reviewed by Helen Moore of the N&O. She chose his Cherry Pound Cake as one of the recipes she wanted to feature in her column.

So I have chosen it to be the first of many recipes from North Carolina that I will share with you.

Cherry Pound Cake
Ingredients:
2 sticks butter, softened
1/2 c. Crisco
3 c. white sugar
5 large eggs
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. almond flavoring
3/4 c. + milk
1 small jar marachesion cherries, drained, roughly chopped
reserved cherry juice
3 - 4 drops red food coloring

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Use greased and floured 10" tube pan.
Blend butter, Crisco, and sugar; add eggs, 1 at time; mix after each addition. Add flour, 1 cup at time; mix after each addition.
Combine cherry juice, red coloring, and milk to make 1 cup; add to batter; add flavoring and cherries; mix.
Pour into pan; place on bottom rack in oven.
Bake 1 1/2 hours. Do not open door. Cool in pan, 10 minutes, place on wire rack to cool completely. Serves 10-12

Submitted By: Clarence Briggs, WWII Veteran, Wake Forest, NC
Judy Briggs loves her dad's pound cake. It is her official birthday cake.