Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2013 i Taste of the South

We’re blessed to be able to celebrate Christmas yearround at Taste of the South. Planning begins in early spring, and summer is filled with daily visits to the test kitchen to taste and delight in seasonal favorites. Whether your holiday plans include casual get-togethers or big family meals, this issue has all of the recipes you need to pull off an easy supper, a cocktail party, or an elegant Christmas dinner. We hope you enjoy your time in the kitchen baking and cooking for family and friends. Share, laugh, and love. See you in 2014! Our favorite recipes from this issue: Brooke Bell: Chocolate-Coconut Drops, page 54 Deanna Gardner: Chocolate- Butterscotch Crispy Bars, page 50 Josh Miller: Hearty Winter Vegetable Mash, page 44 Avery Driggers: Herb-Stuffed Pork Rib Roast, page…

Did You Know? Louisiana, Alabama, and Arkansas were the first states to declare Christmas a legal holiday in the 1830s. Christmas didn’t become a federal holiday until 1870 (seven years after Thanksgiving earned its national holiday status). Southern Roots Poinsettias owe their name and popularity to a Southern benefactor. Joel Roberts Poinsett, a South Carolina native and the first U.S. Minister to Mexico, sent home cuttings of the “flor de Nochebuena,” which by 1836 became widely known as the poinsettia. While completely inedible, poinsettias (and their scarlet hue) inspired the classic Christmas cocktail of the same name, featuring Champagne, orange-flavored liqueur, and cranberry juice. candy canes by the Numbers • More than 1.76 billion candy canes are made for Christmas each year. • December 26th is National Candy Cane Day.…

BUTTERED PECAN CARAMEL CAKE Yield: 1 (9-inch) 3-layer cake Cake: 11⁄2 cups butter, softened 21⁄2 cups sugar 3 large eggs 2 large egg yolks 4 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup whole milk 1⁄2 cup sour cream 1 tablespoon vanilla extract Frosting: 2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar 1 cup chilled butter, diced 1 cup heavy whipping cream 1 tablespoon light corn syrup 1 teaspoon salt 5 cups confectioners’ sugar (about 11⁄4 pounds), sifted 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Buttered Pecans (recipe follows) 1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt (optional) 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 3 (9x2- inch) round cake pans with nonstick baking spray with flour. Line bottoms of pans with parchment paper; spray with nonstick baking spray with…

Southern Gena Knox’s way means fresh, healthful, distinctly Southern recipes, and food that gets the whole family to gather around the table. All of this is on full display in her newest cookbook, Southern My Way: Food & Family. Growing up in a tiny town with limited access to grocery stores and restaurants, Gena understands the importance of incorporating readily available ingredients, and has crafted a book with recipes that are as attainable as they are beautiful. These recipes remind us that when you start with a quality product, it doesn’t take a lot—be it time, money, or advanced technique—to make something exceptional. Gena knows from experience that these are the recipes that turn into family favorites and from family favorites to family traditions. “My husband and I both grew…

Kitchen TIP Use regular whole-wheat flour (not stone-ground) to guarantee great texture for these delicious cookies. CRISPY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES Yield: approximately 31⁄2 dozen 1 cup butter, softened 11⁄4 cups sugar 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups whole-wheat flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1⁄2 teaspoon salt 1 (10-ounce) package bittersweet chocolate morsels, such as Ghirardelli 11⁄2 cups crispy rice cereal, such as Rice Krispies 1. Preheat oven to 375°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. 2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until fluffy. Add egg, and beat until combined, stopping occasionally to scrape sides of bowl. Beat in vanilla. 3. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.…

Christmas Baking One of my family’s favorite traditions is to spend the days leading up to Christmas baking our favorite treats. Last year, we loved making your Southern Praline Spice Cake [“Exquisite Cakes,” Southern Christmas 2012 special issue, page 76]. It was such a big hit with everyone that we want to know what you have in store for us this year. — Jennifer Knighton Greenville, South Carolina We’re so glad you asked! Our latest issue of Southern Christmas is filled with 103 new holiday recipes for the season’s best dipped, glazed, layered, filled, chilled, candied, and swirled treats. Here are a few of our favorites: Southern Churros Sweet, crispy, and studded with bacon Apple-Pecan Monkey Br ead Oh-so-easy, and great to make with kids Lord Baltimore Cake Towering, tasty,…

M ost months of the year, it’s go-go-go for me. But when the calendar flips to December, somehow, amazingly, life starts to slow down. I get to settle in and enjoy being home for the holidays. The Christmas season doesn’t officially begin for me until I have a glass of eggnog. Call me old-fashioned, but it’s Christmas in a cup! My very first glass was poured by my grandmother—my Mimi— straight from the carton. From that moment on, I was hooked. Cool and creamy, with just a hint of spice, eggnog never fails to put me in the holiday mood. A GIFT FROM THE HEART If you’re like me, when you love something, you want to share it with everyone. That’s why homemade eggnog is my gift of choice for…

“ T his was one of my mamma’s favorite easy recipes. My husband and I love it for breakfast or with ice cream for dessert ! ” —Pam Scott QUICK & EASY APPLE DUMPLINGS Recipe courtesy of Pam Scott, Birmingham, Alabama Yield: approximately 4 servings 1 (8-ounce) can refrigerated crescent rolls, such as Pillsbury 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and quartered 1⁄8 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 cup sugar 1 cup fresh orange juice 1⁄2 cup salted butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray an 11x8-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. 2. Separate crescent rolls. Wrap each apple quarter with 1 crescent roll; place in prepared dish, seam side down. Sprinkle with cinnamon. 3. In a medium saucepan, bring sugar, orange juice, and…

Store in a cool, dark place up to 1 month. Placing them in the refrigerator will alter their taste and flavor. Sweet potatoes freeze well, which makes pies and casseroles excellent options to prepare ahead of time for holiday gatherings. Sweet Potato Color Guide Speckled Purple flecked magenta flesh Jewel copper skin with deep orange flesh Hannahs tan skin with offwhite interior Garnets reddish skin with orange flesh Creamsicle white skin with a vibrant orange interior Covington bright, coral flesh Stokes Purple purple hues inside and out Hungry for more? Check out Gena Knox’s recipe for Sweet Potato Soufflé Soup on page 80. Yam or Sweet Potato? Ever wonder what the difference is between a yam and a sweet potato? You’re not alone. Most people use the terms interchangeably, but…

At the end of summer, I broke both legs in a horseback-riding accident. It was a lifechanging event. For weeks, I was unable to put weight on either leg. I normally cook for and look after my family, so we found the tables turned, as suddenly they had to take care of me. My husband became my nurse, my son became my right-hand man when he wasn’t in school, and my daughter became my entertainment, as she would cuddle beside me and tell me stories from her day. Despite everything, I had daily gratitude that I was still here to be a Mama to my precious children. In light of that, I was hard-pressed to complain about a little pain and not being able to use my legs. The slightest…

JUST A TASTE Page 7: Photo booth props from “Oh Happy Day” blog, ohhappyday.com. TOASTING Pages 27-34: Punch bowl from Crate and Barrel, 800- 967-6696, crateandbarrel.com; dip bowl from Bromberg’s, 205-871-3276, brombergs.com. WOWING Pages 35-46: Grands Classiques Lion Headed soup bowls by Revol, 678-456-8671, revol.bridgecatalog.com; Juliska Berry & Thread loaf pan from Bromberg’s, 205- 871-3276, brombergs.com. SHARING Pages 47-54: “Baked with Love” gift tags by Kristyn Merkley, from “Lil’ Luna” blog, lilluna.com; Muslin bags available at Paper Source, 888-727-3711, paper-source.com.…