A Love Affair With Southern Cooking_ Recipes and Recollections - Jean Anderson [190]
4. Add the bananas, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 30 seconds. Turn the bananas gently and cook about 30 seconds longer or until slightly softened. Set off the heat and sprinkle in the almonds.
5. For the cream cheese layer: Beat the cream cheese and sugar in a large electric mixer bowl at high speed for about 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed to low and beat in half of the eggs. Scrape the bowl well, then beat in the remaining eggs, the banana liqueur, and vanilla.
6. Scoop half of the cream cheese mixture into the graham cracker crust, smoothing to the edge, then bake uncovered on the middle oven shelf for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
7. Carefully spoon the banana filling over the baked layer, rearranging the bananas, if necessary, so that they do not overlap. Top with the remaining cream cheese mixture, again spreading to the edge.
8. Set the springform pan in a large shallow roasting pan and ease onto the middle oven shelf. Pour enough boiling water into the roaster to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake the cheesecake uncovered for 50 to 60 minutes or until golden on top and set in the center.
9. Transfer the cheesecake to a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cover loosely and refrigerate for 24 hours.
10. Next day, prepare the praline topping: Place the butter and sugar in a large, heavy saucepan, set over moderate heat, and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 to 8 minutes or until the butter melts and the mixture is smooth. Add the water and stir to incorporate. Fold in the pecans and cool the topping to room temperature.
11. To serve, release the springform clamp and lift off the sides of the pan. Leave the cheesecake on the pan bottom, then cut into slim wedges and ladle some of the topping over each portion.
SWEET POTATO PIE
MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS
Baked sweet potatoes, I think, make better pie than boiled sweet potatoes. For two reasons: Baked sweet potatoes are never watery, and that stint in the oven caramelizes some of their natural sugars, making for richer, deeper flavor (I give them about one hour at 400° F.). There are dozens of recipes for sweet potato pie, but this one—a merging of several different recipes that I’ve collected in my prowls about the South—is especially good because it’s not cloyingly sweet.
2 cups firmly packed unseasoned mashed, cooked sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds)
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
¾ cup milk or evaporated milk (I prefer the latter)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
One 9-inch unbaked pie shell (see About Pie Crusts, frontmatter)
1. Preheat the oven to 325° F. Beat the sweet potatoes, granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and salt in a small electric mixer bowl at low speed for about 30 seconds, then at high speed for 1 minute or until light, pausing several times to scrape the bowl.
2. With the mixer at low speed, beat in the eggs one by one. With the mixer still at low speed, add the milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Pour the filling into the pie shell.
3. Slide the pie onto a baking sheet and bake on the middle oven shelf for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until puffed, lightly browned, and a cake tester inserted halfway between the edge and the center comes out clean.
4. If you want to serve the pie warm, cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Or, if you prefer, cool the pie to room temperature before serving. Note: The filling will fall somewhat but this is as it should be.
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TIME LINE: the people and events that shaped Southern Cuisine
1972
Doubleday, attracted by Foxfire magazine and convinced