By Andy Bedwell
During the summer season, I love to pull out recipes that are centered around our fresh fruits. This has been an excellent year for fresh blueberries and strawberries. Pies, tarts and cobblers bring back so many memories of my mother’s kitchen. I hope that some of my pies and cobblers that you bake will make a mighty impression on your family and become treasured recipes in your home as well.
Apple Slab Cobbler
6-7 peeled and
thinly sliced apples
¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons cornstarch
Shake of nutmeg
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Mix together the above and pour into a deep-dish unbaked pie crust.
¾ stick of butter, divided
2 frozen pie crust
Bake the bottom crust for about 10 minutes before adding the apple mixture.
Thinly slice some butter on top of mixture. Cover with a second pie crust and slice remainder of butter on top.
Sprinkle a little sugar on top before sliding pie into the oven. Bake at 325 degrees for about one and one-half hours, or until brown.
Andy’s Note: I made this over the weekend and my bunch is still talking about the Apple Slab Cobbler. The picture is at the top of my column. It reminds me of buttered fried apples with a great sauce.
Blueberry Pie
1 cup sugar
2 heaping tablespoons
cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups fresh blueberries
2 deep dish pie crust
1 tablespoon butter
Mix sugar, cornstarch or four tablespoons flour and salt. Sprinkle over fruit in unbaked pie crust. Dot with butter and adjust top crust and cut in vents, or you can use lattice top crust. Bake at 325 degrees for about 45 minutes.
Andy’s Note: This pie is so easy and so good. You must top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. I always refer this as to one of my “plate pies.”
Crisp Pecan Cookies
1 yellow cake mix, plus three tablespoons from another box
1 egg
¾ cup Crisco oil
1 cup semi-sweet
chocolate chips
1 cup English Toffee bits
1 ½ cups chopped pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla
Mix all ingredients together and bake at 325 degrees for about 12 minutes. I baked these on parchment paper.
Glaze: Melt the white almond bark and drizzle it on top of the cookies while they are still warm. While the bark is still warm, sprinkle with crushed pecans.
Andy’s Note: My buddies at CVS called and said that they were really enjoying the cookies. The combination of the chips, toffee bits and pecans are so tasty. These are so easy and so good.
Happy Cooking, Andy
“Southern Cooking with Andy Bedwell” can be purchased at Alabama Gift Company in Downtown Gadsden and the Messenger on Rainbow Drive.