VALDOSTA — When Kerry Montgomery was 13, she made an Orange Bread for her family and forgot to put in the leavening.

“The loaves turned out like lovely little orange bricks,” she recalled. “My dad (the late Earle White of Welland, Ontario, Canada) said they were the best he ever ate, and that he liked them better that way.”

It was her mother, the late Aggie White of Welland, who primarily taught her how to cook; however, “she rarely wrote down her best recipes.”

“I also volunteered with some wonderful cooks at a Christian kids camp in upstate New York,” Montgomery said.

“I experiment a lot taking the best from everyone around me and my favorite cooking magazine, ‘Cook’s Illustrated.’ I love to take regular recipes and make them healthier or lighter; my favorites are chicken parmesan, and salmon filets with pineapple/mango salsa.”

When she’s not cooking, Montgomery enjoys stained glass, working out at the YMCA, horseback riding, home decorating, reading and watching movies in her spare time.

She is a housewife; a full-time volunteer with B.J.’s Bible Club, a prison ministry; and a member of Covenant Baptist Church.

Born and raised in Welland, Montgomery graduated from the Women in Trades & Technology Program at Niagara College.

Her husband, Don, is an Energy Manager at Moody Air Force Base. She has two adult stepchildren in Ray City and two “wonderful” stepgrandsons.

“I lived alone for eight years before I met my husband, so I didn’t do much cooking, unless it was a special occasion, so now I am rediscovering the joy of cooking,” Kerry said. “Somehow, I don’t think he minds being my guinea pig.”

For our Pumpkin food page today, Kerry made her Pumpkin Cranberry Walnut Bread (although she couldn’t find cranberries and substituted dried cherries). The photographer and writer could both attest to how great and moist it tastes.

“Once when making pumpkin pie, I had some pure pumpkin left over and didn’t want to waste it, and I found a recipe on the back of the label,” Kerry said. “I added walnuts and have started to use cranberries instead of raisins in many recipes; I love how tangy and juicy they are. I’ve made this many times, keeping one loaf for us and using one as a gift.”

In fact, a husband and wife, who are friends of theirs, will immediately cut the loaf in half so they won’t fight over who gets it.

Kerry also shares her Pumpkin Roll recipe.

“This I made because I am not a big fan of pumpkin pie, but wanted a pumpkin desert for Thanksgiving; this did the trick.”



Pumpkin Cranberry Walnut Bread

3 cups all purpose flour

1 Tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (I use my own secret combination in this amount)

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups granulated sugar

1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin

4 large eggs

1 cup canola oil

1/2 cup orange juice

1 cup sweetened dried, fresh or frozen cranberries

1 cup chopped toasted walnuts (6 to 8 minutes at 325 degrees or until fragrant)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9x5 loaf pans

Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Combine sugar, pumpkin, eggs, oil and juice in large mixer bowl; beat until just blended. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moistened.

Fold in cranberries and walnuts. Spoon batter into loaf pans.

Bake for 60 to 65 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.

Can be adjusted for other size pans: three 8x4 pans: Bake 55 to 60 minutes, five 5x3 pans: Bake 50 to 55 minutes.

Kerry Montgomery, Valdosta



Pumpkin Roll

1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup 100 percent pure pumpkin

1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

6 Tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

powdered sugar (optional for decoration)

For Cake:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 15x10-inch jelly-roll pan; then line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a small bowl. Beat eggs and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with walnuts.

Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. (If using dark colored pan, begin checking for doneness at 11 minutes.) Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off wax paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.

For Filling:

Beat cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

Cooking Tip:

Be sure to put enough powdered sugar on the towel when rolling up the cake so it will not stick.



Pumpkin Creme Brulee

1 1/4 cups whipping cream

1/2 vanilla bean, split

5 large egg yolks

6 Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/2 cup solid pack pumpkin

2 Tablespoons orange liqueur

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Bring cream to boil in heavy saucepan. Remove from heat. Add vanilla bean. Let stand 20 minutes; discard vanilla bean.

Whisk together yolks, 6 Tablespoons sugar and nutmeg. Add pumpkin and orange liqueur, and mix until smooth. Whisk in cream mixture. Divide custard among 6 1/2 cup ramekins. Arrange ramekins in heavy large baking pan. Add enough hot water to pan to come up halfway up the sides of ramekins. Bake until sides are set but centers move slightly when shaken, about 20 minutes. Remove from water bath and cool.

Refrigerate one hour.

Preheat broiler. Sift brown sugar and cinnamon into small bowl. Sprinkle over custards. Broil 8 inches from heat source until sugar begins to melt, watching carefully, about 30 seconds. Serve immediately.

— cooks.com



Pumpkin Patch

What: Children can choose their own pumpkins for their parents to purchase. The price is based on the size of the pumpkin.

When: Oct. 10-31

Time: 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday and noon-7 p.m. Sunday

Where: Park Avenue United Methodist Church

Proceeds: Will go to children and youth ministries