Gingerbread Muffins

As much as I love gingerbread cookies, I have to admit that I like actual gingerbread even more. I used to use a wonderful old recipe from Nathalie Dupree to make pans of gingerbread in the fall. Based on that recipe, I developed a perfect muffin that features all the richness and flavor of a classic old-fashioned gingerbread.

Gingerbread Muffins
adapted from Nathalie Dupree's recipe for Old-Fashioned Gingerbread

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1 cup molasses
2 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup coca cola, apple cider or apple juice
1 teaspoon brandy flavoring or vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line or grease well a muffin tin, and set aside.

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the egg and the molasses and mix well.

In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. In another bowl, mix together the buttermilk, the coke or juice, and the brandy or vanilla flavoring. Add these two mixtures to the molasses mixture alternately, beginning and ending with the dry mixture. Beat until the batter is smooth.

Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for approximately 18-20 minutes, or until the muffins spring back when lightly touched with a finger. Yield about 18 muffins.

To turn this muffin into a lucious dessert, top with creamy Peach Sauce . . .

Peach Sauce
based on Nathalie Dupree's recipe

4 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup peach juice, peach brandy, or peach schnapps
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
1 teaspoon almond extract

In a heavy saucepan, combine the egg yolks and sugar.

In a separate, smaller saucepan, heat the peach juice/brandy/schnapps. (You can also do this in the microwave if you prefer).

Pour the hot peach juice gradually into the egg-yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Turn on low heat, and continue whisking until mixture thickens. This could take up to 15 minutes (trust me, it's worth it). Remove from ehat and cool for about 10 minutes, then fold in the whipped cream and vanilla. You may wish to make this ahead of time - if so, chill the sauce until you are ready to serve.

Chewy Blondies

My sweet friend recently lent me her family's old cookbooks to peruse. I love the cookbooks, but my favorite thing is seeing which little slips of paper and newspaper clippings people stuff inside these old cookbooks. These are some of the greatest recipes in my family's cookbooks, so I made sure to copy down some of my friend's too! Here is a great one I found - enjoy!

Chewy Blondies

1 1/4 cup light brown sugar
2/3 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/3 cup quick-cooking oats
1 1/3 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butterscotch chips (this is my addition)
1/2 cup coconut flake (this is my addition, too)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Set aside.

In a large electric mixer bowl, combine the brown sugar and the butter, beating until fluffy. Add the eggs and the vanilla, and cream the mixture together. Add the oats, flour, salt, soda, wallnuts, and both flavors of chips, and stir to combine.

Spread the batter in your prepared pan, using a spatula to even it off. Sprinkle the coconut flake on top of the batter. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Cool completely before slicing into bars.

Nanny's Fresh Blueberry Pie

Aaaahhh, the end of the summer. Tomorrow marks the first day of fall here in Georgia. Last night, the hubs and I enjoyed such a lovely evening at my parents' house in Atlanta. And Nanny herself was there with one of her famous pies.

I admit it, dear readers: I've been holding out on you.

I've been saving some of the best of the best recipes in my family . . . saving them for a rainy day. Well, I'm not sure whether you've heard, but it's raining buckets here in drought-ridden North Georgia, so it's about time for me to share one of these precious gems with you all!

My sweet grandmother "Nanny" is famous for her pies. In the summertime, it's all about the blueberries . . . Nanny's fresh blueberry pie is delicious enough to bring tears to your eyes . . . and yet so wonderful in its simplicity. I think that most of Nanny's recipes shine through in their beautiful simplicity - truly highlighting the fresh ingredients without need for masking them with a myriad of distracting flavors.

So here is my gem for you today, dear readers, as the rain pours down over Georgia. Happy autumnal equinox - have a slice of pie!

Nanny's Fresh Blueberry Pie

Pastry:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 ounces of shortening
2 ounces of ice cold water

Filling:
4 cups fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoons butter

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

For the pastry, sift together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add shortening and blend with pastry blender until the mixture reaches the consistency of small peas. Add ice water and chop mixture with a knife. Mix with your hand until a soft ball forms. Separate into halves. Take the first piece and roll in extra flour. Line a 9" pie pan with the first half, leaving a small overlap around the edges of the pie dish. Repeat with the second half of the dough, and set aside.

For the filling, mix flour, sugar, and salt. Sprinkle 1/4 of this mixture on the uncooked bottom crust. Add blueberries. Sprinkle the remainder of the sugar mixture on top. Sprinkle with lemon juice, and dot with the butter. Flute the top crust, pinching it to the bottom crust.

Bake for 15 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 350 degrees, and bake for about 25-30 more minutes, until the berries are tender. Cool before slicing and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Easy Key Lime Pie

Okay, so I know that I've already given you the pretty much perfect, authentically tart and delicious key lime pie recipe, but let's be honest. Don't you get a hankering for this stuff even at times when key limes might not be in season? I know I do. Not to mention the fact that I can only really talk the husband into juicing 30 key limes about once a year or else I start to push my wonderful prep chef to his limits . . . So I decided to celebrate this time of year when summer is coming to an end with a super easy "real simple" key lime pie recipe.

Easy Key Lime Pie
adapted from Real Simple

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 8-ounce package of cream cheese
1 6-ounce can frozen limeade concentrate
1 cup heavy cream
Zest of one lime
Graham cracker crust
Whipped cream, for garnish.

Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until soft and smooth. Gradually add the condensed milk, combining until completely integrated. Finally, add the limeade, the heavy cream, and half of the lime zest. Beat until the mixture is fluffy and soft peaks form.

Next, pour the filling into the graham cracker crust, smoothing with a spatula. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. If you have any trouble getting the key lime pie to set, then I recommend throwing it in the freezer for about 2-3 hours before you serve it for a delightfully refreshing (and firm) pie!

Finally, sprinkle the lime zest on top before serving and garnish with a bit of freshly whipped cream!

Chocolate Pudding Scrummie

Uuuhhh, looks a little scrummie if you ask me . . .

Here is my Auntie Moo Moo Chocolate Pudding Scrummie. Back in the 1950s, she would make this dessert for her three daughters so that they could have a special treat when they came home from school.

This dessert is like the fudgiest brownie with a built-in chocolate syrup! The consistency is half-cake-like, half pudding-like. The crispy toasted top gives way to tender cake and steamy chocolate goo underneath. Top it off with some freshly whipped cream, and you have . . . well . . . scrummie!!

Disclaimer: This dessert is very, very sweet - hope you have a sweet tooth!! :-)

Chocolate Pudding Scrummie
from my Auntie Moo Moo

1 cup flour
¾ cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup cold water

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8x8-inch square pan.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, salt, cocoa, baking powder, walnuts, milk, butter, and vanilla. Spread evenly in the bottom of your prepared pan.

Next, mix together the brown sugar, white sugar, and cocoa powder and sprinkle over batter in pan. Pour the cold water over the top, and do not stir!

Bake for 45 minutes. Serve warm or cold - topped with whipped cream or ice cream!

Nanny's Frozen Lemon "Cake"

This sweet is a real treat, y'all.

This recipe comes from my Nanny - my mom's mom. Mom says that her best memories of this "cake" come from her childhood. Nanny and Poppy would have a few other couples over for cocktails and a light late supper, while everyone's kids were already in bed at home with sitters.

Nanny would make this Frozen Lemon Cake for dessert. She made it in those old-fashioned ice cube trays, with the cube insert taken out. She would slice it up and serve it to her guests late at night. Then the next morning, my mom and her sisters would wake up, hoping against hope that a little corner might be leftover for them. Of course, there usually was . . . I like to think that Nanny sliced it that way on purpose.

This frozen treat is light, fluffy, creamy, and it melts in your mouth just perfectly. It's just sweet enough, with a wondurfully cool and refreshing lemon flavor. It's like a little taste of the clouds that angels sit on in heaven.

Frozen Lemon Cake
adapted from Nanny's recipe

1 cup crushed graham crackers, divided
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 eggs, separated
1 lemon (all juice and all zest)
½ cup sugar
1 cup whipping cream
4 tablespoons sugar, divided

Combine 3/4 cup of the crushed graham crackers with the melted butter, stirring until a crumbly loose mixture forms. Line the bottom of an 8x8-inch pan with the mixture.

In a bowl set over hot water (not boiling) mix egg yolks, lemon juice, lemon zest, and sugar.Stir constantly until the mixture thickens. At this point Nanny's instructions say "Keep cool." - this is because it will take about 10 minutes for the mixture to thicken. Cute. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool.

Beat egg whites until light and fluffy. Gradually add 2 tablespoons sugar and continue to beat until glossy, stiff peaks form. Next, beat whipped cream until fluffy, and gradually add 2 tablespoons sugar. Then, gently fold all three mixtures together.

Spread the mixture in the pan over the prepared crust. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of crushed crackers. Place in freezer for at least 3 hours. When you're ready to serve, remove from the freezer, and cut into squares and plate them. Then allow to melt ever so slightly - about 4-5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cake

I discovered this recipe when I was in college - it is the perfect comfort food. It will make you feel cozy and warm with just one bite. I've tweaked it over the years to make it a bit softer, more chocolaty, and more delicate - sublime.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cake
adapted from AllRecipes.com

1 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup butter
1 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder
A pinch of cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease well a 8x8 inch square baking pan.

In a large bowl, mix together the rolled oats, butter, and boiling water. Set aside to cool.

Beat together the brown sugar, eggs and vanilla; add to cooled oat mixture, mixing until completely combined.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cocoa, and cinnamon. Add to wet ingredients and mix well. Pour the batter into your prepared pan.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Big Brother's Birthday Cake

My big brother. Smart, handsome, dentist, bachelor, and now 31 years old. If this sounds like a personals ad, it should. Do you have a lovely lady in your life? Single, southern, conservative, sweet? Perhaps we need to set them up?

Hahahaha, this past weekend was my big brother's birthday. Every year, I make him the same cake. White cake with lemon curd filling and white mountain frosting. And every year, I tell him what a pain in the patootie it is to make this thing. And every year, I take that first bite of cake and remember, all over again, that it is completely worth the effort to make this masterpiece of a cake!!! Tender, fluffy white cake . . . tangy, tart lemon filling . . . light, melt-in-your-mouth frosting . . . what more could a boy want?!

Here's a cute pic of big bro with his sweet Australian Cattle Dog - Scout! She is the only lady in his life at the moment . . .

Big Brother's Birthday Cake

Cake
2 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 cup milk
5 egg whites

Lemon Curd
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup cold water
6 egg yolks (save 2 whites for the icing!)
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

White Mountain Frosting
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 egg whites
1 teaspoons vanilla

For the cake:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease and flour two 9-inch round pans with butter and flour (seriously, don't skip the flour!).

Sift together the dry ingredients and set aside.

Beat the butter in with an electric mixer. Add the sugar and the vanilla, and continue to beat until fluffy. Gradually add the dry ingredients and the milk, alternately, starting and ending with the flour.

Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into the batter. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans, like so . . .

Then bake for 25-30 minutes, until cake springs back when gently touched near the center.

For the lemon curd:
Combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan. Add the water and whisk in the egg yolks, lemon peel, and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly, boiling the mixture for one minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Strain the mixture and cool to room temperature.

For the frosting:
In a small saucepan, combine the corn syrup, sugar, and water. Cover and apply medium heat until the mixture reaches a rolling boil. Do not stir, but uncover and continue to boil until the mixture reaches 242 degrees on a candy thermometer and/or the mixture spools 6-8-inch threads when drizzled from a spoon.

Meanwhile, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Very gradually stream the hot sugar mixture into the egg whites, beating constantly, until thick and glossy. Add the vanilla and continue to beat until desired consistency is reached.

To assemble the cake, put half of the lemon curd over the first layer. Top with the second layer, and ice the entire outside with the frosting. Serve with the extra lemon curd on the side.

Don't you just love how shiny and gorgeous the icing is?

Sources: The cake and curd recipes come from my sister-in-law. The frosting is from my tried and true, vintage Betty Crocker cookbook.

What's a girl to do?

O, mon dieu, chers lecteurs. This is a fab find!

I'm at home alone (with the dogs) tonight - hubby's away at a leadership conference. I decided to make dinner easy - boiled gnocchi with Newman's Own tomato sauce . . . garlic toast on the side.

What do you crave after eating Italian? My mom and I always have a taste for chocolate! But here I am, all alone. It would be wasteful (right?) to make brownies, to go out and get a pint of ice cream, to open a new box of Oreos . . . What's a girl to do in this kind of emergency???

Enter . . . Emergency Chocolate Cake.

Moist, fluffy, chocolaty heaven. A mug full of cupcake. Satisfaction, in two minutes flat.

I think I may have another . . . this time with a pinch of cinnamon perhaps?

Emergency Chocolate Cake
I got this from the Rookie Chef, who got it from One Particular Kitchen

2 tablespoons cake flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 (slightly heaping) teaspoons cocoa powder
a pinch of salt
2 tablespoons of milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons oil

Spray the inside of a microwave-safe coffee mug with nonstick spray. Measure the ingredients into the mug and stir with a fork until smooth and no lumps remain. Microwave on high for 60 seconds.

That's it!!!

You can eat it with a fork straight out of the mug (as I did) , or turn it out onto a plate and top it with chocolate syrup or whipped cream. Perfection!

Cookies Transcend Politics

A good meal is good no matter which side of the aisle you eat it on. Yet another example of how food brings us all together!

I made these wonderful cookies for a political-themed election night dinner this past fall. (Don't worry! There were dishes that were blue-state-oriented, too!) Since then, this has become a go-to recipe for me when I'm craving a super-chewy and delicious oatmeal butterscotch cookie! I've made a few small tweaks to the original, but Cindy McCain definitely knew what she was doing when she whipped these cookies up!

Chewy Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies
adapted from Cindy McCain via Family Circle Magazine

3/4 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups rolled oats (not quick-cooking - just regular)
1 12-ounce package of butterscotch morsels

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Next, add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition so that they are completely incorporated. Beat in the vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and rolled oats. Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture into the creamed mixture. Then fold in the butterscotch morsels into the cookie dough.

Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet, leaving about 2 inches of space between the cookies because they will spread. Bake for about 8 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before removing to cooling racks. Enjoy!

Key Lime Pie

As many of you may remember, the hubby and I took a trip to Jekyll Island a few weeks ago. While we were there, we enjoyed some delicious key lime pie - which got me thinking - why don't I make my own key lime pie? Can I even get key limes in the grocery store here in North Georgia?

Well, the answer is yes, I can! My dear father in law picked me up a bag of key limes from the grocery store last week and delivered them into my care on the condition that I make him a pie. I was glad to accept his offer!

The pie turned out beautifully - tart and creamy, complimented by a perfect graham crust and a generous dollop of freshly whipped cream. Perfection!

Key Lime Pie
adapted from epicurious.com

1 1/s cups graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted

1 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
4 large egg yolks
2/3 cup Key lime juice
1 teaspoon key lime zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream, whipped until soft peaks form

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar in a medium bowl. Pour over the melted butter and stir until the mixture comes together in a rough ball. Press the mixture evenly into a 9" pie dish so that it lines the bottom and sides of the dish.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and the egg yolks until thoroughly combined. Add the lime juice, zest, and vanilla, and continue to whisk until the mixture thickens slightly. Pour the filling into your prepared pie shell.

Bake in the middle of your oven for 15 minutes. Cool the pie completely on a rack before covering it and putting it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 8 hours.

Serve chilled, and top each piece with the freshly whipped cream.

Care Bears Cloud Cake

One of my very first cookbooks when I was a little girl was the Care Bears Party Cook Book. It had lots of kid-friendly recipes for fun and festive treats. To this day, I still make a dessert that is based on a recipe from this cookbook. It's called Cloud Cake. I have included the original recipe and my simplified version below.

I usually make this light and easy dessert with just strawberries, but for the Fourth of July? Red White and Blue Cloud Cake just seemed right!

Cloud Cake
from the Care Bears Party Cook Book

1 pound cake
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup raspberry jam or fresh berries with their juice
Frozen whipped topping or fresh whipped cream

Slice your pound cake loaf horizontally and remove the top half. Pour half of the orange juice over the bottom half of the cake. Then spread with raspberry jam or fresh berries and juice. Replace the top of the cake to make a sandwich. Pour the remaining juice over the cake. Top with whipped cream and more berries if desired.

Red, White, and Blue Cloud Cake

2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups blueberries
1 loaf-sized pound cake
Frozen whipped topping or fresh whipped cream

Combine the strawberries and the sugar in a bowl. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Stir the strawberries again - they should be nice and juicy. Set aside.

Cut slices of pound cake. Top with the strawberries and juice. Top with some blueberries. Add some whipped topping, and then decorate with extra fruit on the top. Serve immediately - enjoy!!!

Georgia Peach Cobbler

Yes, dear readers, I know I just posted a recipe for peach cobbler a mere three days ago, but are you seriously complaining?? Peach cobbler is the best!! And this one is different - you'll see . . .

So this recipe comes from our across-the-street neighbor when I was growing up - my mom's friend Mary. It used to be that people thought I was crazy when I would make this recipe, but nowadays, I think there are a few similar versions floating around the internet.

Basically, you melt a stick of butter in a pan. (This is the way any good southern recipe starts, right?!?) Then you pour your batter into the melted butter and pour your peaches over the top of the batter. The best part is that you aren't supposed to stir! How easy can this get?

And the final product? Crispy butter-fried dough puffs up and bakes all around the juicy-sweet peach slices. Again, the hint of cinnamon (barely a whiff) really brings out the depth of that golden peach flavor.

Georgia Peach Cobbler
From my mom's friend Mary

4 cups fresh Georgia peaches, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
A dash of salt
3/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the sliced peaches and the 1/2 cup sugar in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate for several hours, until the juices start to run.

Place the butter in a 9x13" baking dish. Put it in the oven for 3-4 minutes, until the butter is completely melted.

Meanwhile, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the milk and stir just until combined.

Remove the dish with the butter from the oven. Pour the prepared batter over the butter. Do not stir!

Next, pour the peaches over the batter and butter. Do not stir!

Finally, sprinkle the cinnamon evenly over the top. Return the dish to the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes, until the batter sets and turns a golden brown on top. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream.

Proud to Be a Georgia Peach!

It's no mystery around here that I am a Georgia girl, through and through. One of the best things about being in my beautiful state at this time of year is PEACHES.

I can (and do?) eat fresh Georgia peaches morning, noon, and night when they are in season. I like them cut into juicy-tart chunks on top of my cereal in the morning, I like them sliced and peeled next to my sandwich at lunch time, I like them in my salsa with a cold drink in the afternoon, and I like them underneath a fluffy-moist, crispy-sweet biscuit crust after dinner throughout the summertime.

Throw in some blueberries if you must, but the peaches are the star of this dish! I made this one up on the fly - it's very versatile - you will fall head over heels for the subtle flavor that the honey lends to the fruit and to the crust!!

Peach-and-Blueberry Cobbler

3 cups of fresh peaches, peeled and sliced
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon honey (local is best!)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar
A pinch of salt

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter, cold
1 cup buttermilk
An extra drizzle of honey
An extra sprinkle of sugar

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Grease a deep pie dish or a 9x9 baking dish and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the peaches, blueberries, honey, lemon juice, sugar, and salt. Set aside to let the juices get to flowin'!

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Using a pastry blender, cut in the cold butter until a flaky mixture forms. Pour in the buttermilk and stir just until a soft and supple dough forms.

Next, pour the fruit with all their yummy juices into your prepared baking dish. Then dollop the biscuit dough over the top by spoonfuls. Finally, use a spoon to drizzle some extra honey over the top of the dough. Sprinkle lightly with sugar, and pop it into the oven for about 30 minutes, until the crust is a deep golden brown and the fruit is bubbly. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Granny's Blackberry Pie

For years now, I've heard stories of my husband's grandmother, who passed away shortly before he and I met. Granny is a legendary cook - I wish I could find her secret recipe book. Although most of them were probably never written down.

One of her dishes that I've been wanting to re-create is her Blackberry Pie. My husband, who raves about this concoction every time a blackberry pops into our lives, was actually not very helpful in describing the dish to me. So I went to his parents. Granny taught my mother-in-law how to make many of her signature recipes (including her biscuits, which is another story altogether). So I played 20 questions with my extremely patient and helpful mother-in-law before attempting to make Granny's Blackberry Pie.

So here it is: my humble attempt to recreate a dish that my husband ate at his Granny's house when he was a little boy. I think my version doesn't have quite as much sugar as Granny's did. She would also strain the blackberries so that just the juice remained, but I kept the berries whole to add some more bulk to the filling. The crust is actually my Nanny's recipe, and I think I took some creative liberties in making the crust a bit thicker around the edges - Granny apparently just made a square and let the juices bubble up around the edges. The one thing they all remembered quite clearly, though, was the generous coating of cinnamon sugar on top - an extra little sumthin'-sumthin' that, in my humble opinion, make this dish a truly memorable one!

Granny's Blackberry Pie
from hubby's Granny

4 cups fresh blackberries
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
A pinch of salt

1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
6 tablespoons shortening
1 ounce (1/8 cup) ice cold water

1 egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9x9-inch baking dish and set aside.

In a heavy medium saucepan, combine the blackberries, sugar, water, and salt. Cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer, and smash up the berries using the back of a spoon or other utensil. Continue to simmer for about 30 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken into a thin syrup. Pour the berry mixture into the prepared dish.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender until the mixture is crumbly and flaky.

Make a well in the center and pour in the ice water. Stir lightly with a fork until a loose dough forms. Then get in there with your hands to make the dough into a ball. If the dough won't come together, then add a few more drops of cold water.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out into a 10x10-inch square. It doesn't have to be perfect, just big enough to drape over the dish with the berries. Trim the edges, and pinch them to the edge of the dish.

Next, brush the egg over the crust. Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and sprinkle over the top. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the berries are nice and bubbly. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Cute Carrot Cup Cakes

I love my mom. So when she told me she didn't need me to bring dessert for her Mother's Day brunch last month, of course I didn't believe her. Instead, I surprised her with one of our long-time favorite recipes, in cupcake form!

This is a fabulously moist and fluffy carrot cake - perfect for a brunch, for Easter, for Mother's Day, or for any day! These tender little cakes will melt in your mouth - especially when you top them with classic cream cheese frosting.

Classic Carrot Cake
from my mom's friend Sue

1 1/3 cups oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups finely grated carrots (3-4 large carrots)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13" pan or 3 round layer pans or line 24 cupcake tins.

Blend oil and sugar. Then beat in eggs one at a time. Sift in the dry ingredients. Gently fold in the carrots. Pour batter into your prepared pans. For 9x13" pan, bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. For layers, bake 18-25 minutes. For cupcakes, bake 15-18 minutes. Allow to cool completely on racks before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 stick butter
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
1 box powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

Cream all ingredients together until smooth. Ice completely cooled cakes as desired.

Pictures taken by my super-cute mom with her brand new camera,
a present from dad on Mother's Day!

Dad's Birthday Cake

My dad loves chocolate. My dad loves whipped cream. My dad's birthday cake for years and years has been a classic chocolate cake iced with fresh, unsweetened whipped cream. This year, though, he had a brilliant idea. Why not add a raspberry filling in the middle? Brilliant!!

The whole family raved about this cake. It was such a festive birthday cake, super easy, and a really great combination of raspberry, cream, and fluffy moist chocolate cake!

Raspberries 'n' Cream Chocolate Cake
based on my favorite Betty Crocker's Cookbook Chocolate Cake recipe

2 1/4 cups flour
1 2/3 cups sugar

2/3 cup cocoa

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/4 cups water

1/4 cup shortening

2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup seedless raspberry preserves
3 cups whipping cream
8-10 fresh raspberries

Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease 2 round 9" cake pans.

Measure all ingredients into large mixer bowl. Blend 1/2 minute on low speed, scraping bowl constantly. Beat 3 minutes high speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour batter into cupcake tins until 2/3 full. Bake for 23-35 minutes. Cool on racks.

Whip the cream until it reaches a good spreading consistency. Spread the raspberry preserves over the top of the first layer of cake. Gently place the next layer on top. Ice the outside of the cake with the plain whipped cream. Decorate the top of the cake with the fresh berries, and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Blueberry Cobbler

Southern girls know how to whip up a cobbler without looking at a cookbook. One of my favorite things to do during the summer months is to eat fresh berries, peaches, and fruit baked in a cobbler after dinner. Um, and for breakfast on top of my oatmeal, too . . .

Here is a basic recipe for blueberry cobbler. The tiny touch of cinnamon really makes it special.

Blueberry Cobbler

3 pints blueberries, washed
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup shortening
1/2-2/3 cup half and half or milk
2 tablespoons sugar for sprinkling

Vanilla Ice Cream of Whipped Cream


Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9x9" (or similar sized) baking dish and set aside.

Combine the berries with the flour, sugar, and lemon juice. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cinnamon, and baking powder. Using a pastry blender, cut the shortening into the flour until the mixture is flaky. Create a well in the middle, and add the milk. Mix together with a fork just until a soft dough forms.

Pour the berry mixture into the prepared baking dish. Then drop the dough by spoonfuls over the top. Sprinkle the crust with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar.

Bake for about 25 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the berries are bubbly. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Zucchini Bread with Chocolate Chips

This wonderfully moist zucchini bread was a staple in our house growing up. My mom got the recipe from a friend who she used to volunteer with about 30 years ago. I decided to add a bit of pizazz to to this tried-and-true recipe by adding some chocolate chips. Delicious!!!

Zucchini Bread with Chocolate Chips
from my mom's friend Val

3 eggs
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup oil
3 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups finely grated zucchini
1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)
1 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted (optional)

Grease 2 loaf pans and preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixer bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, soda, powder, and cinnamon. Add to the egg mixture and stir just until combined. Fold in the zucchini, 1 cup of the chocolate chips and the nuts, if desired. Pour mixture evenly into the prepared pans. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of chips on top.

Bake for 45 - 50 minutes. Watch carefully and test for done-ness with a toothpick. Let cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely on racks. Also freezes well.