Chocolate Chess Pie...

There are many pies that I would call my favorite; nevertheless, there is just not enough space in the bloggersphere to give my complete list here. But one pie that has gone the way of the old Southern culture, like RC Cola and a moon pie, is the Chess Pie. A particularly sugary pie characteristic of a filling composed of eggs, butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Somehow the chess pie has not really become a darling of our new nouveau foodies and made trendy.

That's all for the best, really. Chess pie isn't supposed to be trendy. It's supposed to remind us of grandmother's house, taking us back to a simpler world with a simple dessert. I know that every time I have a slice, a pure satisfaction comes over me as I slowly eat my way through the buttery custard and crust,while remembering wonderful childhood memories.

But we all know those times have changed. And even our palettes have changed. So, below I offer a makeover of this southern classic. This recipe has long been a family favorite. And with its rich, gooey filling, this pie is a choco-holic's dream!



Chocolate Chess Pie

Ingredients:
Butter Pie Crust (see below)
~ Or pastry for a single-crust pie
2 cups sugar
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
4 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup milk
½ cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare Butter Pie Crust; set aside.

For filling, in a large bowl, combine sugar, cocoa powder, cornmeal, flour, and salt. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, butter, and vanilla. Stir egg mixture into sugar mixture until smooth. Stir in pecans.

Pour filling into pastry-lined pie plate. Bake about 1 hour or until filling is set and crust is golden. If crust begins to brown too fast, reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F and cover edge of crust with foil. Cool pie on a wire rack. (Filling will fall slightly during cooling.) Chill within 2 hours. If desired, serve with whipped cream.

Serves 8 to 10
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Butter Pie Crust

Ingredients:
½ cup salted butter
1 heaping tablespoon sugar
1 cup flour (unsifted)

Mix the butter and sugar together in a bowl with a spoon. Do not cream! Place the butter and sugar combination on a flat surface and add half a cup of the flour and lightly mix to combine the ingredients. Add the other half of the flour and knead just until a dough begins to form. Do not roll out the dough.

Press the dough into a glass pie dish (you can use metal, but glass performs so much better and cooks more evenly) using your knuckles, so the dough doesn't stick as much. Place in the refrigerator until ready to pour in your pie filling and bake.

Makes one single crust

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George’s notes:

• No one is really sure where the name comes from, but there are some neat theories about it. But here in "The History of Chess Pie" many ideas have been outlined.
• The pie seems to have no relation to the game of chess, which has led to much speculation as to the origin of this term. Some theorize that the name of the pie traces back to its ancestral England, where the dessert perhaps evolved from a similar cheese tart, in which the archaic "cheese" was used to describe pies of the same consistency even without that particular ingredient present in the recipe.
• There is also a theory that the word "chess" pie comes from the piece of furniture that was common in the early South called a pie chest or pie safe. Chess pie may have been called chest pie at first because it held up well in the pie chest.

I want to thank everyone for your thoughtful comments & prayers for my mother. Her surgery was very successful and she is doing extremely well. Mom is a fighter and a difficult individual to keep down, so she will be back on her feet in no time.

Please continue to keep her in your thoughts and know that she truly appreciates each & everyone of you for your kindness. I am still in Florida, but will post when I can. ~ George

Apple Fritters...

The first memories I have of apple fritters come from a family trip to Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia when I was about seven years old. Up until then, I’d never had them before, but it was obvious that my parents were no strangers; as they hunted down a small bakery just to partake of the treat.

Apple lovers seem to hold these little hand held delights in such high regard that their eyes glaze over when talking of them. Whenever I walk into a good pastry bakery, I always look to see if they make an apple fritter. And get excited when they do.

Down here in the CSRA ~ Central Savannah River Area, the early settlers in the 18th century were made up of a lot of Swiss and Germans. Both groups have a wonderful legacy of cookie, torte, and fritter recipes. This light fritter batter came from The Georgia Home Economic Teacher's Best Recipes cookbook, published by the Georgia Parent Teacher Association in 1948. It's really delicious for fritters made with apples, pears, or plums. I’ve been using this recipe for years now and I always ask… How ’bout them fritters?



Apple Fritters

Ingredients:
3 large apples
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons sugar, plus sugar for dusting
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, separated
½ cup water
1 teaspoon melted unsalted butter
Peanut oil for frying
Confectioners'sugar, for dusting

Core and pare the apples. Cut them into slices ⅓ -inch thick and place them in a bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, more or less, and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Toss well and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Sift the flour and the salt together into a medium bowl. Keep the sifter nearby for the final presentation. Make a slight hollow in the center and add the egg yolks, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, and ¼ cup of the water. Mix with a wooden spoon, then add the rest of the water and the butter, beating hard and pressing the batter against the bowl to break up lumps.

Pour 3 inches of oil into a stockpot or Dutch oven and place over medium heat. Beat the egg whites stiff, then fold them into the batter. When the oil has reached 365 degree F, dip each apple slice into the batter, allowing excess to drain off before dropping them into the oil. Do not crowd the pot and keep the temperature between 350 degree and 365 degree F. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with Confectioners' sugar.

Serves 4

At times, I will use a glaze icing to give a richer & sweeter look to my Apple Fritters ~

Confectioners’ Sugar Glaze

Ingredients:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon water
½ teaspoon clear vanilla extract

In a bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, water and vanilla; stir until combined and smooth (mixture will be thick). With a butter knife or small metal spatula, lightly spread glaze on cooled fritters. Let dry for 1 hour.

Makes about ¾ cup

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George’s notes:

• A fritter is any kind of food coated in batter and deep fried. The word comes from the Latin *frīctūra ("frying") by way of Old French and Middle English. It can refer to a dessert, a side dish or a main course food.
• Although fritter’s soft centers can be tricky, it is a common misconception that in this case they contain bread. Fritters are exclusively dough- or batter-based foodstuffs.
• Home Economics ~ also known as Family and Consumer Sciences, is the profession and field of study that deals with the economics and management of the home and community.
• The Central Savannah River Area Regional Commission (CSRA RC) is a public sector, non-profit planning and development agency that serves a 13 county and 41 city region in the eastern portion of Central Georgia.

Crêpes...

I have a dear friend who has inspired me many times over for her culinary skills and her desire to always prepare a special meal for her guest. She is known by her son-in law, as Queenie, only because she deserves the honor & respect that that title implies. Below I offer two of her recipes that not only impress, but always personify elegant dining.

In my younger and more affluent years I would seek out fine dining venues and savor the visual delights of food preparation and service. Memories of Brennan’s in New Orleans, The Russian Tea Room & Tavern on the Green in New York City, Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City and London's Savoy are filled with flambées! French Service, tableside service, cart service - whatever one wishes to call it - meant seeing your menu orders going through their final preparation right alongside your table. Working from a wheeled special cart fitted with a réchaud flaming lamp (camping store or hot plate), the maître d'hôtel, or head of room would generate tantalizing aromas, sounds of bubbling and sizzling to match, and the sudden flash and flame of a dash of cognac and lastly the presentation of your plate with its culinary treasures. At times, I also would venture out to The Magic Pan in Atlanta for a more casual ‘flash & flame’.

When you have dined like this, you have been pampered and your palette graced!

What does all that have to do with my friend, Queenie ~ you ask? One of her most popular recipes to offer her guest with finesse table side expertize is Crêpes Suzette ~ a dessert created by accident by Henri Carpentier, chef to Edward, Prince of Wales, while making a complicated crêpe sauce. This sauce was a blend of orange and lemon peels, sugar, butter, Grand Marnier, Cointreau and Kirschwasser. By accident, the cordial caught fire and the young chef thought both he and the sauce were ruined. Since it was impossible to start over, Henri tasted the sauce and found it to be delicious. He quickly put the crêpes into the sauce, added more cordials, and let the sauce burn again. Edward was delighted and named it after the lady with whom he was dining.

Here my friend has taken the simple crêpe and made it an easy, yet elegant item to be served at breakfast, lunch, casual dinner or for those special formal dinner parties.



Crêpes Suzette

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1½ cups milk
⅔ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
3 eggs

Suzette Sauce
⅓ cup orange juice
¼ cup butter
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon grated orange peel
Grand Marnier

In medium bowl with wire whisk, beat butter and remaining crêpe ingredients until smooth. Chill 2 hours.

Brush bottom of 7 inch crêpe pan and 10 inch skillet with melted butter.
Over medium heat, heat pans; pour scant ¼ cup patter into crêpe pan to coat bottom; cook 2 minutes until top is set, underside slightly browned.

Loosen crêpe; invert into hot 10 inch skillet; cook other side 30 seconds.
Slip crêpe onto waked paper.

Meanwhile, start cooking another crêpe. Stack crêpes between waxed paper.
Use immediately or wrap in foil and refrigerate. Approx 30 minutes before serving, Prepare Suzette sauce: In 10 inch skillet over low heat combine the orange juice, butter, sugar and orange peel until butter melts.

Serving:

Fold crêpes in quarters; arrange in the warmed Suzette sauce in the skillet; simmer for 10 minutes.

Pour the Grand Marnier evenly over the crêpes and sauce. DO NOT STIR.
Heat the Grand Marnier a minute or two, then remove from stove. Light a long match (such as those used to light kindling in a fireplace). Apply match to the crêpes and sauce in the skillet. Serve crêpes and sauce immediately.

Serves 2

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For those who like a fabulous rich cream sauce, look no further. Here a simple sherry reduction is all you need to add a dynamic touch to your sauce.

Sherried Cream Mushroom Crêpes

Ingredients:
2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 cup flour
¼ cup water
1 small bottle vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
3 (8 oz.) packages sliced, white button mushrooms
1 cup dry cooking sherry
1 cup heavy cream
Pinch salt and pepper
1 bunch minced parsley

To make crêpes:

Whisk together eggs and milk in a bowl. Add flour and beat until smooth and a little frothy. Stir in water, 1 tablespoon of oil, a pinch of salt and pepper until smooth. Let batter rest for 15 minutes.

Heat a lightly oiled crêpe pan or large skillet over medium-high heat. Pour about ¼ cup batter in pan and tilt the pan with a circular motion so the batter coats the bottom surface in a thin even layer.

Cook the crêpe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Gently flip the crêpe over and cook the other side for about 30 seconds until brown spots appear. Remove from heat and repeat the process with remaining batter. Cover crêpes with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days until ready to use. Warm slightly in the microwave before adding filling and serving to guests.

To make Sherried Cream Mushrooms:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes. Add sherry and cook until sherry reduces to half, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir in cream. Cook for 10 minutes until sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Plate the crêpes directly on guests' plates for serving. Place a crêpe on the plate and spoon mushrooms and sauce inside. Fold crêpe, spoon a bit of sauce on top, and garnish with minced parsley. Add 2 mores crêpe with filling to the plate so each guests gets 3 crêpes. Serve hot.

Makes about 20 crêpes

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George’s notes:

• The Magic Pan was an American chain of full-service restaurants specializing in crêpes, popular in the late 1970s through early 1990s.
• In France, crêpes are traditionally served on Candlemas ~ La Chandeleur, February 2. This day was originally Virgin Mary's Blessing Day but became known as "avec Crêpe Day", referring to the tradition of offering crêpes. The belief was that if you could catch the crêpe with a frying pan after tossing it in the air with your left hand and holding a gold coin in your right hand, you would become rich that year. ~ now that is my kind of trick to get rich!
• In the United Kingdom, crêpes are traditionally eaten on Shrove Tuesday, also known as "Pancake Tuesday". They are generally associated with the day preceding Lent because they were a way to use up rich foodstuffs such as eggs, milk, and sugar, before the fasting season of the 40 days of Lent.

Bread Pudding Muffins...

Bread Pudding Muffins are a delicious way to use leftover stale bread. Not only do they have the wonderful flavor of bread soaked in a cinnamon flavored cream, but they also contain chunks of apple, slivers of lemon zest, and plump raisins.

The interesting part about this Bread Pudding Muffin recipe is that instead of baking the bread pudding in one large roasting pan it is baked in individual muffin tins. This makes for a very nice presentation.

What a perfect way to start the day.

A good English friend has told me it is very common all over the UK, for most kitchens to have a bowl sitting on the counter to collect leftover bread. Once the bowl is full the bread is used to make a rich and creamy bread pudding. What makes a bread pudding perfect everyday fare is that it does not use fancy ingredients; just bread, milk or cream, sugar, eggs, and some flavoring ~ like vanilla and cinnamon. And any leftover bread can be used; like French, Italian or even croissants. You can leave the crusts on or take them off. My favorite is the more sturdy French bread, crusts left on, that doesn't have too thick of a crust.

I came across this recipe some months ago and thought I'd give it a try. Since bread pudding is one of my all-time favorite desserts ~ see my recipe for Chocolate Bread Pudding ~ at first I was a bit apprehensive about a muffin. Let me tell you, these are moist & delicious. So, give them a try...

Bread Pudding Muffins
adapted from Marcy Goldman's "The Best of Better Baking"

Ingredients:
7 cups of bread cubes, cut into bite sized pieces *
1 cup half & half
1 cup milk
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
⅔ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
⅓ cup all purpose flour
½ tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
½ cup raisins or dried cranberries
1 small Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced



Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place rack in the middle of the oven. Butter well or spray with a non stick vegetable spray a 12 muffin tin.

Place the bread cubes in a large mixing bowl and add the cream and milk. Let stand for five minutes. Then stir in the beaten eggs, sugar, vanilla, and melted and cooled butter.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, and lemon zest. Stir this mixture into the bread cube mixture and then fold in the raisins and apple chunks.

Evenly divide the mixture among the 12 muffins cups, using two spoons or an ice cream scoop. Place the muffin tin on a parchment lined baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool.

Makes 12 regular-sized muffins

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George’s notes:

• Bread pudding is a common dessert made with stale bread, soaked overnight in milk, eggs, sugar and vanilla. It is then drained and baked in the oven in a water bath, then covered in a bourbon whiskey, rum or caramel sauce and sprinkled with a dusting of sugar.
• Bread pudding made its appearance in the 13th century known as "poor man's pudding." These early bread puddings were made with water instead of cream or milk, making them inexpensive to create.

Strawberry Almond Bars...

Over the weekend, I wanted something sweet. So I found this recipe, given to me in the early '80s by a dear friend who lived in the same apartment building in New York City. Everyone seems to have it but the filling is usually apricot. I've never come across a recipe like this, using Solo Almond and Strawberry filling. The almond, while very sweet, seems to cut the richness of the dough. This recipe is definitely party size, but it can be cut in half with no loss in quality. I have never tried to freeze these bar cookies, so I do not know how they would be, if you did.



Strawberry Almond Bars

Ingredients:
2 cups butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large egg yolks
4 cups flour
2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans
1 8-ounce Solo Almond Paste
1 12-ounce Solo Strawberry pie filling
Confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add yolks and mix well. Add flour and nuts and mix until well incorporated.

Divide dough in half. Wrap half in plastic and put in freezer while you make the base. Pat the remaining half of dough into a 15 ½ inch by 10½ inch jelly roll pan with slightly dampened hands, if necessary. Spread almond paste over surface to within ¼ -inch of edges. Top with strawberry filling and spread in the same way.

Remove dough from freezer and using a large grater; grate the dough evenly over entire surface of filling. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until golden brown.

Cut into 9 horizontal rows and 6 vertical rows (to make 54 bars) while still warm but cool completely in pan. Dust with confectioners' sugar and transfer bars to paper cups and a pretty serving tray or store tightly covered.

Makes about 54 bars

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George’s notes:

• You may substitute any brand pie filling, but I have always used Solo, as Caroline instructed in her original recipe.
• I have served these delectable bar/cookies cut in larger squares, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, as a dessert after a dinner.

Lemon Cheesecake...

I absolutely adore cheesecake, and have eaten many different kinds, but I had never tried a lemon cheesecake. Recently, I've been on a bit of a lemon kick ~ ever since my mother made her incredible “Bake Sale Lemon Bars” during the holidays.

This cheesecake does take a few hours, but the hands on time is quite minimal, and it was extremely easy. It consists of a crust made from Animal Crackers instead of traditional graham crackers. The crust is topped with a lemon flavored cream cheese mixture, and once it is baked and cooled, a lemon glaze goes on top.

I wish I would have taken a picture before topping the cheesecake with the glaze - I have never made such a perfect cheesecake without even a hint of a crack. I don't know if it is the recipe, the method, or if I just had a lucky day in the kitchen.

Do make sure to chill this cheesecake completely. I made it the day before I served it for dessert and the texture was great, but it was even better the next day. The crust did get a little soggier, but nothing that would turn me away from eating every crumb on my plate!



Lemon Cheesecake

Ingredients:
1 cup Animal Cracker cookie crumbs
~ crush to a course powder
3 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons melted butter
3 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
½ teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs (1 separated)

Lemon Glace:
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
½ cup water
¼ cup lemon juice
2 to 3 drops yellow food coloring (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a bowl, combine crumbs, sugar and butter. Press into bottom of 9 inch spring form pan. Bake 10 minutes. Remove.

Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees.
In mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, flour, lemon juice, lemon rind and vanilla. Mix at medium speed on electric mixer until well blended. Add 3 eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in remaining egg white, reserve yolk for glaze. Pour over crumbs.

Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 250 degrees and continue to bake 30 minutes. Loosen cake from edge of pan then gently release spring. Cool completely before removing.

To make glaze: Combine sugar and cornstarch in small saucepan. Add water and lemon juice. Cook until clear and thickened. Add a small amount of liquid to yolk and return to pan. Cook a few minutes. Cool. Spoon glaze over cheesecake and chill for six to eight hours or overnight.

Serves 6

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George’s notes:

• A course you can use graham cracker crumbs, but the sweetness of Animal Crackers help to balance the tartness of the lemon.
• For perfect servings of cheesecake ~ that don’t stick to your knife ~ dip knife into warm water and wipe dry before the first cut. Then, wipe knife clean, dip in warm water, and dry between each slice.

Christmas Mincemeat and more...

Mincemeat has been my favorite holiday pie since I was a little boy. Especially when it is made from an old-fashioned mincemeat recipe ~ not the bottled version purchased at your local store. The flavor is sort of like a Middle Eastern mixture of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. There's a definite meaty taste, which I really like, with an ever-so-slight sweet flavor.

You might have noticed that I am a bit of an Anglophile when it comes to cooking. I love the various traditions and legends practiced in England. One legend goes, when mincemeat is made in an English kitchen, all the family takes turns in stirring and making a secret wish. The mixture is always stirred clockwise, the direction in which the sun is assumed to proceed around an earth at the center of the universe. To stir in a counter-clockwise direction is to ask for trouble in the coming year!

So I usually make a couple of batches of my Christmas mincemeat and use it for pies and give jars to family & friends. Hoping they will make a Christmas Mince Pie filled with this delicious homemade mincemeat. Christmas mincemeat is not, as the name suggests ~ meat, if you look at the Christmas Mincemeat recipe you will see it is sugar, fruits both fresh and dried, Brandy and suet.

The recipe below is remarkably easy to make and homemade mincemeat is such a treat it is worth doing. Make your mincemeat ahead of time to give it time to mature but don't worry if you are last-minute, it still tastes good.


Christmas Mincemeat

Ingredients:
1¾ cups dried currants
1¼ cups brown sugar
1½ cups apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
1¼ cups golden raisins
1¼ cups raisins
⅔ cup mixed peel of lime & orange, chopped
1¼ cups cold suet, shredded
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 Lemons, grated zest and juice
⅔ cup Brandy

In a large baking bowl combine all the ingredients except the brandy. Stir really well making sure all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave overnight.

Next day, heat the oven to 225 degree F. Remove the tea towel and cover the bowl with foil and place in the warmed oven for 2½ hours. The suet will have melted but don't worry; this is how it should be as the fat is what will help to preserve the mincemeat. Stir well and leave to one side to cool, stirring from time to time.

Once cool stir the mincemeat again, add the brandy and stir again.
Fill sterilized jars with the cold mincemeat, cover a lid. The mincemeat will keep up to one year in a cool, dark place.

Makes 3 – 16 ounce jars

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Old-Fashioned Christmas Mincemeat Pie

Ingredients:
Pastry for 9-inch two crust pie
~ see my basic pie crust recipe below
1 quart prepared mincemeat, recipe above
~ 1 (28-ounce) jar prepared mincemeat pie filling may be substituted

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Prepare pie crust.
Spoon prepared mincemeat into crust-lined plate. Cover with remaining crust and flute. Cut slits in crust so steam can escape. Cover edge with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning.

Bake pie 40 to 50 minutes or until crust is lightly browned and filling bubbles. Remove aluminum foil during last 15 minutes of baking. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack before cutting and serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 8

* I usually will do a lattice crust on top. Instructions below.
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Basic Pie Crust

Ingredients:
2⅔ cups all purposed flour
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces
½ cup (1 stick) butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg
3 tablespoons (or more) ice water

Combine flour, sugar and salt in processor. Using on/off button, cut in shortening and butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Beat egg and 3 tablespoons water in small bowl to blend. Add egg to flour mixture.

Process until moist crumbs form, adding water, 1 teaspoon at a time, if dough is dry. On a light floured service, divide dough into 2 balls.

Flatten balls into disk and chill for 1 hour.
Let dough soften to room temperature before rolling.

To make a lattice top:

Before starting the lattice top, roll out half of your pie dough and line your pie dish with it. The dough should extend beyond the rim of the pie dish by about half an inch. Put it in the refrigerator to chill while you work on the lattice. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the other half of your pie dough to the same extent as the first half (about 3 inches beyond the diameter of your pie dish). It's easier to work with the dough if it is chilled, so if it the dough has softened too much, put the rolled-out piece on a flat cookie sheet and chill it in the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes.

Cut the dough into even strips, ½-inch to ¾-inch wide, depending on how thick you want your lattice strips. You can use a blunt knife with or without a ruler or straight edge to guide you, or you can use a pizza wheel or a pastry wheel if you have one.

Fill your pie shell with the pie filling. Lay out 4 to 7 parallel strips of the pie dough, depending on how thick your strips are, on top of the filling, with about ½-inch to ¾-inch space between them. Fold back every other strip.

Place one long strip of dough perpendicular to the parallel strips as shown. Unfold the folded strips over the perpendicular strip.

Now take the parallel strips that are running underneath the perpendicular strip and fold them back over the perpendicular strip, as shown. Lay down a second perpendicular strip of dough next to the first strip, with some space between the strips. Unfold the folded parallel strips over the second strip.

Continue this process until the weave is complete over the top of the pie.

Trim the edges of the strips flush with the dough of the underlying pie dish, which should be about half an inch over the sides. Fold back the rim of the shell over the edge of the lattice strips, and crimp to secure.

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George’s notes:

• Mincemeat developed as a way of preserving meat without salting or smoking some 500 years ago in England, where mince pies are still considered an essential accompaniment to holiday dinners just like the traditional plum pudding. This pie is a remnant of a medieval tradition of spiced meat dishes, usually minced mutton, that have survived because of its association with Christmas. This pies have also been known as Christmas Pies. Mince pie as part of the Christmas table had long been an English custom.
• Today, we are accustomed to eating mince pie as a dessert, but actually "minced" pie and its follow-up "mincemeat pie" began as a main course dish with with more meat than fruit (a mixture of meat, dried fruits, and spices). As fruits and spices became more plentiful in the 17th century, the spiciness of the pies increased accordingly.

Yorkshire Pudding...

are not just with beef any more…

Similar to popovers, Yorkshire Pudding is actually a bread. It is light, spongy and fluffy… perfect for soaking up gravy, sauces or dessert creams. Traditionally, Yorkshire Pudding is cooked in a large tin underneath a roasting joint of meat, in order to catch the fat and juices that drip down, and then cut appropriately. Nowadays though, individual round puddings ~ baked in muffin trays or small skillets ~ are increasingly popular. I like to make them in muffin tins, so there is usually a dip in the center of the top, where the pudding refuses to rise and I can pour gravy into the “hole” or fill it with various sauces, much like a puff pastry shell.

All good cooks have their own favorite Yorkshire Pudding recipe, and this is mine! The recipe is actually very easy to make. It will produce the best, light and crisp pudding that you have ever tasted! I always use this recipe when I'm cooking roast beef and I find that it also goes perfectly with roast chicken or pork.

But, I like to fix them for breakfast or as a delicious dessert, too. That way I can serve them with a drizzle of melted butter & honey or fill them with sweet dessert creams & fruits.

Yorkshire Pudding

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 cup of milk
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of salt
1 cup (roughly) of beef drippings.
Substitute melted butter or bacon drippings, if you have no beef drippings

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk. Then stir in the milk, flour, and salt. Cover the batter with a towel and let it rest for a while to become bubbly. A while can be 2 minutes or half an hour… whichever you have.

Put about a tablespoon of drippings or melted butter into the bottom of each muffin cup and put just the drippings into the oven. Let the pan and drippings get hot (about 3-5 minutes).

Remove the pan, and quickly fill each muffin cup about halfway with the batter. Return the pan to the oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Then, reduce the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until toasted and “set”.

Makes 12

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George’s notes:

• In 1737 a recipe for 'A dripping pudding' was published in "The Whole Duty of a Woman" ~ Make a good batter as for pancakes; put in a hot toss-pan over the fire with a bit of butter to fry the bottom a little then put the pan and butter under a shoulder of mutton, instead of a dripping pan, keeping frequently shaking it by the handle and it will be light and savoury, and fit to take up when your mutton is enough; then turn it in a dish and serve it hot.
• Similar instructions were published in America eight years later by Hannah Glasse under the title of 'Yorkshire pudding'.
• Here is the recipe card given to me by a dear friend Helen Smythe from Wales, who called them ‘pudding breads’ and served them at every meal, as her bread serving.

Christmas Fruitcake...

Fruitcake at Christmas time is an old holiday tradition. It's one of those foods that you either love or hate. Those who hate fruitcake can't imagine why anyone would want to eat it. Another holiday tradition is fruitcake jokes. Fruitcake bashers often refer to them as bricks or door stops.

But...People really do eat fruitcake! Some people ~ like me ~ REALLY love fruitcake. It's our passion and the highlight of the Christmas season.

While the practice of making cakes with dried fruits, honey and nuts may be traced back to ancient times, food historians generally agree that fruitcake ~ as we know it today ~ dates back to the Middle ages. Early versions of the rich fruit cake, such as Scottish Black Bun dating from the Middle Ages, were luxuries for special occasions. Fruitcakes have been used for celebrations ever since, in the early 18th century the bride cakes and plumb cakes, descended from these enriched bread recipes.

My love of fruitcake comes from my Scottish ancestors. For me, it's impossible to imagine a Christmas without fruitcake. Every year in late summer, my great- Aunt Lillian would make her Fruitcake using her great- grandmother's recipe, wrapped it in several layers of cheesecloth and safely stored them on the top shelf in the pantry -- beyond anyone’s reach. Weekly she would bring all of them down and pour a generous amount of her homemade peach brandy over them ~ letting it soak deeply into each cake.

Aunt Lillian loved her Christmas cakes; because they were fruit-filled, moist, and absolutely delicious. The first week of December, she would wrap them up and mail them out to all her relatives. It became a daily question when I got home from school, “Has the fruitcake arrived?”

So, throughout the holidays, whenever visitors came, they could never leave without first sampling a piece or two of Aunt Lillian’s fruitcake. Now you can use the same old-fashioned Christmas Fruitcake recipe to make your own delicious memories.


Dark Christmas Fruitcake

Ingredients:
4 cups raisins
1 cup candied cherries - halved
1 cup candied pineapple
1 cup diced candied mixed fruit
1 cup pecan halves
1 cup thinly sliced almonds
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup brown sugar
6 eggs - separated
1 cup vegetable shortening
1½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ square unsweetened baking chocolate (melted)
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup orange juice

Preheat oven to 300 degree F.

Thoroughly grease a 4 x 10 -inch cake pan or 2 large loaf pans. Line the bottom and sides with aluminum foil. Lightly spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the fruit and nuts. Toss the mixture with 1 cup flour to coat. In a second bowl, sift the remaining flour with the baking soda and spices.

In a very large bowl, at medium speed, beat the shortening and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the melted chocolate & mix well. At low speed, alternately beat in the flour/spice mixture and the fruit juices.

In a separate bowl, with clean beaters, beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold the beaten egg whites into the batter. Add the fruit and nut mixture and stir in by hand until all the ingredients are well mixed. Turn the batter into the prepared pan (1 tube pan or 2 large loaf pans or 3 small loaf pans).

Bake in a preheated oven at 300 degree F – If using a tube cake pan for 2 hours and 20 minutes; or if you are using 2 large loaf pans for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Cool completely in the pan, on a wire rack. Remove the cooled cake from the pan and wrap it well in cheesecloth.

Make sure to make about two month before you plan to serve. That way, you can soak it in the brandy of your choice several times ~ allowing the brandy to penetrate through out the fruitcake.

Serves 12


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George’s notes:

• The Society for the Protection & Preservation of Fruitcake wants to defend this cake's reputation and make sure it's part of every Christmas season for generations of future fruit cake lovers.
• One of the classic phrases regarding the longevity of fruitcake was coined in 1983 by Russell Baker: "Fruitcake is forever."
• Another goes… "Thirty-four years ago, I inherited the family fruitcake. Fruitcake is the only food durable enough to become a family heirloom. It had been in my grandmother's possession since 1880, and she passed it to a niece in 1933."
• Here's a good one... "When my great- grandmother inherited it, it was already 86 years old, having been baked by her great-grandfather in 1794 as a Christmas gift for President George Washington. Washington, with his high-flown view of ethical standards for Government workers, sent it back with thanks, explaining that he thought it unseemly for Presidents to accept gifts weighing more than 80 pounds, even though they were only eight inches in diameter...There is no doubt...about the fruitcake's great age. Sawing into it six Christmas ago, I came across a fragment of a 1794 newspaper with an account of the lynching of a real-estate speculator in New York City."
• "Take the story of the travelling fruitcake, years on the road like the Flying Dutchman or the Man Without A Country. One family received it on some long ago Christmas from distant friends. On the following Christmas, they wrapped it in elaborate packaging and sent it back to the givers. On the next holiday, it returned. And so on and so on - the gift that keeps on giving." --- Let Them Eat Fruitcake, by Mary Lou Healy
• Just in case you were interested...The oldest fruitcake company in the United States is the Collin Street Bakery, Corsicana Texas [1896]

Red Velvet Cake...

Red Velvet Cake is a mellow chocolate cake with an intense red color. A white cream cheese icing is traditional, preferably applied with such care that when you cut it, the cake’s redness is a surprise.

A Southern specialty, the Red Velvet Cake owes its red color to history. Originally, its deep red color was thought to be due to a reaction between early varieties of cocoa and baking soda. But this reaction also gave the cake a soapy taste. Thereafter, cooks and bakers must have opted for food color or an edible red dye to get the effect. In the Southern states, where the Red Velvet Cake originated, it was made with cocoa and beet, hence the original red color effect. The contrasting white frosting completes the effect that has been related to the contrast between Good and Evil.

From the time I was old enough to speak my will, I would ask for a Red Velvet Cake for dessert. Why? Because it was the cake my mother always made at Christmas; thus I equated Red Velvet Cake with wrapped presents & toys ~ a little of the “evil wanting good”.

The recipe was first published in Mrs. Rorder's New Cook Book by Sarah Tyson Rorer, and found its way across magazines and cookbooks by 1913. The Waldorf Astoria Hotel has often been credited for developing this delicious dessert, but the venue hasn't provided enough proof to support its status as the world's first red velvet cake producer. Today, the hotel still serves a rich Red Velvet Cake that has many similarities to the original recipe. Here is a classic recipe used for at least four generation in my family. I hope you will give this recipe a try. Enjoy!

Classic Red Velvet Cake

Cake:
1½ cups sugar
½ cup shortening
2 eggs
2½ cups cake flour
1 cup butter milk
2 ounces red food coloring
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon soda
1 tablespoon vinegar

In a mixing bowl, cream sugar, shortening and eggs. Gradually stir in flour and buttermilk. Combine food coloring, cocoa, salt and vanilla. Stir into flour mixture. Dissolve soda in vinegar and stir into batter.
Pour batter into 3 greased layer pans. Bake at 350° F for 25 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Cream Cheese Icing:
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ cup butter
1¾ cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

In a large bowl, beat cheese, vanilla, butter and sugar; until light and fluffy. Spread icing between layers, on top and side of cake. Serve at room temperature.

Serves 12


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George’s notes:

• “It’s the Dolly Parton of cakes: a little bit tacky, but you love her,” said Angie Mosier, a food writer in Atlanta about the Classic Red Velvet Cake.
• In the 1989 film Steel Magnolias the groom's cake (another southern tradition) is a red velvet cake made in the shape of an armadillo.
• It has been told, that if a young lady sleeps with a slice of groom's cake under her pillow, she will supposedly dream of the man she will marry.
• In Canada a Red Velvet Cake was a signature dessert in the restaurants and bakeries of the Eaton’s department store chain in the 1940s and 1950s. Promoted as an "exclusive" Eaton's recipe, with employees who knew the recipe sworn to silence, many mistakenly believed the cake to be the invention of the department store matriarch, Lady Eaton.

Icebox Cake...

One of the simplest, most eye-catching desserts ever is for a delicious, not too sweet, 14-inch long icebox (that's a refrigerator for those born after WWII) cake made simply by sticking together thin chocolate wafers into a "roll" with lightly flavored whipped cream and frosting the roll with more of the delicious cream. Once chilled, the whipped cream firms up nicely and the wafers soften to look and taste like very thin cake layers. The cake is sliced at a 45-degree angle so that each serving resembles a piece of multi-layered cake.

I’m talking about the Famous Nabisco Chocolate Wafers Icebox Cake. It has got to be one of the easiest, simplistic recipes around. It’s the same luscious icebox cakes our grandmothers and mothers made back in the 50s and 60s. These dark chocolate wafers are crunchy; thin and tasty and appear to have not been changed over the years. The wafers continue to be the product of choice in recipes calling for a chocolate crumb crust.


Growing up, I was always attracted to the picture on the box of chocolate wafers, covered with whipped cream. It soon became my most requested dessert… and luckily, my mom’s, too.

Famous Chocolate Wafers are the chocolate wafers kids in my generation grew up with. They were delicious munched out of hand and good with a cold glass of milk when we burst through the door; home from a day at school.

If you have never tasted the icebox cake illustrated on the box of Famous Chocolate Wafers; you need to, for its simplistic taste is a real treat. I recently made this for a birthday dinner - and it was a tremendous hit. It's so easy to make, and in just a few hours ~ you have a delicious dessert!



Famous Chocolate Wafer Icebox Cake

3 cups heavy cream
5 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 boxes Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers

In a chilled metal bowl, whip the cream until very frothy; add sugar and vanilla, and continue whipping until fairly stiff peaks form. Spread one-half tablespoon whipped cream. Begin stacking wafers so they stand on edge on the platter to make a 14-inch log. Once finished stacking the wafers, neatly frost the log with remaining whipped cream.

Chill for four to six hours or overnight. Garnish with chocolate curls, chocolate sprinkles and slice at a 45-degree angle so each serving has zebra stripes.

Serves about 8-10

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George’s notes:

• If possible, make this cake on an aluminum pan or glass plate; that will help chill this cake to perfection.
• Sometimes these wafers can be hard to find. But, believe me they are worth the hunt.
• You can order Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers through Amazon.com, but I have never tried that method.

‘Twas the Night Before Sugar Plums...

As a child, I only knew of sugar plums through The Nutcracker and ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. Several years ago when I had a subscription to Gourmet, I jotted down a recipe for sugar plums, mostly because I had never tasted one before. These sugar plums are confections, not the fruits that you can read about on Wikipedia. They are quite easy to make and tend to be a huge hit with people who either don’t care for chocolate or just enjoy spices and dried fruits in a delectable bite. It’s a terrific aroma that floats through your house when you make a batch: the smells of orange peel, nutmeg, cinnamon, toasted almonds, honey.

I usually dust the sugar plums with confectioners’ sugar before serving. They stay fresh for sometime, thus making them perfect for the holidays. I sometimes tie them up in small little packages and give them as gifts with a copy the famed Sugar Plum story!

‘Twas the Night Before Sugar Plums

Ingredients:
12-ounce package pitted prunes
8-ounce package chopped dates
6-ounce package dried apricots
½ cup pecans, finely chopped (optional)
¼ cup graham cracker crumbs
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
⅔ cup sugar

In the bowl of a food processor, process the prunes, dates and apricots until finely chopped, about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.

Transfer to a large bowl and add pecans, graham cracker crumbs and the orange and lemon zest. Mix completely. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.

Using your palms, shape into ¾ -inch balls. Roll the balls in sugar and place on a baking sheet. Cover and chill for 1 hour.

You may then want to put the balls in small paper cups. Store in airtight container, refrigerated. Serve at room temperature.

Makes 5 dozen


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George's notes:

• Wrap these delectable bites in small festive boxes and give as gifts.
• These Sugar Plums freeze well, so you can make them early and bring out for Christmas Eve.

Never Fail Divinity...

There are some things that always remind me of the Christmas holidays. One that stands out is an old southern traditional Divinity. My mom always makes this time-tested recipe, so I pass it on to you. As the name say, it never fails the cook nor fails to please the recipient of this delicious confection.



Mom's Never Fail Divinity

Ingredients:
1½ cup sugar
¼ cup water
¼ teaspoon salt
1 pint marshmallow crème
½ cup chopped nuts (optional)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a saucepan, combine sugar, water and salt; bring to a boil. Cook to syrup thickens. Place marshmallow crème in a mixing bowl; beat in sugar syrup until candy hold a shape. Fold in nuts and vanilla.
On a greased baking sheet, drop teaspoonfuls of the mixture and let cool.
To keep divinity fresh, store in an air-tight container in a cool place.

Makes about 24 pieces


George’s notes:

• Divinity is a classic! It's also a bit temperamental when the weather is hot and humid, so it is best to attempt divinity in low-humidity conditions.
• Divinity can be poured into a 9-inch square pan, cooled, and cut into small squares instead of being dropped from a spoon.

‘Tis the season to make cookies….

The coming of Christmas and Hanukkah brings many days of preparation and one of those days is making cookies. What is the holiday without a variety of your favorite cookies? I know that we each have a special cookie recipe, hand down from generation to generation that is always on our cookie tray.

One cookie that we all make is the Classic Rolled Sugar Cookie. Here is the recipe I use, that was used by a premier caterer in the Greenwich, CT area. A few years ago, I freelanced with them during the days leading up to the holidays. My assignment was to make 10,000 decorated sugar cookies. Each day I would prep dough and then start cutting out the chilled dough from the day before.

Here are a few tips I learned to help make the prefect Classic Rolled Sugar Cookie:

• Roll the dough out before chilling and then chill. I roll out my sugar cookie dough right after it is mixed up between 2 sheets of waxed paper, place it on to a flat baking sheet and put it in the fridge. Continue until all the dough is rolled out, stacking the dough sheets on top of the first one. You will go through a lot of waxed paper, but the convenience is worth it for me. When you're ready to cut them out, take out one sheet at a time, peel off the top waxed paper, lightly rub some flour onto the dough, replace the waxed paper and flip the dough sheet over. Peel off the now top sheet of waxed paper and you're ready to cut out your cookies. Collect the dough scraps in a plastic baggie so they don't dry out; re-roll when you have enough for a large sheet. I reuse some of the waxed paper sheets for re-rolling the scraps. A couple tips..... If the waxed paper slips on the counter while rolling, wipe the counter with a damp cloth. And while rolling the dough, sometimes the bottom waxed paper wrinkles, flip over the dough and waxed paper, release waxed paper and re-roll. This method of rolling out cookie dough has been a real time and mess saver for me.
• Decorating with colored sugars ~ Always prepare cookies by brushing with heavy cream or an egg white slightly beaten with 1 tablespoon of water. Sprinkle with decorative toppings.
• Decorating with food colors ~ Mix 1 egg yolk and ¼ teaspoon water. Divide mixture among several ramekins. Tint each with different food color to make you desired colors. Paint designs on cookies with small paint brushes. If paint thickens while standing, stir in a few drops of water.
• Decorating with icing ~ see directions below

There are so many wonderful cookie cutters, some handed down by relatives, some found at flea markets and some found on cooking websites. Whatever shape cookie you want to make, it is available. I like to use a variety of shapes & sizes to give your cookie tray a creative decorative look. Now lets get baking…


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Classic Rolled Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt

In the mixing bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter. Add sugar and beat until smooth and light. Beat eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and mix until blended.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to the butter mixture and mix well.

Working the dough in ¼ batches, on a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to a ¼-inch thickness. Then place rolled dough sheets on wax paper lined baking trays; separating the dough with wax paper. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until completely chilled or overnight.

When ready to bake, cut out cookies with cookie cutter. Place cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment and lightly greased.

Bake at 400 degrees F for about 8 minutes or until just golden. Transfer cookies to a wire rack until cooled.



Sugar Cookie Icing

Ingredients:
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Milk, as needed

In a bowl, combine the butter, confectioners' sugar and vanilla; cream with an electric mixer. Gradually enough milk to allow icing to spread or pipe through a pastry bag.

Divide icing into separate bowls and add drops of food coloring to color your icing.

If icing is too thick, add milk or if too runny, add confectioners' sugar.


Store in airtight containers in a cool place until you use them.

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George’s notes:

• Un-cut rolled dough keeps for several days in the refrigerator.
• Cooked, un-decorated cookies freeze well for several weeks. Just thaw before decorating.
• Photographs from Christmas past.

Baked Apples...

A few weeks ago, I posted An un-complicated dessert ~ Well, realizing we all are looking for something un-complicated to cook after Thanksgiving; here is a baked apple with a simple, delicious and time-old recipe that has been around since the Garden of Eden. I like to use Royal Gala apples, because of their sweet, tart flavor and they are especially good for baking. They smelled so good fresh from the oven!



Baked Apples

Ingredients:
4 large good baking apples
¼ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup chopped walnuts
¼ cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon butter
¾ cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 375 degree F.
Peel and remove cores to ½-inch of the bottom of the apples. It helps if you have an apple corer, but if not, you can use a paring knife to cut out first the stem area, and then the core. Use a spoon to dig out the seeds. Make the holes about ¾-inch to an inch wide.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, cranberries, and walnuts. Place apples in an 8-inch-by-8-inch square baking pan. Stuff each apple with this mixture. Top with a dot of butter (¼ of the tablespoons).

Add boiling water to the baking pan. Bake 30-40 minutes, until tender, but not mushy. Remove from the oven and baste the apples several times with the pan juices.

Serve warm

Serves 4

Ambrosia and Coconut Cake..

What is a Thanksgiving feast without that sweet treat after the meal? The most recognized Thanksgiving dessert is pumpkin pie, and while pies are certainly a hit around my families Thanksgiving table, there are several other kinds of traditional desserts that are always served mainly for the memories they bring to the meal. Here are just two of those long remembered recipes and possible ideas for your delicious Thanksgiving desserts.

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The first one is my mom’s white cake smothered in whipped topping and fresh coconut ~ a real treat for those with a sweet tooth.

Twomama's Coconut Cake

Ingredients:
Cake
2¼ cups cake flour, sifted
2½ teaspoons double-baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 egg whites

Icing
2 cups sugar
2 cups sour cream
18-ounces frozen coconut, thawed, divided
1 cup heavy cream, sweetened and whipped

To make cake: Sift together the dry ingredients and set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter until smooth and fluffy. Add the milk and vanilla gradually, blending well.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the batter, a little at a time, incorporating well after each addition. Continue stirring until batter is smooth.

In a small bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff pecks form. Fold them lightly into the batter. Pour batter into 2 greased and floured 9-inch cake pans.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans and cool completely.

To make the icing: In a large bowl, combine the sugar, 1 cup sour cream and half of the thawed coconut; set aside. In a large metal chilled metal bowl, whip heavy cream until soft pecks form. Add remaining sour cream and beat until smooth and thick. Fold in remaining coconut, but 1 cup for garnish.

To assemble: Using a bread knife, carefully cut the two 9-inch rounds in half. Place one half on a cake plate and spread half of the sugar/sour cream mixture on top. Repeat with two more layers. The last layer place on top and ice the entire cake, top and sides, with the heavy cream mixture.
Sprinkle with reserved coconut.

Refrigerate cake, covered, for at least 2 to 3 days before serving.

Serves 12

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Ambrosia refers to the food of the Gods in Greek mythology and this dessert lives up to its name. A delicious simple blend of flavors makes this a perfect dessert for holidays or any time of the year.

Here is the original recipe for Ambrosia from Mrs. S. R. Dull's cookbook Southern Cooking, circa 1928. This recipe called for coconut out of a real coconut. I can remember my mother cracking open whole coconut ~ holiday after holiday… once she even stabbed her hand opening the coconut, but that did not stop her making the ambrosia after returning from the emergency room with about 5 stitches in the palm of her hand. Now I use frozen coconut, but there is a difference. The Ambrosia is always served out of a crystal bowl and in champaign glasses.

Ambrosia


Ingredients:
6 oranges, peeled and chopped into ½ -inch pieces
1½ cups frozen coconut, thawed
¾ cup sugar

Mix all ingredients well. Refrigerate and let the flavors mingle for at least a day. Serves 4

This recipe is easy to multiply as needed, to serve your guest.

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George’s notes:

• The other day, Debby at A Feast for the Eyes featured Ida Garten’s coconut cake, which is also a delicious coconut cake.
• In previous post I have two wonderful pies for your Thanksgiving feast ~ Cranberry-Apple and Aunt Esther's Cranberry Pie.

Sweet Potato Soufflé...

Another side dish on a Southern Thanksgiving table is some type of sweet potato. This delectable dish is neither a soufflé nor a mousse, but its consistency gives the impression of both. My mom, Twomama to her grandchildren, has been making this casserole as along as I have a memory. None of our holiday dinners would be complete without her sweet potatoes. What makes her soufflé so good is the pecan topping. Try it and I'm sure it will become your family’s new tradition!



Twomama’s Sweet Potato Soufflé

Ingredients:
3 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup milk

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup flour
½ cup butter cut in small pieces
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

In a large bowl, beat together the first six ingredients, and then pour into a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish.

In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the topping ingredients until crumbly. Sprinkle the topping over the sweet potato mixture.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes, or until browned and bubbly.

Serves 6

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George’s notes:

• I have prepare mom’s recipe in individual ramekins and served it as a dessert. That’s why I gave it a dessert lable.
• Sweet potatoes are a Native American plant that was the main source of nourishment for early homesteaders and for soldiers during the Revolutionary War.
• Sweet potatoes are among the most nutritious foods in the vegetable kingdom. They are packed with calcium, potassium, and vitamins A and C. This is why nutritionists called them the "vegetable indispensable."