White House Pecan Pie

Over the James river and through the woods of Dinwiddie County to grandmother's house we went for the holidays. The pecan pie alone was well worth the trip!

My grandmother, "Meme", found her pecan pie recipe printed in The Progress-Index on Wednesday February 26, 1964 and was said to be "Mrs. Landon B. Johnson's Favorite Pie" (typo and all). The recipe is actually the masterpiece of Zephyr Wright, the Johnson family's White House cook.

White House Pecan Pie

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
Fluted unbaked pastry shell in a 9-inch pie pan or plate

Allow the butter to stand in a covered medium mixing bowl at room temperature until it is extremely soft. Add sugar, corn syrup, salt and vanilla; with a sturdy hand rotary beater or mixing spoon, beat until thoroughly blended. Add eggs and beat gently just until blended. Fold in the pecans. Pour into pastry shell. Bake in a moderate (375 degrees) oven on the rack directly below the center rack until top is toasted brown and filling is set in center when pie is gently shaken - about 40 to 50 minutes.

Pastry edge should be browned and the bottom pastry a pale gold. If top of pie gets very dark toward end of baking time, place a tent of foil over it. Cool on wire rack. If desired, serve with unsweetened whipped cream.

I make this pie every Thanksgiving and Christmas because it's absolutely delicious and brings back memories of holidays spent at Meme's Farm in Ford, VA.

Enjoy!

Gum Paste Cake Decorating Tips For Beginners

Making gum paste decorations is an art in itself.  The results are durable and can be saved as souvenirs long after the cake has been eaten.  Following are some cake decorating tips to help you along the way as you explore experiment with gum paste:

Purchase gum paste at a local arts and craft or cake decorating supply store - some enthusiasts make their own, but you may want to skip this step at first.
Familiarize yourself with the many colors available.  You can add color yourself with a gel or paste - or purchase colored gum paste.
When coloring be very careful to not use too much color gel or paste.  Knead in tiny amounts at a time.  Application with a toothpick helps you to control the amount you use.
Start with simple projects first and then progress to more complicated ones.  A lily is one of the simpler flowers.  Also try creating your own fantasy figures, such as a teddy bear or gnome.
You don't even have to make your own flowers - you can purchase them at a bakery or cake decorating supply center. Ready-made flowers are also useful as templates you can copy.
Give yourself lots of time if you are planning to make your own decorations - especially if you are inexperienced.  You can achieve wonderful, colorful results, but the work is very detailed and time consuming - involving cutting, molding, shaping, detailing, and assembling each creation.
Keep the gum paste covered at all times and wrap it tightly when you put it away - just like other malleable substances, it is not workable when it dries out.

What Tools Do You Need?

You can purchase a tool kit or only tools that will suit your current project. Some of the tools that are handy for working with gum paste are:

Dog bone shaping tool - helps to shape flower petals
Shell tool for making lines on flower petals
Umbrella, Ball, and Veining tools are other shaping tools specifically designed for flower making
Cutters
Foam surface to cut on
Heavy gauge wire for spearing a piece while you work on it
Small brushes.

Finding More Cake Decorating Tips

Unless you are a very artistic person or have experience making decorations with fondant, the most efficient route for acquiring skills will be from an experienced instructor or even an instructional video.  This is probably the most practical gum paste cake decorating tip, that is:  Attend a class or workshop to gain a solid foundation in the skills you need to work with gum paste.  This foundation will be the springboard for your own personal style and creativity.

Historic Steam Train Arriving in White Rock ~ Royal Hudson ~

Our little town is celebrating its 50th Anniversary as a City...the main event is the arrival of the rebuilt historic steam train the "Royal Hudson" ( this is not a typical "Beeke" video :-)) Sorry for the really bad video quality!...I suggest watching it in the smallest format...gives you the sharpest image.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SO-H9QhczMc&hl=en

ZOO DI 105 - Zanfo Zanfagni E Il Gelato (05.05.10)

Bellissima puntata



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxS1T1O3NeA&hl=en

Two Delicious Lemon Cake Desserts

Sunday dinners and holidays were always a special treat at my mother-in-law's house. She was famous throughout the county for her wonderful desserts. Here are two lemon cake recipes she enjoyed making. Sadly, we lost her in April 2008, but these and other recipes bring us sweet memories of her joy in serving her family nutritious meals and delicious desserts. Happy mealtimes bring a family together through memories shared. Build some memories for your family and try these wonderful lemony desserts today.

Lemon Meringue Cake
(makes 12-16 servings)

1 pkg. Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme Deluxe Cake Mix
1 regular-size package lemon pudding and pie filling
2 egg whites
1/4 cup sugar

Using 8 inch round cake pans, make and cool cake as directed on the label. Cook lemon pudding and pie filling as directed for pie filling. Cool 30 minutes according to the box instructions; stir several times. Beat egg whites until frothy; gradually add sugar; beat until stiff but not dry. Split each cake layer into 2 thin layers. Stack on cookie sheet or oven-proof plate, spread lemon pudding between layers and on top of cake. Spread meringue around sides of cake. Bake at 450 degrees F for about 5 minutes, until light brown. Cool to room temperature before serving. Store cake in the refrigerator.

Lemon Pound Cake

1 package Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme Deluxe Cake Mix
1 Package lemon instant pudding mix (4 serving)
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup Crisco oil
1 cup water
4 eggs
10 lemon drop candies

Blend all ingredients in large bowl, then beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Bake in a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan at 350 degrees F for about 45-55 minutes, until center springs back when touched lightly. Cool right side up for about 25 minutes, then remove from pan.

Glaze: Blend 1 cup confectioner's sugar with either 2 tbsp. lemon juice. Drizzle over cake. Press lemon drops into the glaze at equal distances.

Get Your Favorite Retro Sweets Just Because You Can

Do you ever have that perfectly sunny day and you just wish you're eating your favorite retro sweets to make the day complete? Well, you don't have to keep on wishing any longer because the candies, chocolates and lollipops you've been wishing for are not impossible to reach. Believe it or not, all of your favorites are available 24/7 online. Simply log on to your computer, go to an online candy shop and you'll have stocks of your favorite sweets.

When people say or hear retro sweets, they instantly reminisce in nostalgia those days when they have packs upon packs of their favorite sweets with them. They usually remember those classic treats such as gobstoppers, licorice sticks, sherbet lemons, kola kubes and more. Who would ever forget those days when they and their siblings or friends would enjoy and marvel in the sweetness of dainty candy necklaces? And who would forget trips to the candy store with their dads or grandparents just to get that large, colorful and striped lollipop?

Retro sweets have always been present in the lives of children decades ago. Until now, these kids, now probably adults, still have a wishful thinking for their favorite candies then. And it probably includes you. To have delectable and mouthwatering sweets does not require any special occasion. A good mood, a rainy day or a sunny sky are all perfect reasons to grab your favorite and gobble them as if you're a child once more.

What's even more exciting is that you can actually share all of these with your friends and loved ones whom you know will love to receive sweets or any gift from you. Once again, it doesn't have to be a special occasion. You can surprise them with retro sweets just because you remembered them, because you want to let them know how you feel, or simply because you want to.

Pack your retro sweets in fancy wrappings or simple containers and you have a present. Surely, all of them want the same things once in a while so to have their childhood sweets once again. Who knows? If you give them your gifts, you're making their dreams come true.

Vivoli Gelato Making

Come and join our crew as they were instructed on the fine art of gelato making by Vivoli Gelateria. Enjoy!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJYiHykhnx0&hl=en