These are the “special occasion” recipes that we make when there is a party or sporting event or we just want to add a sprinkle of surprise to someone’s day! These are the ones that mean holiday to us, like fudge, cloud cookies, and tiger butter. They are also the recipes that Mama has highlighted in the table of contents of her handwritten cookbook, the ones that she makes every Christmas. That is the main reason we save them for special gatherings. These are the recipes that take us back to our childhood and that we hope our children will recall for years to come.
These delicious little mints melt in your mouth, are a cinch to make, and disappear quickly. Even better, since they’re so easy, you can turn out a whole platter of them for a party or work function in no time flat. If you’re making these for a baby or bridal shower, they are easily tinted using just a few drops of food coloring. I like to take tiny stamps and press designs into them for holidays. Makes 80 mints
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
4 to 6 drops peppermint oil
8 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon milk, if needed
1 Place the cream cheese, butter, and peppermint oil in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
2 Add 7 cups of the confectioners’ sugar gradually while beating on medium speed, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed, until it is doughlike in consistency, 1 to 2 minutes (it will seem stiff and dry at first). If it is too dry to form balls after you are done mixing (this is rare), add the milk and mix again.
3 Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place on waxed paper.
4 Place 1 cup of the confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl and roll each ball in it to coat. Flatten each ball slightly with your fingertip, a fork, the back of a spoon, or a tiny stamp. Allow the mints to dry for a few hours before serving or storing.
Cream Cheese Mints will keep, in an airtight container at room temperature, for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Note: If you want to tint these with food coloring, add 2 to 3 drops when you mix the dough in step 2, before you form the balls.
I love traditional Southern divinity candy and shared our family recipe in my first book; the holidays just aren’t the same without it. Divinity is a white, fluffy candy made from egg whites and sugar, which requires perfect weather and lots of mixing. Mama and I both make up batches and divvy it out like gold doubloons among our families and friends. It’s just that good.
So here is the thing: This recipe is not traditional divinity. I didn’t develop it to be that. I developed it to be an awful lot like it but simple enough for anyone to make and just as good.
Will it remind you of divinity? Definitely. But this is decadently wonderful in its own special way. Think of how good cream cheese frosting tastes, especially when you get a bite that has a big pecan on it, and you have some understanding of what this is going to be like—only a good bit better.
Guess what else, though. This recipe doesn’t depend on the weather, or the temperature of your house, or how your pinkie toes are crossed. There is no thermometer needed, no syrup to be made, and nothing hot that will give you a burn. You toss all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl, mix, roll into balls, and press a pecan in the center. That’s it. Seriously! Makes 50 to 60 pieces
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
7 to 9 cups confectioners’ sugar (I buy a 2-pound bag)
50 to 60 pecan halves (optional)
1 Place the cream cheese, butter, and lemon juice in a medium-size mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
2 Add the vanilla and gradually add 7 cups of the confectioners’ sugar. Beat at medium speed, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed, until well blended, 2 to 3 minutes. Add up to 1 cup more confectioners’ sugar if needed to make a thick cookie-dough consistency.
3 Place 1 cup of the confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and dip the bottoms in the sugar to coat. Place the balls on waxed paper or parchment and press a pecan half into each one, if desired, flattening the ball slightly.
4 Allow the divinity to dry at room temperature until they’re no longer sticky, 2 to 3 hours, before serving.
Cream Cheese Divinity will keep, in an airtight container at room temperature, for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
This is a recipe I got from my grandmother Cornetha. She and Papa Reed (Mama’s daddy) got married when my mother was fourteen, adding a whole other branch to our family tree. Honestly, at this point we have one of those HUGE oak trees with all of the branches jutting out all over the place (you know I had thirteen living grandparents when I was born, right?).
Cornetha (called Mama Reed by my children) and Papa hosted all of the big Reed family reunions at their farm each summer and she used to let us stay with them during vacation Bible school week so that we could attend it at her church. I loved getting to spend the night there because each morning she’d let me go and gather the eggs from the chicken coop. Of course, there was one drawback to spending the night at the Reed farm—and that was the clothesline. Each morning after breakfast, Cornetha would set out for the line with her basket. You’d hear the clothes snapping as she gave ’em a good shake to get the wrinkles out and then hung them on the line, just knowing that your underwear was among them. This wouldn’t have been so bad back at home because our clothesline was in the backyard, but out there on the farm Papa had set Cornetha’s up in the most convenient spot, just outside the laundry room door with an unobstructed view from the road.
I remember trying to hide my clothes before I went to bed but let me tell you, I’ve never in all of my born days known anyone more efficient with clothes washing than my grandmother Cornetha! Lo and behold, no matter what avoidance tactic you used (and we tried them all), come early morning that sun would rise on your undies hanging on the line. We survived it, though, and I wouldn’t trade those memories for anything in the world. Makes 36 candies
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup finely chopped pecans (or any nut you prefer)
3 boxes (3 ounces each) strawberry gelatin
1 to 2 jars (3 ounces each) red sugar crystals (you can get by with 1 jar, but I use 1½)
½ cup slivered almonds (about 36 pieces)
Green food coloring
1 Combine the milk, coconut, pecans, and gelatin in a medium-size bowl and mix with a large spoon until fully blended. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 48 hours.
2 Place the red sugar crystals in a large bowl. Form teaspoonfuls of the coconut mixture into the shape of a strawberry and roll the pieces in the red sugar crystals.
3 Place the almonds in a zip-top bag and add a few drops of green food coloring. Seal and shake until well coated. Pour them out onto a paper towel and let them dry slightly. Place one in the end of each strawberry as a stem.
Cornetha’s Strawberry Candy will keep, in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 1 week.
This is yet another product of my daughter and me playing in the kitchen. Inspired by her love of chocolate and one of our favorite truffles, we decided to come up with our own version that features a soft, melty fudge chocolate throughout. These come together surprisingly fast and are an excellent addition to offer on a candy tray or to package and give as gifts. We prefer to keep ours cold. Makes 50 to 60 candies
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon milk
6 to 7¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 Place the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the ½ cup of cocoa powder, the vanilla, lemon juice, and milk and beat again until well combined.
2 Add 6 to 7 cups of the confectioners’ sugar, 1 cup at a time, and beat well, scraping down the side of the bowl after each addition, until it is thick and very sticky, like cookie dough.
3 Stir together the remaining 2 tablespoons cocoa powder and the remaining ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl until there are no lumps.
4 Pinch off small portions of the dough and roll into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls in the sugar mixture to coat. Repeat until all of the dough is used. Store, covered in the refrigerator, until ready to serve.
Easy Fudge Meltaways will keep, in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 2 weeks.
This super-creamy fudge is the hallmark of every holiday for us, and with its many variations, there is a flavor for everyone. Growing up, we had only the chocolate version, but nowadays we enjoy the peanut butter and cinnamon versions just as much (cinnamon chips are fairly new and are sometimes difficult to find except around the holidays). Mama always makes hers with pecans, but my kids prefer it plain and I do, too, because that saves me a lot of money!
You may recall this recipe from another of my cookbooks—I’m offering it here, too, because no celebration would be complete without it. This fudge is a requirement during the holidays. Makes 3 pounds
Nonstick cooking spray, for coating the baking pan
3 cups granulated sugar
⅔ cup evaporated milk
¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter or margarine
1 package (12 ounces) cinnamon, chocolate, or peanut butter chips
1½ cups marshmallow cream (such as Fluff)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup pecans or other nuts, chopped (optional)
1 Lightly coat a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
2 Combine the sugar, milk, and butter in a medium-size heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Once it reaches a boil, clip a candy or deep-fry thermometer to the side of the pot and continue stirring until it reaches soft-ball stage (238°F), about 5 minutes.
3 Remove from the heat. Add the chips, marshmallow cream, vanilla, and nuts, if using. Stir vigorously with a large spoon until well blended.
4 Pour into the prepared pan and cool completely. Cut into small squares.
The fudge will keep, in an airtight container at room temperature, for up to 1 week, or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
My kids call these “cloud cookies,” and although they taste like you fussed over them, they are one of my favorite “last-minute” cookies to make. Good thing, too, because Katy has a habit of remembering them right before bedtime on Christmas Eve. You know it’s hard to turn down a Christmas Eve request! Makes 2 dozen cookies
Nonstick cooking spray, for coating the baking sheets
2 large egg whites
Pinch of cream of tartar
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 bags (12 ounces each) chocolate chips
Colored sugar sprinkles (optional)
1 Preheat the oven to 300˚F. Lightly coat 2 large baking sheets with cooking spray and set aside.
2 Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in a medium-size mixing bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
3 Drop by level tablespoonfuls on the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle lightly with the sugar sprinkles, if desired.
4 Bake until the meringues are dry and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Chocolate Chip Meringues are best the day they are made, but they will keep, in an airtight container at room temperature, for up to 3 days. They do not hold up well in humid or moist environments.
I had the hardest time learning how to swim as a child. People would try to teach me—goodness knows how many hours they spent on that—but I never could quite get it. I’d let go of the side and sink like a lead weight.
Then, in second grade, I checked out a book from the school library that explained the principles of swimming. That book taught me the one thing I hadn’t realized before: I was buoyant.
Boy howdee, that was news to me! Once I knew that, I was off to the races, and the very next time I got into a pool I lifted my legs up, lay on my back, and floated. Moments later I was swimming.
Isn’t that something? You know, life is full of obstacles that prevent us from thinking we can swim. We get knocked down and dunked and end up gripping the sides of the pool just waiting for the water to drain or hoping it will evaporate. It never does, but so many folks spend their lifetime just clinging to the side. The trick is, when we’re dunked, to learn to bob right back to the top the first chance we get.
That longing in your heart to just break the surface . . . that’s because you’re meant to be on top, not sinking. And you have the ability, too, but you may not realize it. Nothing can keep you down for long.
Know why? You’re buoyant.
I happened upon this treat by accident (or desperation) one summer when my son was going to a pool party and needed to take a snack to share. My first thought was brownies, then cake, then cookies, and I went on down the list until I came up with something that would be really good but not make a lot of mess in the kitchen. So I took a standard peanut butter bar recipe and flipped it into peanut butter cups.
I was not prepared for the reaction. Every speck was snatched up and I received text messages and even emails telling me how wonderful Mrs. Jordan’s homemade peanut butter cups were. I’ll be darned if it didn’t put a spring in my step! Just in case you ever need a little extra spring in your step, this is the recipe to do it! Makes 24 peanut butter cups
2 cups creamy peanut butter
½ cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
½ cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2½ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1 Line two 12-cup muffin tins with muffin papers.
2 Place the peanut butter, butter, and brown sugar in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 30-second intervals until the butter and peanut butter are melted, 1 to 2 minutes.
3 Add the vanilla and confectioners’ sugar and stir with a large spoon until they form a dough that pulls away from the side of the bowl and forms a ball.
4 Pinch off pieces of the dough and roll them into 1½-inch balls. Place one ball in each muffin paper. Press the dough flat into the papers with your fingers and set aside.
5 Place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until completely melted. Spoon over the top of the peanut butter pats and spread evenly.
6 Allow to cool completely at room temperature until the chocolate hardens, or place the tins in the refrigerator to speed up the process. Enjoy!
Peanut Butter Cups will keep, in an airtight container at room temperature, for up to 1 week.
I can’t even begin to tell you how many batches of Tiger Butter I’ve made over the years. This is the one candy my children request the most around Christmastime because they want to give it to all of their teachers and friends. I am doubly grateful that it is so easy to make! Once Christmas draws near, I just make sure I have plenty of the simple ingredients on hand because it never fails that one of my children will say they need a batch for the following day just before they go to bed! This is a creamy, fudgelike confection that is sure to please the chocolate and peanut butter lovers in your life. Makes about 2 pounds
1 package (24 ounces) white almond bark (see Note)
½ cup crunchy peanut butter
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (milk chocolate works fine, too)
1 Line a rimmed baking sheet with waxed paper and set aside.
2 Break up the almond bark as best you can in a large microwave-safe mixing bowl. Microwave at 30-to 45-second intervals, stirring after each, until the bark is melted and smooth. Stir in the peanut butter with a large spoon until melted and well blended. Spread the mixture evenly on the prepared pan.
3 Place the chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave at 30-to 45-second intervals, stirring after each, until smooth and melted. Drop dollops of the melted chocolate onto the peanut butter mixture in the pan and swirl with a knife or a toothpick (a toothpick will create finer lines).
4 Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator until the mixture hardens, or let it cool at room temperature until completely hardened. Break into pieces with your hands.
Tiger Butter will keep, in an airtight container at room temperature, for 2 to 3 weeks.
Note: Almond bark is a confectionary coating usually found near the chocolate chips. Despite the name, there are no nuts in the ingredients. It’s just a less expensive form of white chocolate (minus the chocolate).
These taste like the roasted cinnamon nuts we like to buy while out and about during the holidays, the nuts that smell so amazing when you enter the shop and you try to get by with just the sample but end up buying a cone of them. This recipe works just as well with any type of nut. Makes 1 pound
Nonstick cooking spray, for coating the baking sheet
1 large egg white
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 pound cashew halves or pieces (about 2 cups)
1 Preheat the oven to 300˚F. Lightly coat a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
2 Place the egg white and 1 tablespoon of water in a small mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until frothy, about 1 minute. In a separate small bowl, stir together the sugar, salt, and cinnamon until well blended.
3 Pour the cashews into the frothed egg white and stir to coat well. Take a handful of cashews at a time and gently toss them in the sugar mixture with your hands to coat.
4 Place the cashews on the prepared baking sheet and bake, stirring every 10 minutes, until lightly browned and smelling delicious, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir once more. Allow to cool, then remove from the baking sheet.
Cinnamon Cashews will keep, in an airtight container at room temperature, for 2 to 3 weeks.
I make this recipe far more often than I do the Cinnamon Cashews (see recipe), mainly because peanuts are so much more affordable than other nuts. This also has a distinctly different taste to it that takes me back to my childhood and a candy I loved called Boston Baked Beans. They are little peanuts covered in a very thick candy coating that has been dyed a deep red color. These nuts taste like the homemade (and better) version of those! Makes 2 cups
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups raw peanuts (skins on)
1 Preheat the oven to 300˚F.
2 Combine the sugar and ½ cup of water in a medium-size saucepan. Place over medium heat and stir just until the sugar dissolves.
3 Add the peanuts to the sugar water and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the peanuts are completely coated with sugar and no sugar syrup remains, about 30 minutes.
4 Pour the peanuts onto an ungreased rimmed baking sheet and spread them out a bit with a spatula or spoon. Bake, stirring every 10 minutes, until dry and lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet.
Candied Peanuts will keep, in an airtight container at room temperature, for 2 to 3 weeks.
A few years back, I misread the classic recipe for Rice Krispie Treats (again, where are my glasses?) and ended up doubling the marshmallow cream and adding a bit of extra butter. The result was FANTASTIC. I immediately applied it to these cereal bars and couldn’t stop eating them. If you want to take your classic cereal treat bar up a notch (or ten), try this. The result is a whole other animal! Serves 12
Nonstick cooking spray, for coating the baking dish
½ cup (1 stick) butter
3 containers (7 ounces each) marshmallow cream (such as Fluff; see Note)
10 cups cereal of your choice (such as Golden Grahams, Fruity Pebbles, or Rice Krispies)
1 Lightly coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
2 Place the butter and marshmallow cream in a large, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 45-second intervals, stirring after each, until melted and well blended. Add the cereal and stir well to coat.
3 Turn out the mixture into the prepared baking dish and allow to cool before cutting, or eat warm and enjoy it anyway!
Everyone’s Favorite Cereal Bars will keep, in an airtight container at room temperature, for up to 3 days.
Note: If you can find only 8-ounce containers, that will be just fine.
My maternal grandfather, Papa Reed, was born in 1927 in Madison County, Alabama. He was a wiz at innovation from an early age. Papa was always scouring trash piles and discarded items for something that could be useful to one of his inventions.
Once, during the hottest part of the summer, someone threw out an old fan and Papa mounted it on the handlebars of his bicycle so that when he rode the wind blew into the blades and created the only air-conditioned bicycle in the neighborhood. In addition to being inventive, he was also very self-reliant. When you are one of ten kids with hardworking parents, you pretty quickly learn to fend for yourself. When Papa Reed was eleven years old, the family moved to a large farm more than thirty miles away from the neighborhood where he had grown up. He decided that he wanted to go visit his friends and cousins in the old neighborhood, so he asked his mama if he could ride his bicycle to see them. She gave her permission and Papa set off, with no water or food whatsoever. Can you imagine?
He rode for quite some time and started getting pretty hungry. Eventually, he came upon a house with a heavily laden apple tree so he stopped, knocked on the door, and asked the lady if he could have some water and apples to take with him. She obliged, he ate a few, and then he set off again!
Things sure were different in those times. I can’t help but smile every time I see an apple tree as I recall the gumption of a scrawny little boy with an air-conditioned bicycle!
Papa Reed enjoying a breeze on his bicycle—see the fan tied to the handlebars?