A Dessert From The South...With an Asian Twist

 

It's true that ice cream pie is a classic southern dessert. But how about crossing a little bit of Asian flavor with that classic southern staple? Natalie Keng, who wrote the new cookbook Egg Rolls and Sweet Tea stopped by Tonia's Ktichen with a recipe for Gotcha Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream Pie. It combines the power of green tea with the deliciousness of good-old fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream. Give this one a try!

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp culinary grade matcha powder
• 1 stick melted unsalted butter
• 3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 9-inch par-baked pie shell or follow instructions on pre-made pie crust

• Heat oven to 325°, and whisk together dry ingredients.

• STEP 2

  Mix in melted butter.

• STEP 3

  Beat in eggs and egg yolk one at a time, then beat mixture for a few minutes more.

• STEP 4

  Stir in the vanilla and cream.

• STEP 5

  Pour into the pie shell and bake for 45-60 minutes. About halfway through, rotate the pie to get an even browning on top. It's done when the edges are completely set and the center is just a tiny bit wobbly still.

Real Southern Pecan Pie!

Yes, this is the real deal! Pecan Pie is a southern specialty, and now you can find out how to make on authentically. Anne Byrne, who wrote the new cookbook, Baking in the American South, told Tonia's Kitchen that she uses the recipe from Lyndon B. Johnson's family chef Zephyr Wright. That calls for dark corn syrup, but Anne told Tonia that you can use whatever sweetener you choose, like agave syrup or other, more natural syrups. From there, it's nothing but easy perfection, with maybe the exception of how to arrange the pecans on top of the pie. But that's your call!

Playing the Spoons

As in Spoon Rolls. It's an old Southern Tradition and a recipe that dates back to the 1930s and 40s. Anne Byrne, who wrote the new cookbook Baking in the American South, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about these rolls, called as such because back in the day, you would spoon the batter out to place in muffin pans, but only what you needed to for dinner. These rolls, served hot, harken back to the days where refrigeration was only started to appear in American kitchens, and show a very different time.

The Sweet Side of the South

 

So much of what we call American food comes from southern recipes, and this one is no exception. Anne Byrne, who wrote the new cookbook Baking in the American South, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about the stories that come with the recipes, all 200 of them. Among them, Anne told Tonia about Aunt Elizabeth's Banana Pudding, which Anne says is the classic version of the pudding. It's homemade, it's rich and it's sweet, much like a custard. 

.Serves 12

Prep: 45 to 50 minutes

Bake: 12 to 15 minutes

PUDDING1 

1/3 cups (267 grams)granulated sugar

2/3 cup (80 grams) all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

4 cups whole milk

6 large egg yolks

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick/57grams) unsalted butter

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

54 to 58 vanilla wafers

4 to 5 medium-ripe bananas, sliced1/4 inch thick (about 3full cups)

MERINGUE6 large egg whites

3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar

1.Make the pudding: Place the sugar, flour, and salt in a heavy, large saucepan and stir to combine. Set aside.

2.Place the milk in a medium saucepan over low heat and stir until bubbles form around the edges of the pan and the milk is scalded, 3 to 4 minutes. Gradually stir the hot milk into the sugar mixture until combined, then place the large pan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until it thickens, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

3.Place the egg yolks in a small bowl and beat with a fork until lightly combined. Spoon a tablespoon or two of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks and stir with a fork to warm the eggs. Gradually spoon the egg mixture into the milk mixture in the saucepan, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Place the pan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring, until the mixture is smooth and thick, about2 minutes. Stir in the butter and vanilla and let the pudding cool.

4.Line the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with the vanilla wafers, flat side down. Arrange the sliced bananas on top of the cookies. Spoon the pudding over the bananas and spread to cover them.

5.Heat the oven to 350º F, with a rack in the middle.

Make the meringue:

Place the egg whites in a large clean bowl and beat on high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form, 2 minutes. Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes.

7. Using a rubber spatula, spread the meringue on top of the pudding so it covers the surface and nearly touches the edges of the dish. Bake until lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve at once!