Category Archives: The Sweetness of Life

Peach Cobbler

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Delicious Homemade Peach Cobbler

Peach Cobbler

Ingredients:

  • 8 peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons of cornstarch
  • 2 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 12 tablespoons of salted butter, chilled and cut into pieces

How to make:

Preheat over to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine peaches, 1/4 cup of sugar, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Stir to coat evenly. Pour into an 8-inch glass baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes.

In another large bowl, combine flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a mixer add in butter until mixture is crumbly. Add 1 tablespoon of hot water at a time until all combined.

Remove peaches from the oven and spoon on the topping mixture. Sprinkle the remaining sugar over the top. Bake for 30 more minutes or until golden. (Sometimes the cobbler will bubble over, so best to place the dish on a foil lined cookie sheet.)

Serve warm. Optional to top with ice cream or whipped topping.

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Maple Bacon Pecan Brittle

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Maple Bacon Pecan Brittle

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of cooked bacon, crumbled/chopped
  • 1 8-ounce package of pecans, chopped
  • 1 cup of maple syrup
  • 3/4 cup of sugar
  • 1/4 cup of corn syrup
  • 1/2 cup of water
  • 1 teaspoon of salt

How to make:

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large sauce pan, combine maple syrup, sugar, corn syrup, water and salt, and cook over medium heat until all of the sugar is dissolved. Using a candy thermometer continue cooking, stirring frequently, until it reaches 255 degrees.

Increase the heat to medium high, add bacon, and stir until well blended.

When the candy thermometer reaches 265 degrees, add the pecans and stir until well blended.

Continue stirring until mixture reaches 285 degrees.

Turn off the stove, remove the pot, and pour mixture onto baking sheet. Spread evenly with a spatula. Allow brittle to cool. Break into pieces and serve.

 

Southern Coastal Cornbread Skillet

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Southern Coastal Cornbread Skillet

Ingredients:

  • 1 package of chorizo, sliced and chopped
  • 1 cup of crab meat, chopped
  • 1/2 pound of raw shrimp, chopped
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 cup of corn
  • 2 tablespoons of seafood seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 2 cups of self-rising corn meal
  • 1 1/2 cup of milk
  • 1/3 cup of vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup of sour cream
  • 1/4 cup of chopped chives
  • 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

How to make:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a large cast-iron skillet or oven proof skillet, heat the olive oil over medium.

Saute together the first four ingredients until onions are translucent and shrimp are pink. Add in the seafood seasoning and corn. Remove from heat.

In a large mixing bowl, combine corn meal, milk, vegetable oil, and eggs until well blended. Pour corn meal batter over sauteed skillet ingredients.

Bake for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown.

In a small bowl, combine sour cream, chives, and black pepper.

Slice and serve. Top with sour cream mixture.

Serves 6-8.

Southern Chicken Salad

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Southern Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of chicken, chopped
  • 2 stalks of celery, chopped
  • 1 cup of grapes, sliced in quarters
  • 1/2 cup of pecans, chopped
  • 1/2 cup of mayonnaise
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 large croissants

How to make:

In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken, celery, grapes, pecans, mayonnaise, pepper, and salt.

Slice the croissants in half, or use bread of choice.

Serves 4.

Chicken and “Dumplins”

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Chicken and “Dumplins”

Ingredients:

  • 1 whole chicken, cut up
  • 1 cup of flour
  • 1 egg
  • 1 stalk of celery, sliced
  • 1 medium sized onion, diced
  • 2 tablespoons of salt
  • Parsley

How to make:

Stew chicken three hours until shreds a part by putting it in a dutch oven and covering it with water. Add salt to the water, onion, and celery. Add one tablespoon of chopped parsley to the broth.

Remove chicken from broth and allow to cool. Debone meat.

To make the dumplings, in a bowl mix the egg and the flour, add drops of water until dough forms a ball. On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough and cut into squares. Drop the squares into the broth and cook for approximately 30 minutes.

When dumplings are done, add chicken and serve.

(Optional, sliced carrots are a nice addition, too.)

Cinnamon Coffee Cake

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Cinnamon coffee cake

Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups of flour
  • 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup of vegetable oil
  • 1 cup of milk
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1/2 cup of salted butter, melted
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon of cinnamon
  • 3 teaspoons of baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

How to make:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. In a medium bowl, blend together flour, white sugar, baking powder, and salt. Combine the two mixtures until smooth. Pour half of the batter into a greased 9 x 13 dish.

In a medium bowl, blend brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle half of the streusel mixture on top of the batter.

Top with the remaining cake batter and sprinkle the other half of the streusel mixture on top. Drizzle with melted butter.

Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Can be made the night before, or served warm. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Fried Green Tomatoes

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Fried Green Tomatoes

Ingredients:

  • 3-4 green tomatoes
  • 1 cup of flour
  • 1/2 cup of cornmeal
  • 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs
  • 3/4 cup of buttermilk
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon of paprika
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • Vegetable oil

How to make:

Three bowls: In the first bowl, combine the egg and buttermilk. In the second bowl, put the flour. In the third bowl, combine the cornmeal, breadcrumbs, paprika, and salt.

Cover the bottom of a large cast-iron skillet with vegetable oil, about half an inch. Heat on medium, no higher than 375 degrees.

Slice the tomatoes quarter inch thick. Dredge in flour, dip in egg mixture, dredge in cornmeal mixture.

Drop each slice into oil and cook for one and a half to two minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Remove from oil and place on a paper towel.

Sprinkle hot tomatoes with salt and serve.

Blackberry Cobbler

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Marionberry cobbler with crossed crust

Blackberry Cobbler

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 2 cups of fresh blackberries
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of cornstarch

How to make:

To make the pastry, in a large bowl sift together the flour and the salt, then add the shortening. One tablespoon at a time add ice water, until the dough forms into a ball. Refrigerate until chilled.

On a floured surface, roll out 2/3 of the pie pastry and press it against the sides of a lightly greased baking dish or cake pan.

In a large saucepan, add berries with two cups of water. Carefully stir in sugar and cornstarch until the mixture starts to thicken.

Pour into the pastry-lined dish.

Roll out the remainder of the pastry and cut into 1/2-inch strips. Lay them crisscross over the top of the cobbler.

Bake for 45 minutes to one hour, or until the top is browned and berries are bubbling.

Serve warm as is, or pour milk or half and half over the top. Also great with vanilla ice cream and/or whipped topping.

Pecan Pie

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Pecan pie with whipped cream

Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

  • 1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust
  • 4 tablespoons of butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup of light brown sugar, packed
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons of vanilla
  • 1/4 cup of dark cane or corn syrup
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • pinch of salt

How to make:

Preheat over to 325 degrees.

Press uncooked pie crust into a pie dish.

In a mixing bowl, whip butter, and brown sugar together until smooth. In a separate bowl, beat eggs with a fork or wire whisk and then blend into sugar butter mixture. Sift cornstarch and salt into the mixture, and stir in vanilla. Blend in syrup and pecan pieces.

When all ingredients are thoroughly mixed, pour into the pie crust.

Bake for 30 minutes. Then lower the heat to 300 degrees and bake for 30 more minutes, or until the center is firm.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping.

Southern Spiked Sweet Tea

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Spiked Peach Iced Tea

Southern Spiked Sweet Tea

Ingredients:

  • 6 tea bags
  • 2 cups of boiling water
  • Pinch of baking soda
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 1 cup of peach nectar
  • 6 cups of cold water
  • 1 cup of whiskey
  • Sliced peaches, optional

How to make:

Steep tea bags for 15 minutes in 2 cups of boiling water. Add a pinch of baking soda and stir in sugar until dissolved. Transfer to a pitcher and add cold water, peach nectar and whiskey. Refrigerate and chill thoroughly before serving. Serve over ice and add sliced peaches for garnish.