Good morning, and welcome, glorious growing April. Today we have a little cleaning up to do, namely to remind you of these unanswered queries. You had asked about a never-fail flan, overnight oats with mango and – in keeping with our recent pineapple emphasis – a recipe for a soup made with black beans, pineapple and tomatoes.
A new request came from T Square. “How can I prepare Boston butt in a crockpot, to make it taste like real barbecue?”
PINEAPPLE DESSERT
It’s a good thing pineapple is well suited to spring feasts, as we share another dessert recipe today, from Suzann. You’ll note two specifics about the recipe — one being the call for instant, not regular, pudding.
The other involves a particular brand of cake mix. Perhaps any cake mix will do, but this is a recipe from the hometown Suzann shares with Jiffy Foods: “Chelsea, Michigan, a charming small town about 15 miles west of Ann Arbor. I suppose any box cake mix would work (I’m a Duncan Hines person in general), but the Jiffy yellow cake batter has a good, more dense texture to hold all the gooey goodness you pile on it.”
Pistachio and Yellow Cake Dessert
1 box Jiffy yellow cake mix (see note)
1 package instant pistachio pudding (regular pudding will not work)
1 cup whole milk
3 ounces softened cream cheese
1 large (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 large tub Cool Whip
Prepare cake mix according to package directions, and bake in a 9- by 13-inch pan. Let cool completely.
In a mixing bowl, add instant pudding mix and milk. Add cream cheese, and blend well. Spread mixture evenly over cake, then spoon drained crushed pineapple over the top.
Top with Cool Whip. Keep chilled.
This is a refreshing dessert any time of year, but especially in spring and summer. The only drawback is it should remain chilled.
THE SECRET IS SHERRY
This spirited cake from Sara Vance has an intriguing title: Secret Cake. Sherry is the now-not-so-secret ingredient. She recommends cream sherry, “essentially wine made from a blend of dry wine and a naturally sweet wine.”
(READ MORE: A trip to the liquor store for recipe ingredients)
Secret Cake
For cake:
1 package Pillsbury yellow cake mix
1 package (3 ½ ounce) Jell-O vanilla pudding mix
3/4 cup Crisco oil
3/4 cup sherry
4 eggs
For glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup sherry
To make cake: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, oil and sherry, and mix at low speed on an electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, still on low. Bake in a heavily oiled Bundt pan for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, and let stand for 10 minutes. Invert pan on rack, and let stand 5 minutes. Remove from pan.
To make glaze: Mix powdered sugar and sherry. Apply to cake with pastry brush.
ROASTED CARROTS
Roasted carrots served at The Rosecomb were the inspiration for this one from K.P.C., who adapted this recipe from “The Love & Lemons” cookbook to make it simpler. The tahini sauce is delicious and can be thinned with water and used as a salad dressing.”
(READ MORE: Rosecomb bar and restaurant opens on Barton Avenue)
Roasted Rainbow Carrots
(Vegan and Gluten Free)
1 pound rainbow carrots with tops
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 recipe Tahini Sauce (recipe follows)
Heat the oven to 425 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the tops off the carrots, wash the carrots and pat them dry. Place the whole carrots on the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat, and spread evenly on the baking sheet. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes or until tender and browned around the edges. Transfer to a serving platter, and drizzle with the tahini sauce. Season to taste, and serve.
Basic Tahini Sauce
1/2 cup tahini
1/4cup fresh lemon juice
6 tablespoons water (you will probably need more to get to a thin consistency for drizzling)
1 small garlic clove, grated or pressed
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
In a small bowl, stir together the tahini, lemon juice, water, garlic and sea salt. Season to taste.
If you find the tahini sauce too bitter, add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup or honey to balance the flavor. If it’s too sharp, add ½ to 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil to mellow the flavor. If it’s too thick, add water, as needed, to reach your desired consistency.
(READ MORE: Sesame catching on in Southeast US)
LEMON TORTE
D.G. sent this light dessert from her mother’s collection in advance of Easter. “This is a spring dessert that would go well after a big meal. And ‘ice box’ just refers to the original refrigerator. ” The recipe was credited to Mary Braselton.
Lemon Ice Box Torte
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup water
9 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
Juice and grated rind of 3 lemons
Lady fingers to line a springform pan
Flavored whipped cream for topping
Dissolve gelatin in water.
Separate eggs and put yolks in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Add sugar, lemon juice and rind. Stir constantly until thick; this will take a while. Remove from heat, and stir in dissolved gelatin.
In a bowl, beat whites until stiff but not dry. Fold lemon and yolk mixture into beaten whites.
Line a springform pan with lady fingers, and add the mixture. Top with flavored whipped cream, and refrigerate overnight before serving.
This torte will freeze well, but add whipped cream on top just as you are ready to serve.
CHOCOLATE PIE
Tim Threadgill recommends this pie from Emeril Lagasse, for which “any high-quality dark chocolate bar will do — the higher the percentage of cacao the better.”
Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate Chess Pie
1 stick of butter
1 cup sugar
4 ounces Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate, melted
4 beaten eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
1 recipe Spiced Cream
Heat the oven to 325 degrees. In a saucepan, melt the butter. In a mixing bowl, whisk the melted butter and sugar together. Add the melted chocolate and whisk until smooth.
Add the eggs, vanilla and cornmeal. Whisk until smooth. Pour into the pie shell. Bake for 1 hour. Remove from the oven, and allow to rest for 30 minutes before slicing. Serve with Spiced Cream (recipe follows). Makes 8 servings.
Spiced Cream
1 quart heavy cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Beat the cream with an electric mixer on high speed in a large mixing bowl for about 2 minutes. Add the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, and beat again until the mixture thickens and forms stiff peaks, another 1 to 2 minutes.
Here’s a toast to your family, your friends and the feasts that draw you together.
REQUESTS
— Never-fail flan
— Overnight oats with mango
— Black bean soup with pineapple and tomatoes
— Crockpot barbecue
TO REACH US
Fare Exchange is a longtime meeting place for people who love to cook and love to eat. We welcome both your recipes and your requests. Be sure to include precise instructions for every recipe you send, and know we cannot test the recipes printed here.
Mailing address: Jane Henegar, 913 Mount Olive Road, Lookout Mountain, GA 30750
Email: chattfare@gmail.com