Any good Southern cook has a supply of sweetening syrups that would put Willy Wonka to shame. Corn syrup, light and dark, and generally known by its brand name Karo (pronounced KAY-Ro). Molasses, regular and blackstrap. Sorghum. Cane syrup. Maybe even maple syrup, though that smacks somewhat of the Yankee. I use them all. Corn syrup for chess pie and pecan pie, molasses … [Read more...] about Cane Syrup Cupcakes
Sweets
Rhubarb Crumb Cake
Every time I buy rhubarb at the grocery, at any store, the cashier has to ask me what it is and then struggles to find it on the produce code chart. Is it a vegetable or a fruit (technically a vegetable, by the way)? Once a cashier suggested I memorize the code to make it easier on everyone. Inevitably, this leads to the question “What do you do with it?” And on the … [Read more...] about Rhubarb Crumb Cake
Kiss Me, I’m Irish Cookies
St. Patrick’s Day is a silly holiday – in the best possible way. Grown folks dressing in green fuzzy wigs and big hats. Pinching co-workers and friends who forget to wear green. Drinking green beer. Singing Irish songs as if you just came over from the old country. In fact, celebrating a holiday largely based on snake-driving has an element of silliness to it from the get … [Read more...] about Kiss Me, I’m Irish Cookies
Buttermilk Pie
For some reason, I tend to think of pie as a summer or spring dessert. Maybe I hold that image of picnics and outdoor parties where the loaded summer fruit pies come out, peach and strawberry and fresh, juicy fruit – with a pecan pie thrown in for good measure. But pie is really an all-round treat, and a perfect, creamy, tangy winter Southern pie is classic Buttermilk … [Read more...] about Buttermilk Pie
Sticky Toffee Pudding
British food gets a bad rap. But I think some of that comes from the tourist trade. When an American traveler heads to the UK, they generally want a lot of “ye olde” and this often involves chain restaurants, much like a Denny’s or a Shoney’s. Even some of the most charming, half-timbered, stain-glassed pubs in England are run by companies that market “traditional” English … [Read more...] about Sticky Toffee Pudding
