lunaticsinge.com - Southern Cuisine Sweets

Magic Peach Cobbler - (Serves 6 to 8)

Filling Ingredients:

1 1/3 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup light corn syrup

5 large peaches, peeled, pitted, & cut into medium slices

Topping Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

1 cup self-rising flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup whole milk, mixed with 1/8 teaspoon pure lemon extract

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1. To Make the Filling: Set the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a medium pot, mix together the water, sugar, and corn syrup and bring to a boil. Add the peaches and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring a couple of times. Let the peaches cool a bit in the pot, off the heat.

3. Meantime, Make the Topping: Mix the sugar, flour, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Whisk in the milk-lemon extract blend until most of the lumps are gone.

4. Pour the melted butter into a 13-x-9-inch baking dish; Tip the dish around to cover the bottom well. Pour the topping into the baking dish and spread it evenly. Spoon the peaches and their syrup on top, in the middle of the dish. Don't mix the two layers together. Sprinkle the cinnamon evenly all over the top of the cobbler.

5. Bake the cobbler until the crust is golden brown on top, 45 minutes to an hour. Serve warm/

Sweet Potato Pie - (Makes 2 Pies)

Ingredients:

2 (9-inch) store bought frozen deep-dish piecrusts, partially thawed, in foil pans or homemade crusts

6 large sweet potatoes, baked or boiled until soft

7 tablespoons butter, softened

1 1/3 cups sugar

1/3 cup self-rising flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon grated nutmeg

2 large eggs, beaten

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract

2 tablespoons evaporated milk

Sweetened whipped cream, for serving (optional)

1. Set the oven to 350 degrees F. If using homemade piecrusts, put them into the pie pans. Poke holes all over the store-bought pr homemade crusts with a fork, even going up the sides - maybe 30 pokes with the fork in each crust. Crimp the edges by hand or with the fork tines. If using store-bought piecrusts, bake them for 5 minutes to set the dough.

2. If you baked the sweet potatoes, split them lengthwise in half and scoop the flesh into a bowl. If you boiled them, cut off the ends of the sweet potatoes and split the skin lengthwise down the top of each potato. Using a fork, gently peel back the skin, remove, and discard. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl.

3. Add the butter to the sweet potatoes and mix on low speed with an electric mixer until the sweet potatoes are well broken up and the butter is incorporated. It's okay if the mixture is a little chunky, and don't worry about any stringy parts - they'll be left on the beater. Add the remaining ingredients (except the whipped cream) to the sweet potatoes and mix well.

4. Smooth the filling into the crusts - you'll want to fill them right up to the top. Put the pies in the oven and start checking after 30 minutes. The pies will be starting to set when the tops are no longer shiny. After they've been in the oven for another 30 minutes or even longer, they'll puff up a bit and then deflate - this means they're done. Remove from the oven and let the pies cool on racks.

5. The pies are good just the way they are, but some people like them with a little sweetened whipped cream served on the side.

Better-Than-Instant Banana Pudding - (Serves 8 to 10)

Ingredients:

7 cups milk

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup sugar

2 (5.1 oz.) packages vanilla pudding (not instant)

2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

7 large bananas

1 (11 oz.) boxes Nilla wafer cookies

Sweetened whipped cream, for serving

1. Heat the milk briefly in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Then add the sour cream, sugar, pudding mix, and vanilla extract, whisking all the time, and whisk until the pudding starts to thicken. Remove from the heat.

2. Slice the bananas. Line a 9-x-13-inch baking dish with half of them. Lay down a layer of the cookies on top of the bananas and stand more cookies up against the sides of the dish. Spoon in half the pudding, then repeat the banana layer, cookie layer, and pudding layer. Crumble the remaining cookies evenly over the top. Cover and refrigerator for a few hours, or overnight.

3. Serve chilled or at room temperature, with whipped cream.

Caramel Pecan Cake - (Serves 12 to 16)

Ingredients:

1 (9-inch) store bought frozen deep-dish piecrusts, partially thawed, in foil pans or homemade crust

4large eggs plus 1 egg yolk

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, melted

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 oz. (1 cup) unsweetened coconut flakes, lightly toasted

1 cup coarsely broken pecans

Sweetened whipped cream, for serving

1. Set the oven to 425 degrees F.

2. If using a homemade piecrust, put it in the pie pan, fitting it all the way into the corners and trimming the edges if necessary. Lay a sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil on top and fill with a good layer of dried beans or rice. Bake for 15 minutes.

3. Remove the pie pan from the oven and turn the temperature down to 350 degrees F. Gently lift the parchment paper or aluminum foil from the pie pan and save the beans or rice for the next pie you bake.

4. In a large bowl, combine the eggs and yolk and beat well with a fork. Add the two sugars, the butter, lemon juice, and vanilla, beating well with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula to combine. Stir in the coconut flakes and pecans. Pour the filling into the crust.

5. Bake the pie until the filling is set and a golden crust has formed, about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven to cool on a rack.

6. Serve warm or at room temperature, with whipped cream.

Mississippi Mud Cake - (Serves 12)

Cake Ingredients:

2 sticks (1/2 lb.) butter

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Icing Ingredients:

1 (1lb.) box confectioners' sugar, sifted

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter, softened

1. To Make the Cake: Set the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-x-12-inch baking pan or spray it thoroughly with baking spray.

2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter with the cocoa over medium heat, stirring; don't let it get too hot. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the sugar, then gradually stir in the eggs. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, vanilla, and pecans, then mix well.

3. Pour the batter into the pan and rap it on the countertop several times to eliminate air bubbles. Bake until the top of the cake springs back when touched, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool completely on a rack.

4. To Make the Icing: Mix everything together in a medium bowl, stirring until very smooth. Use the icing immediately; if it sits too long, it will set up and not want to spread.

5. Ice the cake right in the pan. Let the frosting set before cutting the cake into squares and serving. This cake keeps for about 3 days; leave it in the pan and cover tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Keep it in the refrigerator.

Slap Yo' Mama Coconut Cake - (Serves 12)

Cake Ingredients:

5 large egg whites, at room temperature

1/2cup milk

1 tablespoon natural coconut flavoring

3 cups cake flour

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 sticks (1/2 lb.) butter, softened

1 cup canned cream of coconut

Filling Ingredients:

6 oz. cream cheese, softened

3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) butter, softened

2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup heavy cream

Icing Ingredients:

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, softened

4 cups (1 lb. box) confectioners' sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon natural coconut flavoring

1 to 3 tablespoons canned coconut milk (mix well before measuring)

1 cup sweetened dried shredded coconut

1. To Make the Cake: Set the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 8-inch round cake pans twice with baking spray

2. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites with the milk and coconut flavoring until frothy. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

4. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter with the cream of coconut for 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the wet ingredients in 2 additions. Turn off the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl and beaters, and do a final mixing by hand.

5. Divide the cake batter evenly between the two cake pans. Rap the pans sharply on the counter top several times to get rid of any air bubbles. Bake until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans on a rack until to the touch, 20 to 30 minutes.

6. Run a knife around the edges of the pans and invert them onto the rack to cool completely, then refrigerate the cakes for 20 to 30 minutes before icing.

7. Make the Filling: In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, cream together the cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla until fluffy and spreadable. Stir in the heavy cream until thoroughly blended.

8. To Make the Icing: In a large bowl, with and electric mixer, cream the cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar, and coconut flavoring until light and fluffy. Add about 1 tablespoon coconut milk to lighten it, hen add more if necessary so it's spreadable.

9. Put one cake layer upside down on a cake plate or cake stand and cover evenly with the filling.

Add the second layer right side up. Spread the icing evenly around the sides of the cake and on top; check for any places where you can see through to the cake. Finally, sprinkle the coconut all over the cake as evenly as you can.

10. Let the icing set before serving.