Snoop to Nuts (25 page)

STRYCHLY STACKS

In the South, when people were a lot poorer, they used to bring layers of this kind of cake to weddings, to help make the wedding cake. The more friends you had, the taller the cake. Be fun to start the tradition by sending the recipe along with the invitation and see if they get it right.

LAYERS

½ cup sugar

½ cup shortening

⅓ cup molasses

½ cup buttermilk

1 egg

3½ cups flour

1½ tsp. ginger

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. soda

½ tsp. salt

Combine the sugar and shortening in a mixing bowl. Cream together the molasses, buttermilk, and egg, and add to the sugar mixture. Sift the flour, ginger, baking powder, soda, and salt and add to the mixture. Mix well and roll out as pastry. Cut to fit a 9-inch cake pan or a heavy skillet. Bake the layers at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

When cool, stack the layers with sweetened, highly spiced cooked apples made with cinnamon and sugar to taste, and added pecans.

GLAZE

½ cup powdered sugar

1 tbsp. maple syrup

1 tbsp. Garrison Brothers Texas Straight Bourbon

1 cap vanilla

Stir until all the lumps are gone. Pour the glaze over the top of the cake.

Best when made ahead and left to stand—the flavors will meander through the cake and give it a punch.

CYANIDE MINI CINNIES

Good for a hungry crowd. Just watch for sticky fingers. Miss Amelia and Treenie make these by the hundreds. This recipe makes about 40 mini cinnies.

DOUGH

2 cups milk

½ cup canola oil

½ cup sugar

2½ tsp. active dry yeast

4½ cups flour

½ tsp. (heaping) baking powder

½ tsp. (scant) baking soda

2½ tsp. salt

GLAZE

2 sticks butter

1 cup finely chopped pecans

½ cup light Karo Syrup

2 tbsp. Garrison Brothers Texas Straight Bourbon

¾ cup sugar

2 tbsp. cinnamon

To prepare the dough, heat the milk, canola oil, and sugar in a large saucepan until warm but not boiling. Remove from heat and set aside to cool a bit until lukewarm. Sprinkle the yeast over the top of the liquid, and add 4 cups of the flour. Stir to combine, then cover the pan with a dishtowel and let rise for 1 hour.

Stir in the additional ½ cup flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

To prepare the glaze, in a separate pan, melt 1 stick of butter and add the chopped pecans, Karo Syrup, and bourbon. Stir to combine, then remove from heat and set aside.

Melt the additional stick of butter. Set aside.

To prepare the rolls, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll out the dough into a 30-by-8-inch rectangle. Pour on 1 stick of melted butter, then sprinkle sugar and cinnamon evenly over the surface. Starting at the far end, roll the dough into a long roll, rolling toward you. With a sharp knife, cut into thin slices, about ½-inch thick.

Spoon ½ to 1 teaspoon of the pecan-butter-syrup mixture into mini muffin tins. Set a sliced roll into each muffin tin, pressing slightly.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the pans from the oven and allow the rolls to cool for at least 20 minutes. Invert carefully on a platter or cookie sheet. Dig out any pecan mix left in the tin and drip on the rolls.

SOCRATES’ FAVORITE TEXAS CAVIAR

We all know what happened to poor Socrates and the hemlock. Miss Amelia thinks a good dose of her caviar would have saved the man and a lot more thinking would’ve gotten done.

2 (16-oz.) cans black-eyed peas, drained

1 (15-oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained

2 fresh medium jalapeños, stemmed, seeded, and minced

1 small onion, diced

½ yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

6 tbsp. red wine vinegar

6 tbsp. olive oil

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

½ tsp. garlic powder

1½ tsp. cumin

2 cups finely chopped pecans

¼ cup Garrison Brothers Texas Straight Bourbon

Mix all the ingredients, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Before serving, adjust seasonings to taste. Serve with taco chips, crackers, or toast rounds.
Do NOT leave the bowl just lying around if you’ve got murderous relatives.

All of these recipes feed as many as they can. Some of you might make the cookies big, some not so big. It all depends on what kind of eaters you’re feeding. Personally, I like to double everything.

Looking for more?
Visit Penguin.com for more about this author and a complete list of their books.
Discover your next great read!