Of all the family recipes that have been handed down to me through the years, there are two I cherish most. One is The Turtle Soup, which I wrote about last February, and the other is this Carrot Cake. Both are nostalgic nods to my childhood. Both flood my thoughts with warm memories of Sunday suppers, birthday dinners and holiday gatherings (especially Easter) shared with my mom’s large and loving family. Both remind me of Grandma Kirn, my great-grandmother, who started these wonderful food traditions and of Papa, my maternal grandfather, as well as my mom, who have carried them [ ... ]
Tag-Archive for » Desserts «
27
Mar 2013
Mar 2013
Of all the family recipes that have been handed down to me through the years, there are two I cherish most. One is The Turtle Soup, which I wrote about last February, and the other is this Carrot Cake. Both are nostalgic nods to my childhood. Both flood my thoughts with warm memories of Sunday suppers, birthday dinners and holiday gatherings (especially Easter) shared with my mom’s large and loving family. Both remind me of Grandma Kirn, my great-grandmother, who started these wonderful food traditions and of Papa, my maternal grandfather, as well as my mom, who have carried them [ ... ]
20
Dec 2012
Dec 2012
New Orleans is predominately a Catholic city. As such, many of us who were raised there attended Catholic school from kindergarten through the twelfth grade. Most of the elementary schools were coed, but the majority of high schools were same sex. The boys had their schools and the girls others. Several coed Catholic high schools exist today, but they’re few and far between.
My sister Giselle and I attended the same Catholic high school. It was one established by the Sisters of Mount Carmel. By the time Giselle and I were both there, only [ ... ]
29
Oct 2012
Oct 2012
My neighborhood rocks on Halloween. How can it not? On my street alone, which is exactly a half mile long, we have at least 30 children under 13 and a rock-band-leader teenager who lives at the top. Parents stroll along with “well-stocked” wagons in tow while live music pours onto the road. The kids, decked out in the latest costume trends, run freely from house to house racking up on what ultimately ends up being pillowcases full of treats.
When my kids were younger, I used to host a Halloween open house complete with a spooktacular spread of heavy picking food [ ... ] 08
Feb 2012
Feb 2012
Let’s talk desserts. As in classic New Orleans desserts. Two in particular: Creole Bread Pudding and King Cake. Both have storied histories, are deeply rooted in New Orleans tradition and are equally delicious. Creole Bread Pudding is what I consider an everyday, homey dessert prepared by thrifty New Orleans cooks and restaurant chefs who have plenty of day-old French bread on hand. The stale bread is given new life when soaked in a creamy, cinnamon-infused custardy bath. The pudding is then baked plain or embellished with raisins, nuts, canned fruit salad or even [ ... ]
24
Dec 2011
Dec 2011
Have you ever made canned biscuit donuts? It’s a fun, semi-homemade way to make donuts. We’re planning on making them tomorrow morning for Christmas breakfast. I’ll probably set up the fryer and make the icings sometime today. So tomorrow, when the grumbling of the kids’ hungry bellies finally overcomes the excitement of Santa’s arrival, I’ll be ready to roll.
These donuts can be eaten plain or decorated any which way. I’ve included quick recipes for vanilla and chocolate icings. The donuts are also good coated in cinnamon sugar. But my youngest, Blair, and the hubby insist they’re best dusted with powdered [ ... ]
04
Jul 2011
Jul 2011
Happy Fourth of July! Happy Birthday America! Happy 91st Birthday Mimi ( my maternal grandmother and the matriarch of our family )! Happy Birthday Emily ( my 9-year old niece )! There are so many reasons to celebrate today. So let’s eat cake — or Mississippi Mud Pie!
Mississippi Mud Pie is a down-home, unfussy sweet I associate with July 4th family get-togethers. There are countless variations, but our family recipe relies on a baked pecan crust and a rich, chocolatey pudding layer which represents the muddy banks of the Mississippi. It’s [ ... ]
16
Feb 2011
Feb 2011
My children arrive home from school around four o’clock in the afternoon tired and famished. And every afternoon, I’m faced with the same challenges: homework (there’s way too much of it), playtime (there’s never enough of it) and snacks (there are only so many satisfying and appealing options that won’t interfere with dinner). Enter Peanut Butter Balls. While these perfectly portioned, outrageously enjoyable treats won’t lighten the heavy homework load or extend play time, they will give my kids the extra kick they need to complete their assignments and enjoy a big game of hide-and-go-seek-tag. A couple of these hearty [ ... ]
03
Dec 2010
Dec 2010
This is a short and sweet post to accompany a short and sweet recipe (or two). Last year, my wonderful neighbor and baker extraordinaire, Lisa, turned me on to these great chocolaty muffins that she makes with nothing more than a can of pumpkin, a box of chocolate cake mix and chocolate chips. Count them: 1-pumpkin; 2-chocolate cake mix; and, 3-chocolate chips. That’s it. They’re scrumptious and super moist thanks to the pumpkin, yet they don’t taste like pumpkin. Since my daughters and I are vanilla girls deep down inside, I decided to try a similar recipe using yellow cake [ ... ]
19
Nov 2010
Nov 2010
Have you ever seen that Food Network show “The Best Thing I Ever Ate”? Each episode focuses on a different category of lusty foods that network stars and chefs eat on their days off. Anyone who obsesses over food like I do will appreciate the passion that oozes from their mouths with every tasty word. Well, Paula Deen’s Pumpkin Gooey Cake is the best pumpkin dessert I ever ate. If you’re not familiar with this yummy recipe, you really should be. And you know, while I’m all about preserving family food traditions, be forewarned. This dessert could very well replace [ ... ]
