Granny Haynes’ Lemon Meringue Pie
From Mary Ann Yevuta’s maternal grandmother

Lemon Mixture:

7 tablespoons cornstarch
1-1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups boiling water
3 eggs
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
3 tablespoons sugar (for meringue)
9-inch prebaked and cooled pie crust

Combine cornstarch, sugar and salt in a large nonreactive heavy saucepan. Add the 2 cups boiling water and cook over simmering heat until thick, stirring constantly. Beat 3 egg yolks (reserve the egg whites for the meringue) with about 1 tablespoon of the hot liquid. Add beaten yolks to the hot (not boiling) mixture and cook at a low simmer for two minutes, stirring constantly until mixture is thickened and smooth. Stir in the lemon juice, butter and lemon rind. Cool to room temperature and pour lemon mixture into pie crust.

Meringue:

Beat the three reserved egg whites and three tablespoons sugar with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Spoon the beaten egg whites over the lemon mixture (make sure the meringue touches the crust, to avoid shrinking), and brown for about 15 minutes in a preheated 350-degree oven. Watch carefully. Top with thinly sliced lemon for garnish. Make sure the pie is thoroughly set before cutting.

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Honey Chocolate Fondue
Recipe courtesy of the National Honey Board
Makes 2-3/4 cups

1  cup whipping cream
3/4 cup honey
1/3 cup scotch
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 tablespoon vanilla

In a heavy pan or fondue pot, heat cream, honey and scotch over medium heat until bubbles begin to form at edge of pan. Add chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Whisk in vanilla until mixture is smooth. Serve immediately.

Dipping suggestions: Fresh and dried fruit, cubed angel food or pound cake, gingersnaps, ladyfingers, or scones.

 

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Bittersweet Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cupcakes
Recipe courtesy of the National Honey Board
Makes 18 cupcakes

8 ounces 60 percent cocoa bittersweet chocolate, divided
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour       
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup clover honey*
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 pint raspberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut 2 ounces of chocolate into 18 pieces; set aside. Place 6 ounces of coarsely chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe dish. Microwave 30 seconds on high; stir well. Microwave 30 seconds more on high and stir until all lumps are gone. If more melting is necessary, microwave in 10-second increments and stir until all lumps are gone. Chocolate should not become too warm.

Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter until fluffy. Add honey and melted chocolate; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time. Add half of the reserved dry ingredients to the butter mixture; mix on low until just combined. With mixer running on low, slowly add the buttermilk. Add remaining dry ingredients until just combined.

Place a tablespoon of batter in the bottom of each paper-lined muffin tin. Add one piece of chocolate and 2 to 3 raspberries to each cup. Fill muffin tins two-thirds full with remaining batter. Bake 18–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove to wire rack; cool. Frost with Bittersweet Chocolate Frosting, if desired.

 

Bittersweet Chocolate Frosting

1/4 cup clover honey*
8 ounces 60 percent cocoa bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam, optional

Combine honey and chocolate in a medium bowl, set aside. In small, heavy pan, heat whipping cream over medium heat until bubbles just begin to form. Pour over honey-chocolate mixture and allow to stand for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth; cool. Refrigerate until chilled, 1 to 2 hours.

With an electric mixer, beat chocolate mixture until frosting is fluffy.

*Any mild-flavored honey such as clover may be used.

 

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Red Velvet Cake
Recipe courtesy of Take the Cake’s Doug Faulkner

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 ounce red food coloring
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
2-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Shake out the excess and set aside.

Cream together butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping well after each addition. Beat one minute on medium speed.

In a separate bowl, blend cocoa powder and red food coloring to make a paste. Add the paste and the salt to the creamed mixture. Combine vanilla and buttermilk. Alternately add the buttermilk and the flour to the creamed mixture, beating constantly. Blend the vinegar and baking soda and beat it into the batter.

Pour and scrape the cake batter into the prepared pans and bake 25 to 30 minutes, until a tester comes out clean.

Remove the cake layers from the oven and let them cool 10 to 15 minutes on a rack, then turn them out onto the rack. While they cool, prepare the cream-cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe courtesy of Take the Cake’s Doug Faulkner

2 cups confectioners’ sugar
8 ounces cream cheese
4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Sift the sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer.
Add the cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and creamy.

 

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Snow Ice Cream
Recipe courtesy of Elizabeth Hermes

6–8 cups snow or shaved ice
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk, chilled
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

Place snow or shaved ice in a large bowl. Pour sweetened condensed milk and cream over the snow or shaved ice and add almond and vanilla extracts. Combine and serve immediately or place in freezer to serve later, stirring occasionally to prevent from freezing solid.

Despite the amount of snow used, the recipe yields only four to five portions. “Snow is full of air,” Elizabeth Hermes explains. “You really don’t end up with a whole lot of anything except chill factor. I would many times have to double or triple the recipe depending how many people I was serving.” If no snow is available, she suggests throwing bagged chipped ice in a blender instead of going through the time-consuming process of shaving ice. (Purists can try repeatedly running a cheese grater over an ice block.)

 

Brandy Alexanders

This recipe can also be used to make a grown-up treat for the adults in your cold-weather crowd:

Put the snow ice cream in a blender and add:

Two to three large scoops of French vanilla ice cream
1-1/2 cups of brandy
1/4 cup of creme de cacao
1 teaspoon of cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg

 

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Krauted Chocolate Cake
Recipe Courtesy of The Fremont Company
Serves 10–12

1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup water
3/4 cup sauerkraut, drained, squeezed and chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat sugar and butter until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well; add vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cocoa; add to creamed mixture alternately with water; beat well after each addition. Stir kraut into batter. Pour into two greased and floured 8-inch cake pans. Bake 30–40 minutes. Cool in pans for 10 minutes; remove layers from pans and allow to cool completely. Frost as desired.