Sweet Potato Cobbler with Streusel Topping, Lemon Blueberry Cream Pie, and Fried Strawberry Pies:

Hey guys…what’s up? Welcome back to Miz Judi’s Kitchen. Pull up a dern chair and sit awhile!

You know that Deb’s had me…GASP…on a diet. I’m down to 278, which happens to be, hang on, I’m tryin to do the math. I’ve had to kick my shoes off to help me add this up…hmm, looks like…39 pounds. Shoot, if I’d been a normal size guy to start off with, I’d probably look like I had aids by now!! LOL!!

But, being as I was, well, let’s see, kinda pleasantly plump, I’m still…kinda pleasantly plump, just not quite so bad!! LOL!!

Anyway, desserts have not been on Deb and my list of things to eat for the last few months. She surely doesn’t need the sugar, and dad-gummit, I REALLY don’t either! So, most times now, desserts to us are like…fantasizing!

Yeah, it’s quite a bit different than fantasizing at say, age 25, but I gotta tell ya something. I can’t honestly say that my fantasizing over a dern dessert at age 55, is ANY LESS appealing than fantasizing over, well, let’s just say something else, when I was 25!! LOL!!

I think Deb does pretty well in regards to no desserts, but dern if I don’t miss em!

Quickly though, I have to tell you this morning, that Deb is doing absolutely great! She still feels good, looks good, and is very, very positive that here before long, this stuff will be whipped! What an inspiration she is to me!

So, today, in honor of I, and we, can’t have them, we’re gonna fire off the cook stove and talk lovingly of…DESSERTS! I guess after cooking them up, we’ll just…feed em to the dogs!

Ain’t it a dern shame you guys don’t live a little closer? If so, you could have swung by the house here this morning, and took these babies back home with you today…for about 6-7 bucks a pop!! LOL!

Let’s get started…

These recipes today come from the cookbook, “Best Kept Secrets of the South’s Best Cooks.” It is compiled by the editors of Southern Living.

Sweet Potato Cobbler:

• ½ cup butter or margarine
• 2 tablespoons whipping cream
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced, (about 1-1/2 pounds)
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine
• 1-2/3 cups self-rising flour
• ½ cup buttermilk
• **Streusel Topping (see below)

Melt ½ cup butter in a 10-1/2 inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Whisk in whipping cream, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg. Remove from heat.

Layer sweet potato slices evenly in cream mixture. Cover with aluminum foil, and place on a baking sheet.

Bake on 350 for 20 minutes. Uncover.

Cut 1/3 cup butter into flour with a fork or pastry blender until crumbly; stir in buttermilk until moistened. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead 3 to 4 times. Pat or roll dough onto a 10-1/2 inch circle; place over cobbler. Sprinkle with Streusel topping.

Bake uncovered, on 350, for 25 minutes or until golden.

Streusel Topping:

• 1/3 cup uncooked regular oats
• 1-1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, cut into pieces
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans

Combine oats, flour and brown sugar; cut in butter with a fork or pastry blender until crumbly. Stir in pecans.

Lemon-Blueberry Cream Pie:

• 1-2/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• 1 (3.4 oz.) package lemon instant pudding mix
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
• ½ cup lemon juice
• 1 pint fresh blueberries
• 2 tablespoons blueberry preserves
• 1 cup whipping cream
• Garnishes: lemon slices, fresh blueberries

Stir together graham cracker crumbs, butter, and granulated sugar; press evenly in bottom and up sides of a 9 inch pie plate.

Bake on 350 for 8 minutes; remove to a wire rack, and cool completely.

Beat cream cheese, milk, and powdered sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add pudding mix, rind, and juice; beat until blended. Spread half of lemon mixture evenly onto crust.
Stir together blueberries and preserves; spread evenly over lemon mixture. Spread remaining lemon mixture over blueberry mixture; cover and chill for 2 hours, or until set.

Beat whipping cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form, and spread around outer edge of pie, forming a 3 inch border. Garnish, if desired.

Fried Strawberry Pies:

• 2 cups fresh strawberries, mashed
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 1 (15 oz.) package of refrigerated pie crusts
• Vegetable oil
• Powdered sugar

Combine strawberries, granulated sugar, and cornstarch in a saucepan. Bring strawberry mixture to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute, or until thickened. Cool completely.

Roll 1 piecrust to press out fold lines’ cut into 9 circles with a 3 inch cutter. Roll circles into 3-1/2 inch diameters; moisten edges with water. Spoon 2 teaspoons strawberry mixture in the center of a circle; fold over, pressing edges to seal. Repeat with remaining crust and strawberry mixture. Place pies on a single layer on a baking sheet, and freeze at least 1 hour.

Pour oil to a depth of 1 inch into a large heavy skillet; heat to 350. Fry pies in batches, 1 minute on each side or until golden. Drain on paper towels; sprinkle with powdered sugar.