Mary Reporting. Sour cream, made by fermenting cream with harmless bacteria, has more uses in the kitchen than topping baked potatoes or nachos. It’s a terrific substitute for milk in cakes. Years ago, I found this coffee cake recipe in the Century of Success Cookbook: The Best Gold Medal Recipes of 100 Years, published in 1979. […]
Mary Reporting. The other day as I wandered a huge shopping mall, I detected the smell of ginger and followed my nose straight into a Williams-Sonoma. I lingered for a few moments to take deep breaths of this holiday perfume. I didn’t actually see what the cook prepared—but the aroma put me in need of […]
Mary reporting. It’s time to begin baking holiday cookies. I’ve never had too much success with iced sugar cookies shaped like trees, bells or snowflakes. Too thick, too thin or burned on the bottom is the usual result in my kitchen. Grandmere’s Butter-Pecan Fingers are my favorite cookie to bake and eat this time of […]
Mary Reporting. I think Charlotte Russe holds the top position in the pantheon of Southern desserts because my grandmothers made it only twice a year—Thanksgiving and Christmas. For months, I’d look forward to this traditional confection of whipping cream, eggs and sugar that’s lighter than ice cream, but richer in taste. Charlotte Russe on the […]
It’s a shame most of us have given up real baking. If we dare to make a cake, it’s likely from a boxed mix. We promise this rich chocolate cake is easy and delicious. In its favor, too, is its size—one loaf pan. It’s just the right amount to satisfy a chocolate craving without overindulging. […]
