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By JoAnne Young
Nothing says Thanksgiving like dessert. As a child growing up in the South, in a family where everyone had a sweet tooth, I always expected a meal to end with a glorious dessert and Thanksgiving had multiple desserts. Many were also quite healthy, using fruit and nuts as main ingredients. My family delighted in cooking and eating these delicious concoctions.
2 cups mashed sweet potatos (from fresh skinned, boiled potatos)
1 stick butter
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1 pie shell, unbaked
Cream butter, eggs and sugar. Mix the potatos with the creamed ingredients; add orange juice and rind. Pour in unbaked pie shell and bake at 300 degrees for 25-30 minutes until crust is brown.
Grandma's Pie Shell
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cups Crisco
5 tablespoons cold water
Combine flour and salt; cut in Crisco; sprinkle the cold water over the flour mixture until all dry ingredients are moistened. Shape dough into ball and chill about 30 minutes. Roll out the dough and arrange in pie pan.
Dinner was usually served in the middle of the afternoon. Everyone ate a good breakfast since this was a two meal day. A good breakfast meant some of Grandma G's fried apple pies. They were good warm or cold all day long.
1 package dried apples (or about 1/2 pound)
1 quart of water
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Put apples and water in a large pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook uncovered until mixture thickens. Stir in the sugar and cinnamon. Refrigerate overnight.
Pastry for pies
4 cups self-rising flour
1 cup butter softened
3/4 cup water
Combine all ingredients and refrigerate overnight.
Roll pastry onto floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut in 4 inch circles. Place 1 Tablespoon apple mixture on half of each circle. Fold in half. Press edges together with a form dipped in flour.
Heat oil in a large skillet. Cook the pies in the oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towel. Sprinkle with a sugar and cinnamon.
Aunt Nell was famous for her cooking. My cousin Connie, her daughter, says, "There are not many families in the county who didn't get or ask for one of her chocolate pies. She made them to pay back favors, for the sick, but especially for those who had a death in the family. She never made just one at a time, but always in two's and three's. Anytime we came to the house and found her making pies, we always asked, "Who died?" and then, "Did you make one for us?"
3 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
3-4 tablespoons cocoa)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup flour
2 1/4 cups milk
1/2 stick margarine
pinch of salt
Meringue for pie
3 egg whites
1/3 cup sugar
Mix throughly the sugar, flour, cocoa, salt. Add milk and beaten egg yolks. Cook, stirring constantly, 8-10 minutes or until thick. Add vanilla. Pour into baked pie shell and cover with meringue made from the 3 egg whites and 1/3 cup sugar.
Someone always brought Spiced Pecans--as good as candy. They can be seasoned for many different tastes--pepper hot, sweet, sweet and hot. Here's one way:
1 egg
2 tablespoons water
2 cups pecan halves
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Beat egg white with a fork in a medium bowl until it is well blended. Stir in pecans; mix until coated. Strain nuts over sink on paper towel to remove excess moisture. Pour into a baking pan.
Mix sugar, cinnamon, salt, cloves, nutmeg in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture over the nuts in the pan. Toss gently until thoroughly coated. Spread coated nuts on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake in a slow oven (about 300 degrees) about 25 minutes. Shake them several times during the baking. Watch them carefully, they burn very easily. They are done when golden brown. Store them in an airtight container.
No holiday dinner is complete without a slice of Orange-Rum Cake. Bourbon or other strong flavored spirits can be substituted for rum. Since Southern religious groups forbade spirits, reminders that the alcohol is "cooked out" had to be made to grandma.
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups regular sifted flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup chopped nuts
Juice of two oranges
Juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons rum
Cream butter with 1 cup sugar; add eggs one at a time beating until light. Add sifted flour, baking powder, salt and soda alternately with buttermilk. Fold in nuts. Pour into tube pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Rum topping: Mix the orange and lemon juice and add 1 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons rum. Bring the mixture to a boil. Gradually pour rum mixture over cake letting the cake slowly absorb the mixture.
One final treat that can be used as a side dish, a dessert or a breakfast treat is apples and cheese casserole. The word "casserole" simply doesn't do this dish justice:
3 cups chopped apples
1 teaspoon cinammon
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
Arrange apples in a shallow 9" baking dish and sprinkle with cinnamon, add water and lemon juice. Combine the sugar, flour and salt. Cut in butter to form a crumbly mixture. Lightly stir in grated cheese. Spread mixture over apples and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.