Classic Southern Desserts

There are probably as many different recipes for Chocolate Silk Pie as there are Southern cooks. Well, maybe not that many. But any good church cookbook from the South will give you several different versions. Here’s one for you to try. It’s very easy, yet smacks of gourmet with that smooth, silky taste.

Chocolate Silk Pie

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup butter (don’t substitute margarine)

3 oz. of unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

3 large eggs at room temperature

baked pie shell

Cream the sugar and butter for about 4 minutes until it is light and fluffy. Blend in the cooled chocolate and vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating on medium for about two minutes per egg. Turn into the baked pie shell. Chill in frig for at least three hours or overnight. Serve with whipped cream.

If you’re afraid of uncooked eggs, this is not the pie for you.

Here’s a more recent Southern dessert that uses an old-fashioned ingredient: buttermilk. I don’t really know anybody today who drinks buttermilk, but about 50 years ago I guess everybody in the South had a glass every now and then. My grandfather loved buttermilk, ice cold. He would dip his cornbread in it.

Chocolate Poke Cake

1 devils food cake mix

1 1/3 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup canola oil

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tbsp. cocoa

Blend cake ingredients one minute on low and two minutes on medium. Pour in a greased 9×13 cake pan, and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Topping

1 pkg. vanilla or chocolate instant pudding

1/2 cup powdered sugar

3 cups milk

1 tbsp. vanilla

Mix topping ingredients and stir for one minute. Poke holes in the cake one inch apart. Pour half of topping over holes. Spread remaining topping over the cake. Store in the frig.