Jane HenegarGood morning. There’s cinnamon in the air and all kinds of deliciousness. And there are questions as well. Nadine Carden of Flintstone, Georgia, asked for a recipe for gluten-free zucchini cornbread.
Yeast of the Ridge, remembering a childhood hot cereal her family simply called “Ralston,” has tried to find it in stores without success. “I purchased steel-cut oats by accident, and they remind me somewhat of Ralston. I bought the oats to make granola, and they surely will not work. Any ideas for using steel-cut oats?”
CHESS PIE
Ginny Gaines is a gatherer of people, including a large gathering at Thanksgiving. The recipe she is sharing with us today was “a huge hit. I have decided to do it again for Christmas. Chocolate is hard to beat, and I have usually made chocolate cream pies for Christmas, but this seems more festive because it’s a chess pie. Cream pies seem more for the warm seasons. For some reason, I think of those heavier kinds of pies – pecan, buttermilk – around the holidays, and this one is a keeper.”
(Here is a note for those who aren’t familiar with the pie weights Ms. Gaines uses. Pie weights are ceramic or metal beads that keep an empty pie crust from shrinking or blistering when you prebake. You may substitute rice, dried peas or lentils or beans instead. Remove the weights, whatever they are, before the prebaking step is complete, to give a browned crust.)