Mama's Gonna Make a Little Shortenin' Bread
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A Yummy Southern Favorite
I found the full lyrics for the song we all remember, (if we're old enough or southern enough,) hearing during our childhood & would like to share them here, before we get into the recipe itself, which is AWESOMELY easy. The song is a lot more detailed, (and interesting,) than I remember it being. For my daughter, I'm thinking of trying to memorize the lyrics so I can continue to pass on the tradition to another generation.
"Put on the skillet, slip on the lid,
Mama's gonna make a little short'nin' bread.
That ain't all she's gonna do,
Mama's gonna make a little coffee, too.
Mama's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin',
Mama's little baby loves short'nin' bread,
Mama's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin',
Mama's little baby loves short'nin' bread.
Three little children, lyin' in bed
Two were sick and the other 'most dead
Sent for the doctor and the doctor said,
"Give those children some short'nin' bread."
Mama's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin',
Mama's little baby loves short'nin' bread,
Mama's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin',
Mama's little baby loves short'nin' bread.
When those children, sick in bed,
Heard that talk about short'nin' bread,
Popped up well to dance and sing,
Skipped around and cut the pigeon wing.
Mama's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin',
Mama's little baby loves short'nin' bread,
Mama's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin',
Mama's little baby loves short'nin' bread.
Slip to the kitchen, slip up the led,
Filled my pockets full of short'nin' bread;
Stole the skillet, stole the led,
Stole the gal makin' short'nin' bread.
Mama's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin',
Mama's little baby loves short'nin' bread,
Mama's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin',
Mama's little baby loves short'nin' bread.
Caught me with the skillet, caught me with the led,
Caught me with the gal makin' short'nin' bread;
Paid six dollars for the skillet, six dollars for the led,
Spent six months in jail eatin' short'nin' bread.
Mama's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin',
Mama's little baby loves short'nin' bread,
Mama's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin',
Mama's little baby loves short'nin' bread."
I guess when I was a child I'd never had the whole song sung to me, but I did have family members who made this recipe. This is also the recipe my family used around Christmas time to make date balls. The difference is that you press a date into the center & roll it up into a ball then dust it with powdered sugar.
- 1/2 cup butter, very, very soft
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup flour
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cream the butter with the brown sugar. Add the flour a bit at a time until mixed well.
- Roll out to 1/2-thickness and cut into "ladyfinger"-like slices. Place on a greased pan and bake for 20 minutes or until just beginning to brown. Cool completely.
BTW, when we say add the flour a bit at a time, we mean A BIT at a time. This is usually where people foul this recipe up at, it really needs to be added slowly so the dough can be fully mixed.
Honestly, I prefer to just roll them into balls, if made the to the right size and consistency, they'll turn out to be little puffy balls. When I was a kid my family liked to make these because they were lower in sugar than commercial cookies. (And just as delicious, in my opinion.)
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Comments
I remember that song too! Who would have known shortnin bread would be so simple to make. Thanks for the recipe and song.
Thanks for the comments, guys! Yes, it is simple and I didn't think about it until just now, but this is a <great> recipe for little ones to sink their teeth into. Have them help you make it by measuring out the flour in a separate bowl & having them add in in a teaspoon at a time while you stir it constantly. It'll take extra time, but it's worth it to let the kids feel like they're really helping. They'll beam! And since there is no egg yolk involved it's samonella - free.
Great hub and love the recipe. Hopefully I can try it sometime!
Thanks, SweetiePie! Hope you & the little one enjoy!
Great hub! Shortbread is wonderful with a little sugar sprinkled on top before baking. Nothing like it with a nice cup of hot tea or a cold glass of milk!
By the way, did you "modernize" the lyrics? This was a plantation song and I'm sure that words like "children" was originally "chilin'". Just an observation.
I found it on a website & yes, I do think it was modernized because that is one of the words I, too, noticed that didn't seem to jive with the plantation era semantics. It's odd, a lot of those old words mean something completely different now so the modernization works... in the sense that the context is more clear, but it does lose some of its original flavor. Thanks for the comment, I <love> a couple of pieces of shortbread in the morning with my coffee! (Tea & milk work, too.) Heck, I just love short bread!
Hey Nicole.
I don't care too much for shortnin' bread (the food.) BUT I love the song! Great hub!
ProCW
PS. Thumbs Up!
(Gramma's little baby loves shortnin' bread!)
:)
I finally got my daughter back today!!! (She has been with assorted grandparents since Friday of last week.) And we TOTALLY made this recipe today. And she was L-E-G-E-N-D-A-R-Y! Even the boyfriend helped out. (My wrists got sore with all that mixing.) So, the recipe calls for 20 minutes in the oven... (Not my recipe, mind you.) I've made this many, many times in the last week, and it is NO WHERE near 20 minutes... 8-10 tops. What happened? I went out and had a smoke while we were waiting for them to puff up and they BURNT!!! They burnt to a crisp. I was so bummed I almost started crying. (I wanted to make them for the aforementioned camping trip. For everyone. Two dozen cookies ya'all!) So, here's my new advice: Check them around 7-8 minutes, guys! I'm sorry :( BTW, ProCW, thanks so much. I didn't write it, (obviously,) but I appreciate the idea that I'm not the only one with a penchant for old plantation songs!
Very cool. Enjoyed this little ditty!
YUM Nicole, we'll try these....they sound easy if mixed right....thanks !! =)
Thanks, marisuewrites! Let me know how it turns out, 'kay?
Great hub! Growing up in the south, I surely do remember the song and the bread.
Thanks for the recipe, I'm trying to get back into baking after a 20 year or so break. I need all the help I can get. Oh, being a Southerner, I remember the song too.
Katherine
Yea! Bake away, my darlin', bake away! Make sure you read the comments on this recipie, guys if you're trying to make it at home, the timing for the recipe, IMHO, is *way off* ... I don't know why, it's the recipe my family used when I was growing up as a kid, maybe I'm making the cookies a lot smaller than they did? <shrug> But you don't want to cook these for 20 minutes no way, no how, you'll end up with blackened shortbread.
I remember the song. I don't remember my family and this recipe but I will try these.
Thanks, moonlake! I hope you love 'em!
Shortnin' Bread
Okay, Andy, Shortnin' Bread. :)
Hi, Nicole. I hum this song often (being from the south, I guess it's ingrained) but I never knew all the lyrics. You can bet that I'll be singing it all day today. I can't wait to make the cookies too. They look simple and delicious!
Thanks, Christoph Reilly, I hope they turn out great!
Shortnin Bread has shortnin in it.
I don't add shortening unless the mixture is too dry to mix into balls. (It's just too darn fattening.) I guess this is really a short bread recipe, but we always called it shortnin' bread when we were growing up.
Oh, my. My mother and grandmother used to sing this song all the time. I only remembered parts of it.
Thank you for the trip down memory lane.
You're very welcome RGraf!
A real throwback to my youth. Haven't heard this song since I was a child. It obviously was a plantation song, with words like Mammy, shawtning, gwi'n. . . . .what a wonderful memory this brings up. I always associated it with the plantation life of Uncle Remus days. I loved Uncle Remus. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for reading, NanF!
Sounds yummy and really simple! I'm going to have to make some at some point. :)
Awesome, RiaMorrison, lemme know how they turn out if you do make them!
Hmmm, Shortnin' Bread. I certainly remember the song
- and this recipe is so easy so it probably tastes real good. Simple is usually tasty. Perfect with a cup of tea or coffee - but no jail!
Thanks!
Thanks, BkCreative, hope they come out great!
Hmmmm... These recipe sounds great. I'll try this at home. Thanks for sharing. http://www.plutoscript.com
plutoscript: Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to read and comment, I really appreciate it.
Oh my this brings back good memories. Thanks for sharing the recipe :)
Money Glitch: Thanks for taking the time to read and comment! I appreciate it.
dineane says:
16 months ago
I remember that song! Just never had the recipe to go with it. Thanks for a nice hub!