This recipe has evolved over many years. I wrote before that anything chocolate is my favorite dessert, so I experiment often. The most unusual ingredient in these brownies is the ground cardamom. I have used cardamom for years in my Christmas Stollen (a festive raisin and fruit bread). Cardamom comes from the Middle East. On [...]

 
A friend shared this recipe with me when we lived in Memphis. This is the best Pecan Pie recipe I’ve tried. It’s from a beautiful Southern Belle who grew up on a farm in Mississippi. Here is her recipe:
 
1 ¼ cup dark corn syrup
1 cup sugar (I reduce it to ½ a cup)
4 whole eggs
4 T melted [...]

This not your ordinary pumpkin pie! The crust is first filled with pecans, butter and sugar. The pie is topped off with a meringue. It is a show piece and delicious.
Pie Shell:
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 T sweet butter, softened
1 unbaked pie shell (I like the Pillsbury one the best. You will [...]

Andrea brought home this recipe from kindergarten at St. Mary’s Episcopal School in Memphis. It has become a family tradition for us. No Christmas or Thanksgiving has passed without this delicious treat.
2 cups sifted all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
¼ cup butter, room temperature
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp grated orange [...]

My  favorite dessert is chocolate anything! This mousse is absolutely delicious and  easy to make. Buy the best chocolate and butter you can find. It does make a difference. I serve it in little cups with lids. The spoons should be demitasse. I found 12 for $17.95 at 1-800-expresso.com. They are 4 ½ inches long. [...]

 
 
 
At an impromptu dinner party this week I served a dessert I had not made before. I keep a stack of crepes in my freezer just for these impulsive parties. I started baking crepes at a very young age. I have 6 younger brothers and for their birthday parties we always served crepes. My mother [...]