Anson Mills 2.0

You may remember I'm a fan of Anson Mills' products (they sell grits, flour, etc. from heirloom grains). So when I got an e-mail from them that they'd redesigned their website, I thought I should share the news with you all. If you need some cooking/baking ingredients, definitely head on over to AnsonMills.com to do some shopping.

The Cure for "Cook's Block"

Since the holidays, I’ve been in something of a cooking funk. Maybe it was the gluttony of the season that did it … all I know is that for the last several weeks, few recipes have appealed to me. And even the ones that did weren’t enough to make me heed the siren call of the cook stove.

But then, last week, the February 2012 issue of Southern Living arrived. On its cover were three of my favorite words: “Classic Southern Desserts.” And inside, nestled amongst the recipes for Caramelized Banana Pudding and Tangerine Chess Pie, was Hummingbird Bundt Cake.

I love Hummingbird Cake (the original recipe, published by Southern Living in 1978, was submitted by fellow North Carolinian Mrs. L.H. Wiggins of Greensboro, N.C.), but it’s not something I’ve often had. It’s a delicacy I’ve found most frequently at church luncheons, where the best and brightest stars of the recipe box are tantalizingly displayed. This new take on Hummingbird Cake was appealing because of its simplicity; namely, being in the form of a bundt cake. (Any layer cake I’ve ever tried has been a lopsided disaster. And don’t get me started on my lack of talent with applying frosting.)

This recipe, with its simple list of ingredients, ease of preparation and quick yet delectable cream cheese glaze, will be one of my go-to recipes when an impressive yet sinfully easy dessert is called for.

And best of all, I think my case of “cook’s block” may be over.

What's Your Movie Menu Inspiration?

The Pioneer Woman just had a post on Truvy's Cuppa Cuppa Cuppa cake from Steel Magnolias. Yes, Steel Magnolias. A film that, despite the melodrama and phony Southern accents, is still an enjoyable watch--due mainly to the trifecta of Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine and Olympia Dukakis.

Anyway, Ree (the Pioneer Woman) has a bit of a love affair with the movie and has successfully recreated Truvy's recipe.

But it made me wonder: What about the bleeding armadillo cake? You know, the red velvet groom's cake atrocity served at Shelby's wedding reception in the movie.

Well, as it turns out, the Internet is lousy with armadillo cakes. There are how-to guides and Flickr galleries. I even found a bakery called Red Velvet Armadillo Bakeshop. Basically, if you have the inclination to bake and decorate such a thing yourself, you have plenty of online help and inspiration.

So, I got to thinking ... What are some other movie-inspired recipes I'd like to try (either out of food lust or novelty's sake)? Hmmm. I might need ideas. What are some that you'd like to try (or have tried)? Let us know!

My Achilles ... Tooth?

My sweet tooth is my Achilles heel. If it’s a sweet confection that’s glazed, cream-filled, sprinkled with sugar, dusted with cocoa or covered in frosting, I am powerless to resist it.

Of all the glorious things that can be done to desserts, the application of frosting is by far my favorite. I remember the brownies my grandmother used to make: dark, dense, rich and topped with a layer of chocolate frosting. For years, I didn’t know brownies could come any other way.

And then there are doughnut holes. Doughnut holes are good, right? Bite-sized and glazed, they’re a perfect little snack. But imagine them injected with just a dollop of frosting. That, as far as I’m concerned, renders them practically irresistible. And where can you get such a delectable thing? The Fancy Pastry Shop in Lexington, N.C., of course.

From the time I was a little tow-headed tyke, I remember going with my mother to Fancy Pastry. Inside were glass cases filled with cookies, pies, tarts, turnovers, Danishes, doughnuts, cakes—every sweet imaginable. And bread, rolls and biscuits too.

It’s their cakes, though, that I find most enthralling, because Fancy Pastry’s frosting is the best frosting ever. Light, fluffy, sweet, creamy … it’s sheer perfection. Period.

My mother always insists that her birthday cake come from Fancy Pastry. And, because we share the same sweet tooth gene, she always insists that the top of the cake not have the standard “Happy Birthday” script and a few meager flowers. Rather, it has to be covered entirely in flowers and decoration, resulting in a layer cake with frosting nearly 2 inches thick on top.

What could make a birthday—or any day, for that matter—happier?

Biscuit-Challenged

Being a born-and-bred Southerner, it’s with some trepidation (and embarrassment) that I admit to being biscuit-challenged.

I just wasn’t fortunate enough to inherit the biscuit-making gene that my grandmothers put so often to good use. Try as I might, every effort I make at creating light, fluffy biscuits results in my being rewarded with a pan full of dense little discs suitable only for use as doorstops.

In fact, the only edible bread I’ve been able to make is what my grandmother Juanita called a hoe cake. She made one whenever she was out of “light” bread (her term for store-bought loaf bread). There’s no recipe for her hoe cake; it consists simply of self-rising flour, shortening and milk, mixed together in varying amounts until the “right” consistency is reached. She usually baked it in a small metal frying pan, whose handle had broken off years before, until it was golden brown and looked like a big, fluffy … well, biscuit.

But once in a while, usually on special occasions like Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas, she would make Angel Biscuits. Sort of a hybrid biscuit and yeast roll, I can still see them put aside to rise in a muffin tin, three little round balls in each cup, like a cloverleaf. The best part, though, was when they were fresh from the oven, broken apart, smeared with butter and light as an angel’s wings.

I will admit, too, that I have never tried to make my grandmother’s Angel Biscuits. But with Easter on its way, it might be just the special occasion to give them a try.

(Note: Although the recipe calls for rolling the dough and cutting it with a biscuit cutter, my grandmother shaped it into little balls, putting three in each cup of a muffin pan to form a cloverleaf roll.)

Angel Biscuits

1 package active dry yeast

2 Tablespoons warm water (105 to 115 degrees)

1 cup shortening

5 cups self-rising flour

¼ cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups buttermilk

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Cut shortening into flour, sugar and baking soda with a pastry blender until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in buttermilk and yeast mixture until dough leaves side of bowl (dough will be soft and sticky). Turn dough onto generously floured cloth-covered board. Gently roll in flour to coat; shape into a ball. Knead 25 to 30 times, sprinkling with flour if dough is too sticky. Place dough in lightly greased bowl; cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours but no longer than 3 days. Use as needed.

Roll or pat dough ½-inch thick. Cut with floured 2-inch biscuit cutter. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Let rise in warm place until double, about 1 hour.

Heat oven to 400. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. About 3 ½ dozen biscuits.