American

Think of this pie as Pumpkin Pie’s cousin. The creamy potato puree (best when made from locally grown sweet potatoes) makes for a dense, sweet pie. Like pumpkin pie, this southern staple has a deep, rich orange color that, topped with a dollop of Whipped Cream (page 193) or cinnamon ice cream, makes for a beautiful centerpiece to your holiday dessert table.

One of the greatest compliments I’ve received in my professional life thus far was being told that I “make pecan pie like a true Southerner.” In this chapter, you’ll find a few variations, but nice as it is to mix things up sometimes, there’s also much to be said for the clean taste and sweet flavor of traditional Pecan Pie. In addition to capping off holiday meals, it is also a great way to end a summer barbecue.

As if the bold, tart flavor weren’t appealing enough, this pie is absolutely beautiful to behold. A mound of fluffy white meringue, toasted on top and offset by the rich yellow of the lemon curd, makes for a picture-perfect slice of pie. Best served the same day it is made, you can make the lemon curd in advance and refrigerate it in the pie shell for up to two days prior to serving, but the meringue is best made and eaten the same day.

Sifting together the flour and sugar four times is essential to achieve the light, airy texture of this cake. You should also be very gentle when folding and transferring the batter so that the egg whites do not deflate. If your tube pan doesn’t have legs, invert it over the neck of a wine, or similarly shaped, bottle to cool.

In traditional upside-down cake recipes, the fruit is first caramelized in a skillet. In our simplified version, the butter and sugar are creamed and spread into the cake pan; then the fruit is layered over the mixture and topped with cake batter.

We like to serve this cake warm, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. If you wish, you can make it a day in advance and keep it at room temperature loosely covered with foil. When ready to serve, warm the cake on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a 300°F oven for fifteen to twenty minutes.

If you don’t have a cake ring, you can use a nine-inch springform pan instead; make sure the dough comes up 1 1/2 inches from the bottom of the pan.

The dough for these cookies can also be used to make a delicious crust for pies and tarts, such as the Key Lime Tart on page 261; try it for cheesecake, as well.

A New York specialty for more than half a century, these cookies taste best the day after they are made. Wrap in plastic and keep overnight at room temperature.

Sautéed corn moistens this cornbread, but you can omit it if you are using the bread in a traditional stuffing. For a spicy variation, add two medium jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped, to the corn before sautéeing.

The dough for these savory scones gets its unique texture and flavor from a combination of butter and olive oil. It was inspired by a similarly flavored yeast bread sold at Amy’s Bread in New York City.

Maple syrup holds a special place in the hearts of Southerners. In the village of Monterey, Virginia—known as “Little Switzerland”—the annual Maple Syrup Festival draws thousands of visitors. When gathering ingredients for this pie, it’s important to note that many maple-flavored syrups are just corn syrup with maple flavoring (a shocking revelation for me!). Read the label to make certain you’re getting 100 percent pure maple syrup. Grade B maple syrup is great for cooking; it has a deeper flavor and color than the Grade A amber syrup, although Grade A will work, too. Of course, maple syrup from Monterey will add a wonderful authentic note to this pie for people with a serious sweet tooth.

You know a pie recipe is old when several stories are told about its history. Some say the term chess pie goes back to an eighteenth-century English cheese pie. Another links the origins of the name to the Southern pie chest, or pie safe, a piece of furniture that holds kitchen confections. Another anecdote tells of a man who stopped to eat at a diner in Alabama. He loved the pie he was served, and when he asked what its name was, the waitress replied, “jes pie.” Whatever the truth may be, as food writer Stephanie Anderson Witmer says, “So many Southern pies, like the chess pies, are elegant in their simplicity. They use staple ingredients, but are divine.”

Aaron DiGrassie (Mrs. Rowe’s grandson) picked up this fabulous, off beat recipe when he worked at Ford’s Colony in Williamsburg, Virginia. Now a new father and the restaurant’s general manager, Aaron has come a long way since the day when he first started working in his grandmother’s restaurant business. At the age of ten, the ambitious boy made and sold pie boxes for 10 cents each.

Two sweet Southern favorites—pecans and fudge—come together in this extra-rich pie that bakes up like a big, soft brownie. Serve small slices topped with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream, crème fraîche, or sour cream.

Mrs. Rowe’s family is still finding recipe treasures scattered throughout her boxes and notes. Aaron found this recipe on an index card buried in a box in the attic. It’s a sweet pie that tastes a lot like cookie dough.

According to Retro Desserts, by Wayne Brachman, this recipe dates back to the 1950s and was developed by a company that makes crème de menthe. Other recipes use a filling more like a Key lime pie, but made with mint. This version is mildly minty and has a texture like frozen cream. It’s a pretty, delicate shade of green even without the food coloring.

Mudd Pie is a rich treat that’s fun to make; you simply can’t go wrong with it! It’s a fun kitchen activity for children, too, and they love to eat the results.

Fresh watermelon is a summertime treat throughout the South, where the melons can be seen sprawled in many backyard gardens. These days, watermelon can be bought almost any time of year at most grocery stores. This pretty pink pie makes a spectacular offering at a special brunch.