Southern/Cajun Cuisine

Coconut Lime Cake

Nonstick flour spray
2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
5 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup coconut milk
1 cup buttermilk
Lime Frosting, recipe follows
Coconut flakes, for garnish
Fresh raspberries, for garnish, optional
Lime slices, for garnish, optional

Lime Frosting:
1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest
5 cup confectioners’ sugar
One 8-ounce container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 cake pans with nonstick flour spray. In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter at medium speed with a mixer until fluffy. Add the egg yolks, coconut extract and vanilla extract, beating until combined. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a small bowl, combine the coconut milk and buttermilk. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with the coconut milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition.

In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into the batter. Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pans and bake for 18 minutes. Let cool.

Spread the Lime Frosting between the layers and on the top and sides of the cake. Press coconut flakes around the cake. Garnish with fresh raspberries and lime slices, if desired. Chill until ready to serve.

Lime Frosting: In a large bowl, beat the butter, lime juice and lime zest at medium speed with a mixer until combined. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, beating until smooth. Add the whipped topping, beating until combined. Makes 8 servings

Okra Fry Bread

1 16-ounce bag frozen whole okra, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
2 teaspoon salt
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup plain cornmeal
1/2 cup chopped Vidalia Onions or Spring onions
2 1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon clarified butter, plus more as needed

In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour and salt. Whisk in water to make a thin batter. Stir in okra and onions. Over medium heat, add clarified butter to a cast iron skillet. Use a small ladle to pour batter onto skillet. Pan should be hot enough to make batter sizzle. Cook until underside is browned, about 3 to 4 minutes, then flip and brown on the other side. Repeat with additional batter, adding more butter as necessary. Makes 8 servings

Ham Dumplings

The bone from a whole ham or 3 pounds ham hock or knuckle
3 quarts water
1 large white onion, peeled and halved
1 large carrot, peeled and cut in large chunks
6 whole peppercorns, plus whole black pepper in a mill
Dumplings (recipe follows)
1 cup leftover boiled (or raw) country ham cut into julienne
1/4 cup chopped parsley plus 2 tablespoons for garnish, optional

Put the bones into a large stock pot and pour the cold water over them. Turn on the heat as low as you can get it and bring the water slowly to the boiling point, carefully skimming off the scum as it pops to the surface. It will take about 45 minutes.

Add the onion, carrot, and peppercorns. Simmer slowly for at least 1 hour, 2 is better. Strain, discarding the solids, return the broth to the pot, bring it back to a boil, and reduce it to 1½ quarts (about half).

Make the dumplings according to the recipe. Drop them a few at a time into the simmering broth and let them simmer for 5 minutes. Add a dusting of freshly milled pepper, stir in the ham and parsley, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes more. Ladle onto a serving platter or individual soup plates, sprinkle with more parsley, and serve at once. Makes 6 servings

Dumplings
10 ounces (about 2 cups) unbleached, all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons lard, shortening, or unsalted butter
1 cup whole milk buttermilk

Sift or whisk together the flour, soda, baking powder, and salt into a mixing bowl. Cut in the lard with a pastry blender until it resembles coarse corn meal. Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk or yogurt. Using a wooden spoon and as few strokes as possible, quickly stir the ingredients together.

To shape flat dumplings (sometimes called “slipperies”) turn the dough onto lightly flour a smooth work surface. Flour you hands and gently push it away from you to flatten. Fold it in half, gently press flat with the heel of your hand, and give it a quarter turn. Repeat this until just smooth, about 12 to 15 folds. Dust the work surface and the dough with more flour and roll it out to a thickness of 1/8-inch. Quickly cut into 1-inch strips, and then cut them into 2-inch lengths. Cook immediately. Makes 6 servings

Coconut Whoopie Pies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons vegetable shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg plus 1 large egg white
3/4 cup light coconut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut, plus more if needed
Coconut Fluff Filling, recipe follows

Coconut Fluff Filling:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup marshmallow creme
1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
2 tablespoons light coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon coconut extract

Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt onto a sheet of waxed paper.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, shortening and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add the egg and egg white and beat until incorporated. Add half the flour mixture and half the coconut milk and beat just until blended. Add the remaining flour and coconut milk with the vanilla and beat until blended.

Using a 1/4-cup ice cream scoop, drop the batter into 12 mounds on the lined baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart (or make 24 mounds using well-rounded tablespoons). Sprinkle half the mounds with coconut (or all of the mounds, if you like).

Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until they begin to crack and are firm to the touch, about 12 minutes for large cookies and 10 minutes for small ones. Slide the parchment paper with the cookies onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Use a thin metal spatula to lift the cookies off the parchment paper. Spread the flat side of the plain cookies generously with Coconut Fluff Filling. Top with the coconut-topped cookies, pressing lightly to seal them together.

Coconut Fluff Filling: Beat the butter and marshmallow creme in a large bowl with a mixer at medium-high speed until fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the confectioners’ sugar, coconut, coconut milk, vanilla and coconut extract until smooth. Makes about 1 3/4 cups

Vanilla Wafer Cake

6 eggs
2 cups sugar
12-ounce box vanilla wafers, crushed
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup milk

Note: An easy way to crush your vanilla wafers is to place half of the box at a time in a gallon zipper-seal bag and roll over them with a rolling pin or glass, then repeat with the other half.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour a tube or Bundt pan. In a large bowl, beat the eggs well. Mix the sugar, vanilla wafers, coconut, pecans and milk into the eggs.

Pour the mixture into the tube or Bundt pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let sit in the pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto a plate. Allow to cool completely. Makes 12 servings