Elderberry Dumplings with Grapefruit Crème Anglaise
Magnolia Vinegar and Brown Butter Pie
Serves 8
Filling
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
2 pounds (4 cups) cultivated or wild blackberries (see Note), washed and dried
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out the dough
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
Scant ½ teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced and refrigerated
½ large egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon full-fat buttermilk (see Note)
1 tablespoon Demerara sugar
1 recipe Hickory-Smoked Ice Cream
Goes Well With:
Beeliner Snapper with Fried Peppers
Blackberry cobbler was the summer dessert in my grandma’s kitchen. She used to pay us by the gallon to pick wild blackberries, so we’d jump in the car and drive to the secret patches only we knew about. We could pick blackberries just a couple of times each year, so we cherished the cobbler when she whipped one up—there’s a real luxury in having enough ripe wild blackberries to make a big cobbler.
This is a flexible dessert. You can substitute an equal weight of your favorite berry, or a mix. And I love it with the Hickory-Smoked Ice Cream, but you could serve it with high-quality vanilla ice cream or just heavy cream for drizzling.
Note: Wild blackberries will require a little extra sugar. Taste the fruit mixture and adjust as necessary.
For the filling: Combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and ginger in a small bowl and mix well.
Combine the blackberries, lemon juice, and vanilla in a large saucepan and stir well. Stir in the dry ingredients and cook the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the blackberries release their juices, 12 to 15 minutes. Pour the blackberries into a 3-inch-deep 9-inch round baking dish and set aside to cool while you make the topping.
For the topping: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Combine the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and cut it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add the egg and ¼ cup of the buttermilk and stir just until a dough begins to form. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to a 9-inch circle about ¼ inch thick. Carefully roll the dough up around the rolling pin and unroll it over the blackberry mixture in the baking dish.
Lightly brush the topping with the remaining tablespoon of buttermilk and sprinkle with the Demerara sugar.
Bake the cobbler for 40 to 45 minutes, rotating it halfway through, until the filling is bubbling and the topping is crisp and golden brown. Remove the cobbler from the oven, cool for 5 minutes, and serve with scoops of hickory-smoked ice cream. Any leftover cobbler can be cooled, tightly covered, and stored for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Before serving, uncover the cobbler and reheat it at 350°F.
Elderberry Dumplings with Grapefruit Crème Anglaise
Makes 9 dumplings
Syrup
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Dumplings
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, finely diced and refrigerated, plus more for the pan
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1½ cups elderberries, washed and dried
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out the dough
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup Rendered Fresh Lard
½ cup whole milk
¼ cup fresh elderflowers, washed and dried (optional)
1 recipe Grapefruit Crème Anglaise (recipe follows)
Goes Well With:
Pork Shoulder Steak with Grilled Mushrooms
The original recipe for these tender, flavorful dumplings, filled with fruit and baked in a spiced syrup, hails from West Virginia. That recipe used Spry, a vegetable shortening, and the dumplings were filled with sliced June apples or ripe peaches. I’ve tweaked the recipe a bit, replacing the shortening with lard and the apples with foraged elderberries. You can use any fruit you’d like, from the original apples or peaches to blueberries, in lieu of the elderberries, which are very seasonal and can be tough to track down. Serve the dumplings with the rich but bright grapefruit anglaise sauce, or simply with scoops of vanilla ice cream.
For the syrup: Combine the sugar, water, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar completely. Remove from the stove, stir in the butter and lemon juice, and set aside at room temperature.
For the dumplings: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter an 8-inch-square baking dish.
Combine the sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl, add the elderberries, and gently toss to coat. Set aside to macerate while you make the dough.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl and mix well. Cut in the lard with two forks (or your grandma’s pastry cutter) until the pieces are the size of peas. Add the milk all at once and stir until the dough is moistened and just starting to come together.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Lightly flour a rolling pin and roll the dough into a 7½-inch square about ¼ inch thick. Cut the dough into nine 2½-inch squares. Dot the squares with the diced butter and divide the elderberries among them, spooning them into the center of each square. Moisten the edges of the squares with water and bring the dough up around the elderberries to form square packets, crimping the edges together with your fingers to seal.
Arrange the dumplings in the prepared baking dish and pour the syrup over them. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the dumplings have puffed and the exposed tops are evenly golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Sprinkle the dumplings with the elderflowers, if using, and offer the grapefruit crème anglaise on the side. Any leftover dumplings can be cooled to room temperature; transferred to a container, along with their syrup; covered; and refrigerated for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven before serving.
Note: You can make the dumplings ahead so they are easy to enjoy anytime. Assemble them as directed (wait to make the syrup). Chill the uncooked dumplings on a baking sheet until firm, then transfer to a covered container and freeze them. When you’re ready to serve them, simply make the syrup, pull out as many dumplings as you want to bake, arrange them in a buttered baking dish, and pour the syrup over them. Bake at 375°F as directed. Your guests will think you’ve been toiling away all day.
Grapefruit Crème Anglaise
Makes about 3 cups
6 large egg yolks
½ cup sugar
2 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons grated grapefruit zest
Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a medium bowl until completely combined. Set aside.
Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often so that it doesn’t scorch, for 3 to 5 minutes, until the temperature registers 150°F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the saucepan from the heat. While whisking constantly, slowly stream ½ cup of the hot milk into the egg-sugar mixture to temper the yolks. Whisk in the remaining ½ cup milk. Transfer the tempered yolk mixture back to the saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring often so that it doesn’t scorch, until it registers 180°F, 2 to 3 minutes.
Strain the crème anglaise through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof container. Stir in the grapefruit zest.
Make an ice bath with equal parts ice and water in a large bowl. Put the container of crème anglaise in the ice bath to chill and stir occasionally, being careful not to let any water get into the crème anglaise, until it is completely cold. Cover and refrigerate overnight before serving. Tightly covered, the crème anglaise will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Magnolia Vinegar and Brown Butter Pie
Serves 8
1 recipe Flaky Piecrust dough (recipe follows), chilled
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out the dough
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
¾ cup water
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons Lindera Farms Magnolia Vinegar (see Resources) or apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
Vinegar and butter pie is a really old tradition in the South. You hardly ever see the pie served in restaurants, but it is certainly a favorite in many a grandmother’s kitchen. It’s a perfect dessert for the winter when good fresh fruits are hard to find.
This is my spin on the classic. Browning the butter and using magnolia vinegar give the simple pie an unexpected floral taste. Substitute a good-quality apple cider vinegar if you can’t get magnolia vinegar.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
If the dough has been refrigerated overnight, let it soften a little at room temperature before rolling it out. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Lightly flour your rolling pin and start rolling the dough gently from the center out. Do this a few times, then pick up the dough, rotate it a quarter turn, and roll again. Continue to roll, rotating the dough and flouring the work surface and the dough as needed, until you have a 12-inch circle approximately ⅛ inch thick.
Loosely fold the dough into quarters and unfold it in a 9-inch pie pan. Gently fit it into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim the dough, leaving an overhang of about ½ inch around the edges. Fold the excess under and crimp the edges: With one hand on the inside of the rim and the other hand on the outside, use the index finger of your inside hand to push the dough between the thumb and index finger of your outside hand to form a V shape. Repeat all around the rim. Refrigerate the crust for 10 minutes.
Line the crust with parchment paper and fill it with an even layer of dried beans or pie weights. Place the crust on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and remove the beans or weights and the parchment. Prick the bottom of the crust a few times with a fork. Return it to the oven and bake for about 20 minutes more, until it is golden brown and appears baked. Cool completely before filling.
Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until it is golden brown and starts to smell slightly nutty, about 9 minutes. Strain the butter through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl and set aside. Discard the solids. You’ll need 2 tablespoons of brown butter for this recipe. (It’s difficult to make a smaller amount of brown butter successfully; the extra butter can be used for a simple dish of pasta with butter, drizzled over eggs, served with seared fish, or employed in myriad other ways.) Transfer the rest to a container, cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate. (Tightly covered, the brown butter will keep for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.)
Combine the sugar, water, eggs, vinegar, and flour in the top of a double boiler and whisk to mix well. Fill the bottom of the double boiler with water, set over low heat, and insert the top. The water should not touch the bottom of the top and should never be hotter than a simmer. Cook the mixture, whisking frequently, until it is thickened and smooth and registers 180°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 45 minutes. Remove from the stove and stir in the 2 tablespoons brown butter and the lemon zest.
Pour the filling into the prepared piecrust and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to overnight to set before serving.
Slice the pie and serve chilled. Tightly cover any leftovers and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Makes enough dough for 1 single-crust 9-inch pie or 10-inch deep-dish pie
1¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
1 teaspoon kosher salt
10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) unsalted butter, diced and refrigerated
¼ cup ice water
Combine the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Add the butter and, using your fingers, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the pieces are about the size of small peas. Drizzle in the ice water, mixing it in with your hands until the dough just comes together.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gather it into a ball. You should still see pieces of butter, and you want to work quickly to keep the butter cold. Flatten the dough into a disk about 1 inch thick, wrap in plastic wrap, and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to overnight before using. Wrapped in plastic wrap, the dough will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Stored in a freezer bag, the wrapped disk of dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator and let it soften a little before rolling it out.
Serves 8
1 recipe Flaky Piecrust dough, chilled
¼ cup all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out the dough
1½ cups sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
¼ teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
¾ cup full-fat buttermilk (see Note)
1 vanilla bean
Goes Well With:
Chicken Breasts with Black Pepper and Peanut Butter Gravy
Buttermilk ranks right up there with sorghum as one of my favorite Southern ingredients. Whether as a drink, as part of cornbread, or as the star of this pie, I can never get my fill. I’ve made a lot of chess pies, shoo-fly pies, and vinegar pies, but when I finally worked out this recipe, I knew I’d found the perfect buttermilk pie. I love how easy it is to make the filling: no precooking, just mix it together and into the pie shell it goes.
Note: Scraped vanilla bean pods can have a second life. Submerge them in a jar of sugar or salt to flavor it, or steep in syrups or poaching liquids.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
If the dough has been refrigerated overnight, let it soften a little at room temperature before rolling it out. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Lightly flour your rolling pin and start rolling the dough gently from the center out. Do this a few times, then pick up the dough, rotate it a quarter turn, and roll again. Continue to roll, rotating the dough and flouring the work surface and the dough as needed, until you have a 12-inch circle approximately ⅛ inch thick.
Loosely fold the dough into quarters and unfold it in a 10-inch pie pan. Gently fit it into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim the dough, leaving an overhang of about ½ inch around the edges. Fold the excess under and crimp the edges: With one hand on the inside of the rim and the other hand on the outside, use the index finger of your inside hand to push the dough between the thumb and index finger of your outside hand to form a V shape. Repeat all around the rim. Refrigerate the crust for 10 minutes.
Line the crust with parchment paper and fill it with an even layer of dried beans, uncooked rice, or pie weights. Place the crust on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and remove the beans, rice, or weights and the parchment. Prick the bottom of the crust a few times with a fork. Return it to the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until it is golden brown and appears fully baked. Cool completely before filling.
Put the flour, sugar, and salt in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl until blended. Add the flour mixture and whisk to combine. Add the butter, lemon zest, and lemon juice and whisk well. Add the buttermilk and whisk well.
Split the vanilla bean lengthwise in half and, using the back of a paring knife, scrape out the seeds (see Note). Add the seeds to the filling and whisk to combine.
Place the crust on a rimmed baking sheet. Gently pour the filling into the crust. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the custard is set and no longer jiggles in the center when the pan is gently shaken. Let the pie cool to room temperature on a baking rack, then refrigerate it for at least 2 hours before serving.
Bring the pie to room temperature, slice, and serve. Any leftover pie can be tightly wrapped and stored for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Serves 8
Crust
1 recipe Chocolate Cornmeal Crust dough (recipe follows), chilled, plus flour for rolling it out
Filling
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature
½ cup creamy peanut butter
2¼ cups sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup whole milk
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
6 ounces 60% bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
⅔ cup heavy cream
If you love the taste of a classic Reese’s peanut butter cup, this is the pie for you. I’ve taken my favorite childhood treat and re-created it with delicious “grown-up” ingredients like high-quality vanilla in the filling and good bittersweet chocolate in the ganache topping. In the South, we’re all about peanut butter, but you can make this pie with any nut or seed butter.
It’s important to let the pie cool completely before topping it with the ganache. If you don’t, you’ll be left with tiny bubbles on the surface of the ganache. It’ll still taste delicious, but it won’t look quite as refined.
For the crust: Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Let the dough soften a little before rolling it out if you refrigerated it overnight. Lightly flour your rolling pin and start rolling the dough gently from the center out. Do this a few times, then gently pick up the dough, rotate it a quarter turn, and roll again. Continue to roll, rotating the dough and flouring the work surface and the dough as needed, until you have a 12-inch circle approximately ⅛ inch thick.
Loosely fold the dough into quarters and unfold it in a 10-inch deep-dish pie pan. Gently fit it into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. You should have an overhang of about ½ inch around the edges. Fold the excess under and crimp the edges: With one hand on the inside of the rim and the other hand on the outside, use the index finger of your inside hand to push the dough between the thumb and index finger of your outside hand to form a V shape. Repeat all around the rim. Place the pie shell in the refrigerator while you make the filling.
For the filling: Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Combine the butter and peanut butter in the top of a double boiler. Fill the bottom of the double boiler with water, set over low heat, and insert the top. The water should not touch the bottom of the insert and should never be hotter than a simmer. Stir the mixture with a silicone spatula until the butter has melted and the mixture is completely combined, scraping down the sides as necessary and being careful not to incorporate air. Remove the top of the double boiler and set aside.
Combine the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Whisk in the milk, then whisk in the eggs and vanilla. Stir in the peanut butter mixture.
Place the piecrust on a rimmed baking sheet. Gently pour the filling into the crust and bake for 30 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes more, or until the filling is set and no longer jiggles in the center when the pan is gently shaken. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.
When the pie is completely cool, make the ganache: Put the chocolate in a heatproof container. Put the cream in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Pour the cream over the chocolate, cover, and let stand for 3 minutes. Stir to completely combine the melted chocolate and cream.
Pour the ganache over the top of the pie, rotating the pie if necessary to ensure that the ganache topping is even. Cool for 5 minutes, then refrigerate the pie for at least 2 hours to allow the topping to set before serving.
Serve the pie chilled. Tightly cover any leftovers and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Chocolate Cornmeal Crust
Makes enough dough for1 single-crust 10-inch deep-dish pie
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
⅓ cup fine cornmeal, preferably Geechie Boy Jimmy Red (see Resources)
1½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, diced and refrigerated
¼ cup ice water
Chill the bowl, lid, and steel blade of a food processor and all the ingredients for the crust in the freezer for 1 hour.
Put the flour, cornmeal, cocoa powder, and salt in the food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse 4 or 5 times, until it is in pieces the size of peas. Slowly add the water through the feed tube, pulsing 4 or 5 times to incorporate it.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gather it into a ball. You should still see bits of butter, and you want to work quickly to keep the butter cold. Flatten the dough into a disk about 1 inch thick, wrap in plastic wrap, and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to overnight before using. Wrapped in plastic wrap, the disk of dough will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Stored in a freezer bag, the wrapped disk of dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator and let it soften a little at room temperature before rolling it out.
Serves 8
1¾ pounds large sweet potatoes, scrubbed and patted dry
1 recipe Flaky Piecrustt dough, chilled
2½ teaspoons all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out the dough
1 cup heavy cream
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon sorghum syrup, preferably Muddy Pond (seeResources)
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Goes Well With:
Pork Prime Rib with Mustard Onions
Sweet potato pie is about as Southern a dessert as you can find. Many great country songs have been written about it, and rightfully so. The dough for this pie is just one among the many great things I learned from my time working alongside Lisa Donovan. Husk’s former pastry chef, she is the Jedi master of flaky piecrust. She taught me so many tricks about working with dough. Once, I would have worried if I saw flecks of butter in the finished dough; now I know that’s a good sign.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Place the sweet potatoes in a baking dish and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until tender. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Lower the oven temperature to 350°F.
Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface. If the dough has been refrigerated overnight, let it soften a little at room temperature before rolling it out. Lightly flour your rolling pin and start rolling the dough gently from the center out. Do this a few times, then gently pick up the dough, rotate it a quarter turn, and roll again. Continue to roll, rotating the dough and flouring the work surface and the dough as needed, until you have a 12-inch circle approximately ⅛ inch thick.
Loosely fold the dough into quarters and unfold it into a 10-inch deep-dish pie pan. Gently fit it into the bottom and up the sides of the pan; you should have an overhang of about ½ inch around the edges. Fold the excess under and crimp the edges of the dough: With one hand on the inside of the rim and the other hand on the outside, use the index finger of your inside hand to push the dough between the thumb and index finger of your outside hand to form a V shape. Repeat all around the rim. Refrigerate the piecrust while you make the filling.
Cut the sweet potatoes in half, scoop the flesh into a large bowl, and discard the skins. Mash the sweet potatoes with a potato masher or the back of a fork until smooth. You need 2 cups mashed sweet potatoes for the filling.
Combine the 2 cups mashed sweet potatoes, cream, eggs, and sorghum syrup in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or use a large bowl and a hand mixer) and beat on medium speed until blended. Combine the granulated sugar, light brown sugar, flour, ginger, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the sweet potato mixture and beat until completely incorporated.
Pour the filling into the piecrust and place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for about 1 hour, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, until the filling is set and no longer jiggles in the center when the pan is gently shaken. Let the pie cool to room temperature on a wire rack.
Slice the pie into 8 wedges and serve. Cover any leftovers and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.
Makes 16 hand pies
crust
2 recipes Flaky Piecrust dough, chilled, plus flour for rolling it out
Strawberry Filling
½ cup Fruit Preserves made with strawberries
1½ teaspoons finely chopped basil
½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
½ teaspoon Lindera Farms Ginger Vinegar (see Resources)
Blueberry Filling
½ cup Fruit Preserves made with blueberries
1½ teaspoons finely chopped cilantro
¾ teaspoon raspberry vinegar
½ teaspoon ground coriander
1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water to make an egg wash
2 teaspoons turbinado sugar
These little gems are another pastry I credit to my time working with Lisa Donovan. I remember how happy I was when I tasted one of her hand pies for the first time. You can fill them with the homemade preserves called for in this recipe or with any store-bought fruit preserves you love (you’ll need 1 cup total preserves for the fillings).
For the crust: Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
If the dough has been refrigerated overnight, let it soften a little at room temperature before rolling it out. Place one piece of the dough on a lightly floured work surface and, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll it out to a ⅛-inch-thick round. Using a 4-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 6 rounds and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet, arranging them so that they do not touch. Top with a sheet of parchment paper. Gather up the scraps of dough, pat them into a disk, and roll the dough out again. Cut out 2 more rounds and transfer them to the second sheet of parchment paper on the baking sheet. Repeat the process with the second piece of dough, covering the second layer of rounds with another sheet of parchment before adding the final rounds. Refrigerate the rounds while you make the fillings.
For the strawberry filling: Combine the preserves, basil, ginger, and vinegar in a small bowl.
For the blueberry filling: Combine the preserves, cilantro, vinegar, and coriander in a small bowl.
To assemble and bake the pies: Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Fill half the hand pies with strawberry filling and half with blueberry filling: Brush the edges of one round with some of the egg wash and spoon 1 tablespoon of preserves onto the center. Fold the dough over the preserves to form a half-moon shape. Crimp the edges firmly with a fork to seal and transfer the pie to one of the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining rounds, arranging the hand pies 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.
Brush the tops of the hand pies with egg wash. Using a paring knife, cut 3 small slits in the top of each one. Sprinkle the tops with the turbinado sugar. Bake the pies for 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until puffed and golden brown. Transfer the hand pies to a wire rack and cool slightly.
Serve the hand pies warm. Any leftover pies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature. Reheat in a 350°F oven until just warm, a few minutes at most, before serving.
Serves 8
Plum Topping
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound ripe black plums (about 4 ounces each), quartered and pitted
Cake
1⅔ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature
¾ cup sugar
½ vanilla bean
¾ cup whole milk
Pineapple upside-down cake is a classic dessert that registers with people no matter where they’re from. There is no such thing as a homegrown pineapple in the South, of course, so I use gorgeous local black plums. The sweet and tart flavor of a good plum is delicious for the same reason a ripe pineapple tastes good, so using plums for this dessert makes perfect sense.
You can substitute an equal amount of peaches for the plums in this recipe. Peel the peaches first (see Pickled Peaches for the method).
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
For the plum topping: Combine the butter and brown sugar in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Continue to cook until the mixture boils and turns golden brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in the salt, remove from the stove, and cool for 10 minutes.
Add the plum quarters to the skillet, arranging them in a pinwheel pattern starting in the center and working your way out to the edges. Set aside while you make the cake batter.
For the cake: Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and salt into a bowl and set aside.
Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or use a large bowl and a hand mixer). Split the vanilla bean lengthwise in half and, using the back of a paring knife, scrape out the seeds and add to the butter mixture (reserve the vanilla pod for another use, if desired; see Note). Cream the butter and sugar on medium speed, scraping down the sides as necessary, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk in 3 increments, starting and ending with the dry ingredients and beating until just incorporated, scraping down the sides after each addition. Do not overmix the batter.
Using the back of a spoon or an offset spatula, carefully spread the batter in an even layer over the plums, taking care not to disturb the pattern you made. Bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean; rotate the skillet halfway through baking for even cooking. Remove the cake from the oven and cool in the skillet on a baking rack for 20 minutes.
Run a paring knife around the edges of the cake to release it from the skillet and, using pot holders or oven mitts, place a cake plate on top of the skillet, invert the skillet and plate, and gently lift off the skillet, leaving the cake fruit side up.
Cut the cake into 8 slices and serve. Any leftover cake can be tightly covered, once cooled, and refrigerated for up to 1 day. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.
Serves 12
Cake
½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature, plus more for the pans
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2⅔ cups sugar
4 large eggs
1½ cups full-fat buttermilk (see Note)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Caramel Icing
4 cups sugar
2 cups full-fat buttermilk (see Note)
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature
1 teaspoon baking soda
Equipment
Candy thermometer
The caramel cake is a perennial favorite in the pantheon of Southern desserts. It always makes any celebration or gathering that much more delicious.
When you make this cake, use a big cast-iron Dutch oven to cook the icing, as there is a dramatic increase in volume that happens during the cooking process. A Dutch oven is also the best bet for providing the even, steady heat you need. Making the icing this way is time-consuming and might feel like a workout, but you’ll find it well worth the effort.
For the cake: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter two 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms of the pans with rounds of parchment paper cut to fit and butter the parchment.
Sift the two flours, baking powder, salt, and baking soda into a large bowl and set aside.
Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or use a large bowl and a hand mixer). Cream the butter and sugar on medium speed, scraping down the sides as necessary, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition and scraping down the sides as necessary. Combine the buttermilk and vanilla in a measuring cup with a spout. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in 3 increments alternating with the buttermilk mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients, beating until incorporated, and scraping down the sides after each addition.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Tap the pans on the counter to level the batter and remove air bubbles. Bake the cakes for 35 to 40 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean. Transfer the pans to wire racks and cool for 10 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto the racks to cool completely. Once they are cool, peel off the parchment paper.
for the icing: While the cakes are cooling, combine the sugar, buttermilk, butter, and baking soda in a large Dutch oven. Attach the candy thermometer to the side and cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until it registers 235°F, about 45 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and, using a wooden spoon, beat the icing until thickened but still spreadable, 25 to 30 minutes; it should register 110°F on an instant-read thermometer.
To assemble: Cut each layer of cake horizontally in half, making 4 even layers. Place one layer cut side up on a cake plate and, using an icing spatula, spread ¾ cup of the icing on top. Repeat with the remaining layers, placing the second layer cut side down, the third layer cut side up, and the final layer cut side down. Cover the top and sides of the cake with the remaining icing.
Cut the cake into wedges and serve. The cake will keep in a cake keeper or cake box for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Pecan and Black Walnut Church Cake
Serves 12
Pecan Cake
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature, plus more for the pans
1¼ cups (4 ounces) raw pecan pieces
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1¼ teaspoons baking soda
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
1½ cups packed light brown sugar
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons full-fat buttermilk (see Note)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sorghum Icing
1¼ pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
¾ pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
¾ cup sorghum syrup, preferably Muddy Pond (see Resources)
¾ cup (3½ ounces) chopped black walnuts (see Resources)
For generations, the South has been known for its layer cakes. This beauty brings back memories of the small country church I attended growing up. Getting up early on Sunday wasn’t always easy, but the lineup of Tupperware cake keepers that greeted us after the service made it just fine. This is a simple cake with a couple of sneaky little tricks and touches. The ground pecans in the batter give the cake a nice body and combine well with the aromatic black walnuts that adorn the outside. The icing is made with one of my all-time favorite ingredients, sorghum. The sorghum syrup gives the whole cake a deep, malty sweetness.
For the cake: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly butter four 9-inch round cake pans (or as many as you have—you will need to make a total of 4 layers). Line the bottoms of the pans with rounds of parchment paper cut to fit and butter the parchment.
Put the pecan pieces in a food processor and process, scraping the sides as necessary, until ground into a fine meal, about 1 minute. Transfer to a medium bowl.
Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into the bowl with the pecan meal, and stir to combine well. Set aside.
Combine the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or use a large bowl and a hand mixer). Cream the butter and sugar on medium speed, scraping down the sides as necessary, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Combine the buttermilk and vanilla in a measuring cup with a spout. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in 3 increments alternating with the buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, beating until incorporated, and scraping down the sides after each addition.
Pour 1⅓ cups of the batter into each prepared cake pan (if you have fewer than four pans, set the remaining batter aside) and use the back of a spoon or a small offset spatula to spread it evenly. Place two of the pans in the oven and bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until the tops of the cakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the pans to wire racks and cool for 10 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto the racks, using a metal spatula to ease them out of the pans, and cool completely. Bake the remaining layers (if you’re reusing any pans, let them cool, then prepare them as you did initially before pouring in the batter). Once the layers are cool, peel off the parchment paper.
for the icing: While the cakes are cooling, combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or use a large bowl and a hand mixer). Beat the mixture on medium speed until completely combined and smooth, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until the icing is smooth and spreadable, about 3 minutes. With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the sorghum syrup, scraping down the sides as necessary, and mix until completely incorporated. Refrigerate the icing for 10 minutes to firm it.
To assemble: Place one layer on a cake plate and, using an icing spatula, spread 1¼ cups of the icing on top. Repeat with the remaining layers; do not ice the sides of the cake. You also do not need to smooth any icing that comes out between the layers on the outside of the cake.
Sprinkle the black walnut pieces evenly over the top of the cake. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Cut the cake into slices and serve. The cake will keep in a cake keeper or cake box for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving.
Serves 8
Roasted Banana Milk
3 ripe bananas (about 1 pound)
3 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon sugar
Custard
1 pound ripe pawpaws (seeResources)
¾ cup sugar
½ cup cornstarch
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
8 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced and refrigerated
1 recipe Vanilla Wafers (recipe follows)
½ recipe Homemade Whipped Topping (recipe follows)
Goes Well With:
There are hundreds of delicious banana puddings on the menus of barbecue joints, roadside stands, and meat-and-threes throughout the South. While I love the straightforward original versions, I love this nontraditional rendition even more.
The pawpaw, North America’s largest indigenous fruit, grows throughout southern Appalachia. With its incredible, tropical aroma and flavor, the pawpaw is a natural addition to classic banana pudding. In fact, one of its nicknames is poor man’s banana. The roasted banana milk, homemade vanilla wafers, and whipped topping take this dessert to the next level. (The topping recipe makes more than you need for the pudding, but the extra can be served alongside most any pie or used to garnish hot chocolate.) Show up to your next potluck or family dinner with this, and you might be dubbed the queen or king of banana pudding.
For the banana milk: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Put the bananas on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the peels have darkened and split and the flesh of the bananas begins to bubble out. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature.
Scoop the roasted banana flesh out of the peels into a medium saucepan. Add the milk and sugar, stir well, and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, about 15 minutes.
Working in batches if necessary, transfer the mixture to a blender (set the saucepan aside) and blend on high until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Return the banana milk to the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to prevent scorching. Turn off the heat and cover to keep hot.
For the custard: Cut the pawpaws lengthwise in half, scoop the flesh out onto a rimmed baking sheet, and spread it out to make it easier to spot the seeds. Pick out all the large black seeds and discard. Roughly chop the pulp and transfer to a container. You need 1 cup pulp for the pudding; enjoy any extra just the way it is.
Combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl and stir to thoroughly mix. Add the egg yolks and whisk vigorously until the mixture has doubled in volume. While whisking constantly, slowly stream 1 cup of the hot banana milk into the egg yolk mixture to temper the eggs. Add the tempered egg yolk mixture to the saucepan of banana milk and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until it simmers and becomes very thick, 8 to 10 minutes. Then continue to cook the pudding, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes more to completely hydrate the cornstarch and ensure that the pudding is evenly thickened.
Remove from the stove, add the vanilla and butter, and stir until the butter has melted. Fold in the 1 cup pawpaw pulp.
Line the bottom of a large serving bowl with vanilla wafers, starting in the center and working your way up the sides of the bowl; reserve the remaining wafers. Pour the pudding into the bowl. Cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight. (Tightly covered, the pudding will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.)
To serve: Remove the pudding from the refrigerator and spread the whipped topping evenly over the top. Arrange the remaining vanilla wafers around the edges of the pudding.
Vanilla Wafers
Makes 36 cookies
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature
½ cup Bourbon Barrel Vanilla Sugar (see Resources)
1 vanilla bean
1 large egg
1 tablespoon whole milk
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Position the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.
Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or use a large bowl and a hand mixer). Split the vanilla bean lengthwise in half and, using the back of a paring knife, scrape out the seeds and add to the bowl (reserve the vanilla pod for another use, if desired; see Note). Cream the mixture on medium speed, scraping down the sides as necessary, until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the egg, beat until smooth, and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the milk and vanilla extract and mix just to combine. Add the flour mixture and beat just to combine. Refrigerate the dough for 10 minutes before shaping the cookies.
Using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop (or tablespoon), scoop a portion of the dough, roll it into a ball, and pat it between your palms into a disk about 1½ inches in diameter. Place it on one of the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining dough, leaving at least 1 inch between the cookies.
Bake the cookies for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until the edges are golden brown. Cool the cookies completely on the baking sheets on wire racks.
Transfer the cooled cookies to an airtight container. The cookies will keep for up to 5 days at room temperature.
Makes 6 cups
3 sheets silver-strength gelatin (see Resources), broken in half
2 tablespoons cold water
1⅓ cups sugar
¼ cup water
3½ tablespoons light corn syrup
¼ cup whole milk
3 tablespoons dry nonfat milk powder
Scant ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Equipment
Candy thermometer
NOTE: You’ll need to start this recipe a day ahead of time to chill the base.
Place the gelatin and the cold water in a shallow bowl, pressing down on the gelatin to make sure it is submerged; set aside to soften.
Combine the sugar, the ¼ cup water, and the corn syrup in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. Place the saucepan over low heat, attach the candy thermometer to the side, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture registers 248°F on the candy thermometer, 12 to 14 minutes.
Transfer the softened gelatin to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. With the mixer on high speed, slowly and carefully pour the hot sugar mixture into the bowl, streaming it down the side, away from the whisk, and whip until the mixture has cooled, tripled in size, and turned an opaque, matte white, 5 to 6 minutes.
Combine the milk, milk powder, and salt in a small bowl and whisk to blend completely. With the mixer on high, add the milk mixture in 3 increments, stopping to thoroughly scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition. (The more you scrape the bowl, the less likely it is that the finished topping will have any lumps.) Transfer the topping base to a container, cover tightly with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface, and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, transfer the topping base to the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium-high speed until smooth, about 4 minutes. Add the cream in 3 increments, thoroughly scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Whip the topping until it holds stiff peaks, scraping down the sides of the bowl at least five times to ensure against lumps in the finished topping, about 3 minutes. Transfer the topping to a container, cover tightly, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Tightly covered, the whipped topping will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
No meal in the South is complete without a freshly prepared drink. Something to beat the heat in a sultry Southern summer is always welcome at the table. There are plenty of boozy concoctions that have their roots in the South, but these three recipes are for drinks that everyone can enjoy. (For kids and others who prefer not to indulge in alcohol, just leave out the vodka in the Bloody Mary.)
Everyone has his or her personal preference about how sweet sweet tea should be, so keep the tea and the “sweet” separate and let your guests sweeten their own. The tradition of sweet tea in the South is just as important as a skillet of cornbread, in my opinion, so why use inferior tea to make it? This particular blend is unique and adds a level of care and quality to the drink.
For a variation, try a cold-brew version: Combine the tea leaves with all 12 cups of the water and let sit on the counter at room temperature for 8 hours to infuse.
Makes twelve 8-ounce glasses
Simple Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
Brewed Tea
12 cups water
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons Tea Blend (recipe follows)
12 lemon wedges, seeds removed
For the simple syrup: Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar, about 5 minutes. Remove from the stove and cool to room temperature, then transfer to a container, cover, and refrigerate. (Tightly covered, the syrup will keep for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.)
For the brewed tea: Put 8 cups of the water in a large pitcher. Bring the remaining 4 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Remove from the stove and cool for 1 minute. Add the tea blend and let steep for 6 minutes.
Strain the brewed tea through a fine-mesh sieve into the pitcher of water, stirring to combine. Discard the solids. Cover and refrigerate. (Tightly covered, the brewed tea will keep for up to 1 day in the refrigerator.)
To serve: For each glass, combine 1 cup of the brewed tea and 2 tablespoons (or as desired) of the simple syrup in an 8-ounce glass and stir to combine. Add ice to fill the glass and garnish with a lemon wedge perched on the rim.
TEA BLEND
Makes a scant 4½ cups, enough for 6 batches of tea
3 cups plus 2 tablespoons loose-leaf Assam tea (3½ ounces)
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons loose-leaf Ceylon tea (¾ ounce)
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons loose-leaf Darjeeling tea (¾ ounce)
Combine the teas in an airtight container, cover, and shake to mix well. Store in a cool, dry place for up to 3 months.
This lemonade offers an opportunity to showcase the best herbs and fruits you can find at your local market—no matter what time of year. If you want to simplify the recipe, omit the herbs and fruits, but do leave in the lemon zest. The essential oils in the zest take the drink to another lemon level.
NOTE: You’ll need to start this recipe a day ahead of time to infuse the flavors.
Makes about 33/4 quarts
3 quarts plus 1 cup cold water
2 cups sugar
1¾ cups fresh lemon juice (from 7 to 8 large lemons)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup strips lemon zest removed with a vegetable peeler (any white pith removed)
1 large lemon (about 4 ounces), cut into ¼-inch-thick rounds
12 ounces blueberries, blackberries, or sliced strawberries, or a mix (about 2 cups)
1 large ripe peach (about 8 ounces), cut away from the pit and then into eighths
1½ mint sprigs
1 rosemary sprig
½ thyme sprig
¼ cup lemon balm leaves
¼ cup lemon verbena leaves
1½ large basil leaves
Optional Garnishes
Fresh berries
Lemon balm and basil leaves
Combine the water, sugar, lemon juice, and salt in a container large enough to hold all the ingredients and whisk to dissolve the sugar and salt. Add the lemon zest, lemon rounds, berries, and peach and whisk again to help release the flavors from the lemon zest and fruits. Add the herbs and whisk to combine. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for up to 3 days for a more intense herbaceous flavor.
Strain the lemonade through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher and discard the solids (feel free to snack on the berries). Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. (Tightly covered, the lemonade will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.)
Pour tall glasses of lemonade and garnish with a few berries and fresh herbs leaves, if desired.
A Bloody Mary made with a premade mix might be an easy shortcut, but it won’t have the same fresh flavor as one you make from scratch. You can drink this fresh Bloody Mary with or without vodka. These days I enjoy it without any alcohol at all—V8 has nothing on this!
Note: This recipe calls for precise measurements for the vegetables and greens to ensure the best results.
Makes 8 cups mix, enough for 8 drinks
Bloody Mary Mix
6 ounces chopped celery
3½ ounces chopped sweet onion
3½ ounces chopped peeled carrots
1½ ounces chopped peeled red beet
2 ounces chopped romaine lettuce
2 ounces chopped watercress
1 ounce chopped flat-leaf parsley
4¼ cups tomato juice
⅔ cup fresh lemon juice (from 3 to 4 lemons)
½ cup Worcestershire sauce, preferably Bourbon Barrel (see Resources)
½ cup Preserved Tomatoes or canned whole tomatoes, with their juices
⅓ cup Hot Sauce or Red Clay Original Hot Sauce (see Resources)
3 tablespoons agave nectar
2 tablespoons pickling liquid from Pickled Okra
2 tablespoons Pepper Vinegar
2½ tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon celery seeds
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¾ teaspoon Bourbon Barrel Bourbon Smoked Paprika (see Resources)
½ teaspoon onion powder
Optional
Vodka
Garnishes such as paper-thin slices of ham and homemade pickles
Equipment
Juice extractor
for the bloody mary mix: Combine the celery, onion, carrots, and beet and run through a juice extractor. Transfer the juice to a 3-quart container with a lid. Combine the romaine, watercress, and parsley, run through the juice extractor, and add to the celery juice mixture.
Add the tomato juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire, tomatoes, hot sauce, agave nectar, pickling liquid, vinegar, horseradish, salt, celery seeds, pepper, paprika, and onion powder and blend with an immersion blender until smooth, about 1 minute. (Or blend the mix in a regular blender.) Cover and refrigerate until chilled before serving. (Tightly covered, the mix will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.)
To serve: The drink is delicious all on its own poured over ice in a tall glass. To make it boozy, combine 1½ ounces of vodka with 1 cup of the mix in a tall glass filled with ice; stir to mix.
The best garnishes are two of my favorite things: country ham and tangy homemade pickles. Drape a paper-thin slice of country ham over the rim of each glass and garnish with a skewer of your favorite pickles. I especially love pickled ramps and okra here.
Makes about 2½ quarts
1½ pounds large ripe peaches
½ cup full-fat buttermilk (see Note)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3½ cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1½ cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup Fruit Preserves made with peaches
Equipment
Hand-cranked ice cream maker
(plus ice and ice cream salt or rock salt)
Goes Well With:
Elderberry Dumplings with Grapefruit Crème Anglaise
I have so many fond memories of sitting on the porch with my family, taking turns cranking the old wooden ice cream churn. It’s a process that makes you instantly impatient. You just can’t wait to taste the sherbet, but time is an essential ingredient (along with some elbow grease). And all your hard work will make the finished sherbet taste that much better. If you don’t have the time to make the peach preserves, don’t fret. You can add any delicious fruit preserves you have in your pantry. It’s hard to go wrong.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Make an ice bath with equal parts ice and water in a large bowl. Lightly score the skin on the bottom of each peach with an X and submerge the peaches in the boiling water for 10 seconds. Remove and submerge them in the ice bath to cool them and stop the cooking; do not leave them in the ice bath for longer than 5 minutes.
Peel the peaches, cut the flesh away from the pits, and roughly chop. Reserve the pits for the sherbet base. Transfer the chopped peaches to a blender and blend on high until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Measure out 2½ cups of the puree and transfer it to a container. (Any extra peach puree can be enjoyed just as it is.) Stir in the buttermilk and lemon juice, cover, and refrigerate.
Lay the peach pits out on a cutting board, cover with a kitchen towel, and lightly tap with a hammer to crack them and expose the almond-shaped kernels inside. Remove the kernels and discard the cracked pits. Roughly chop the kernels.
Make an ice bath with equal parts ice and water in a large bowl. Combine the milk, cream, sugar, corn syrup, and chopped peach kernels in large heavy-bottomed saucepan and whisk to mix thoroughly. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, whisking frequently to prevent scorching. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, whisking, for 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a heatproof container large enough to hold it and the peach puree.
Put the container of sherbet base in the ice bath to chill. Stir occasionally, being careful not to let any water get into the sherbet base, until the mixture is completely cold. Stir in the peach puree, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, strain the sherbet base through a fine-mesh sieve into the canister of the ice cream maker. Discard the solids. Fill the ice cream maker with ice and ice cream salt or rock salt according to the manufacturer’s directions and crank until the sherbet is frozen.
Add the peach preserves and crank just enough to evenly incorporate. Serve right out of the canister for a creamy, soft-serve texture, or transfer the sherbet to a freezer container and freeze until ready to serve. It will keep for up to 1 month.
Makes about 1½ quarts
One 5-by-1-by-1-inch piece hickory wood
3½ cups heavy cream
½ cup whole milk
1 vanilla bean
½ cup sugar
5 large egg yolks
Equipment
Candy thermometer
Ice cream maker
Goes Well With:
I developed this recipe with s’mores on the brain. The way a marshmallow tastes, slightly burnt and crispy from a trip over the campfire, is a flavor memory many of us have. When you hear “smoked ice cream,” it may seem odd, but one taste and you’ll be transported. If you plan ahead, you can burn the hickory when you have a fire going for grilling.
Prepare a small hot fire in a charcoal grill (see Grilling)with no rack. Place the hickory wood directly on the coals and let sit, turning occasionally, until it is burning evenly on all sides.
Combine the cream and milk in a large heatproof bowl. Place the burning hickory in the cream-milk mixture, cover tightly, and steep at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Remove the wood and strain the cream-milk mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large saucepan. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise in half and, using the back of a paring knife, scrape out the seeds and add them to the saucepan (reserve the vanilla pod for another use, if desired; see Note). Stir in 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Attach the candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan and heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring often so that it doesn’t scorch, until it registers 180°F on the candy thermometer, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the egg yolks in a small bowl and whisk in the remaining ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar. Make an ice bath with equal parts ice and water in a large bowl. Remove the saucepan from the heat. While whisking constantly, slowly stream ½ cup of the hot liquid into the egg-sugar mixture to temper the eggs. Whisk in another ½ cup of the liquid. Transfer the tempered yolk mixture to the saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring often so that it doesn’t scorch, until the custard registers 180°F on the candy thermometer, 2 to 3 minutes. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof container.
Put the container of custard in the ice bath to chill. Stir occasionally (don’t let any water get into the custard) until the custard is completely cold. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, pour the custard into the ice cream maker and freeze it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer container and freeze until ready to serve. It will keep for up to 1 month.
