Betty Bane

There are about a half-dozen people in the county who want to know how to make the starter for the Amish Cinnamon Bread.

Billie Baylous - This Cowford Road friend always comes to my rescue when I mention in this column that a reader would like a recipe for something.
Billie has more cookbooks than anyone I know. Not only does she have a lot of books from all over the country, she knows what's in them. This is her recipe.

Amish Cinnamon Bread Starter
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
Mix into a large Ziploc bag. Leave set on the counter top.
Day 1 - Do nothing.
Day 2, 3, 4, 5 - Mash bag twice a day.
Day 6 - Add 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of sugar.
Day 7, 8, 9 - Mash and let air out of bag twice a day.
Day 10 - Pour contents into a large pottery baking bowl. Add 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of sugar. Mix together.
Measure out (4) - (1) cup starters into a large Ziploc bag. Give these to your friends. Tomorrow will be day one of them.
Add to remainder in the bowl the following: 1 cup of oil, 1/2 cup of milk, 3 eggs, 1 tsp. vanilla. Mix well and set aside.
In another mixing bowl, mix the following ingredients: 2 cups of flour, 2 tsp. baking soda, 2 tsp. cinnamon (optional) depending on the pudding, 5.1 oz. box of instant pudding of your choice, 1 cup of sugar, 1/2 tsp. salt. Mix well and set aside.
In a small bowl, mix together enough sugar and cinnamon to coat bottom of the baking stone loaf pan and the top of the bread mixture. Mix dry mixture into the moist one and mix well (add nuts if wanted). Spray 2 loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray and coat the bottom with 1/2 of the cinnamon mixture. Pour batter into pans and put remaining cinnamon on top. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean.

For months, my friend Rosie LeFontaine has asked me for a very special pie recipe. Finally, someone gave it to me.

Shoofly Pie
3 cups plain flour
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup shortening
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup molasses
1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon baking soda
9" pie crust
Mix flour, brown sugar, shortening and baking powder together to resemble coarse crumbs. Reserve 1/2 cup to sprinkle on top. Mix molasses, water and baking soda and combine with first mixture. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Sprinkle with reserved crumbs. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake 20 more minutes. Cool before cutting.