Listening to Celia Cruz’s “Azúcar Negra” inspired this dish one day as I walked among the oaks of New Orleans City Park. These pralines are a mix of my maternal grandmother’s Mississippi belief that every dinner should include dessert, my mother’s mastery of traditional “pecan candy”, and my own nod to the tropical influences present in New Orleans, often called the… Read More Rum and Coconut Pralines
As the only person in my tribe who had never eaten a tea cake, I felt it was my duty to finally tackle this entrenched southern confection. My good friend and sorority sister, Donna, declared with all seriousness, “Nicole, a good tea cake will change your life.” Getting someone to share a guarded family recipe was no easy… Read More Tea Cakes: Part 1
Confession: sometimes I dare myself to cook things just to see if I can do it good enough to not totally embarrass myself. Tonight I was thinking of my sweet sis-in-law, Sonya, and her delectable lace cookies, and I said “Hot damn, let’s do it!” My first try was hideous. FrankenCookie hideous. But not one… Read More Pecan Lace Cookies
One of the easiest quintessential southern desserts is pecan pie. This recipe is so simple, you could make it every night. But don’t. But you could. But don’t. It’s easily customizable for folks who like their pie just a little sweet or for those who like a little pie with their sugar. However you like it,… Read More Pecan Pie
I’ve always been intimidated by the precision that’s required in baking done right. I have a few sweets that I do well, but I’ll head to the packaged baking mix section of the grocery store in a New York minute. Unfortunately, as we all know, boxed mixes taste like box, right? Yes, most of the time, but… Read More Battle of the Blueberry Muffin Mix
Carol’s Sweet Potato Pie. [Thanksgiving 2015] My first Bread Pudding. [Christmas 2015] Pineapple Upside Down Cupcake with Cream Cheese Icing. [Thanksgiving 2015]
One of my favorite stories about Ma-Mee, my paternal grandmother, is how she made her bread pudding. Always rich and sweet and filled with fruit and raisins, her children fought over the corner pieces to get to the delectable browned crust. She’d buy a couple of loaves of local French bread (Binder’s or Leidenheimer, most… Read More B is for Bread Pudding – and Bravery
Nicole Moliere 