Grandma Sampson's Rolls
a la Mom Thompson

1/2 c shortening
1/2 c sugar
3 eggs
2 packages yeast
1/4 c warm water
dash sugar
2 c warm water
2 t salt
6 c flour

Cream shortening, sugar and eggs. Dissolve yeast in 1/4 c warm water and sprinkle with sugar. Add to creamed mixture with 2 cups very warm, but not hot, water and salt. Add approximately 6 cups flour and mix. Chill in covered bowl for 3 hours. Put out on floured board and pat or roll out flat. Let relax a few minutes. Cut in round circles. Dip in melted butter, fold over and place in baking pan or cookie sheet. Let rise to double in bulk. Bake approximately 10-12 minutes at 425 degrees.
Note from Mom: I find I like to let the dough sit a little bit after removing from the refrigerator while still in the bowl. Maybe a half an hour or so. The dough is more workable when it warms up a bit, and it will rise better too. I usually melt a whole cube of butter to dip the rolls in. You can place the butter in the pan and dip as you go. Be sure to watch the time closely when baking as the oven is so hot that it is easy to burn these rolls!

Class Buttercream Icing- Stiff Consistency
a la Wilton

1 c solid white vegetable shortening
1 t Wilton flavor
7-8 t milk or water
1 lb pure cane confectioner's sugar (must be pure cane)
1 T meringue powder
pinch of salt, optional

Cream shortening, flavoring and water. Add dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until all ingredients have been thoroughly mixed together. Blend an additional minute or so, until creamy. Makes 2 1/2 cups.

Options:
* In case of egg allergies, meringue powder can be eliminated.
*Chocolate Buttercream: Add 3/4 c cocoa or three 1 oz unsweetened chocolate squares, melted, and an additional 1-2 T water to recipe.
* Medium Consistency (stars, borders) using stiff consistency, add 1 t water for each 1 cups of stiff icing (2 1/2 t water for full recipe). Mix until well blended.
* Thin Consistency (writing and printing, leaves, icing a cake). using stiff consistency, add 2 t water for each cup of stiff consistency icing (5 t water for full recipe). Mix until well blended.
** add 1/2 t piping gel per cup of thin consistency icing for writing and printing. It will stretch your icing and make writing easier.

Hummingbird Cake
a la Moriah (The Girl Who Chased the Moon recipes)

3 c all purpose flour
2 c granulated sugar
1/2 t salt
2 t baking powder
1 t ground cinnamon
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 c vegetable oil
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
1 can (8oz) crushed pineapple, well drained
1 c chopped pecans
2 c chopped, firm bananas

Sift flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and cinnamon together. Add eggs and oil to the dry ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon until ingredients are moistened. Stir in vanilla, pineapple and pecans. Stir in bananas last. Spoon the batter into3 greased and floured 9-in round cake pans.
Bake for 25-30 minutes in 350 degree oven, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn onto cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 pound cream cheese, softened
4 c sifted confectioner's sugar
1 c unsalted butter
1 t vanilla extract
in a standing mixer, mix the cream cheese, sugar and butter on low speed until ingredients combine. Increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed to low. Add the vanilla, then raise the speed back up to high and mix.