JAMEY BOND HAMPTON (Charlotte, North Carolina) remembers that his favorite thing when visiting his grandmother, Maw Maw, CLARIS BOND (Caddo, Alabama), was to wake up early to go down to the barn with her and Paw Paw. He recalls being shocked when he heard the otherwise quiet Maw Maw call the cows to herd them in and out of the barn. The cows used to scare Jamey, so he chose to help gather eggs instead, having the location of each nest memorized. Jamey also remembers people pulling up to the farm to buy their milk and butter and Maw Maw chatting with them for a while; it seemed like a weekly ritual that had to be honored by both parties. When it comes to fond memories of food, there were always fresh biscuits, bacon, ham, or sausage on the stove when they visited. Jamey says he loved Maw Maw’s pure country cooking, with all of it tasting even better when it was hot and fresh out of the oven!
1 (14 ounce) can evaporated milk
1 (16 ounce) bag mini marshmallows
1 cup coconut, shredded or flaked
1 (15 ounce) box raisins
1 (12 ounce) box vanilla wafers, crushed
2 pounds chopped pecans
1 (14 ounce) jar candied fruits
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 In a large saucepan add the milk and marshmallows. Heat on medium low, stirring continuously until melted. Add in the coconut, raisins, vanilla wafers, pecans, candied fruits, and cinnamon and mix well.
2 Pour the entire mixture onto a large serving plate and shape into a large loaf. Cover with wax paper and then loosely with foil, and put it into the refrigerator until it is firm. Maw Maw cut it in half once it was firm—one half for slicing and serving, the other half rewrapped and put in an airtight container and returned to the fridge until needed. It can be served cold or left out for several hours. This large loaf is good for a group or for gifting!
MAKES 15 TO 20 SERVINGS.
NOTE: Regarding the candied fruit—you can use a jar of mixed candied fruit or buy the individual candied fruits that are your favorites, like pineapple or cherries.