It is no coincidence that Joyce White’s new book, “Brown Sugar: Soul Food Desserts for Family and Friends” (HarperCollins, $24.95), has a February publication date.
“Black History Month is the perfect time to acknowledge the creative culinary contributions of African-Americans,” White said. And because “brown sugar” is a frequently heard endearment for African-American women, White said the title carries a double meaning. It’s a way of honoring female cooks such as the grandmother, mother and aunts who taught her to cook when she was growing up in rural Choctaw County, Ala. Their names appear in the dedication.
But the book also is a “personal salute and recognition of all my sisters for their sweet offerings,” White wrote in an e-mail. “Much of what we do is overlooked or diminished . . . . I welcome the opportunity to highlight our efforts and accomplishments.”
This is White’s second book. In it she doesn’t stray far from the successful formula used in her first, “Soul Food: Recipes and Reflections from African American Churches.” Drawing on a passion for cooking and her experiences at Ladies Home Journal and, more recently, Heart and Soul magazine, White has collected other people’s recipes and reworked them with clearly written, straightforward instructions. Specific and thoughtful tips shine as valuable additions to the recipe for cookies, pies, cakes, puddings, candy and ice cream.
What qualifies these desserts as soul food rather than Southern? Like “brown sugar,” “soul food” is another term of endearment to White.
“I like to use `soul food’ to describe our deep involvement in the food of the South. And that involvement isn’t limited to ham hocks and chitterlings,” she said. “Most food from the old South carried the African-American signature because we cooked the vast majority of the food. Unfortunately, that signature and the names and identity of so many African-American cooks have been overlooked and forgotten.”
We tackled the book’s most ambitious recipe in our test kitchen, a cake iced with caramel frosting. It came with White’s tips: “Timing is critical, pan sizes are important and you will need sturdy and heavy saucepans that will stand up to scalding caramel sauce without buckling, or hold enough heat to thicken a custard without scorching.”
We took another of White’s reminders about using a tight-fitting lid too casually during the first attempt at the caramel icing. The caramel boiled over. But the finished cake was delicious.
We also tried her coffee caramels, an Alabama recipe from her Aunt Mary made with whipping cream and espresso. It also benefited from a tight-fitting lid and careful attention to a candy thermometer.
“I prefer softer caramels, and I stop the syrup at 240 degrees rather than let it go to 245 degrees, which is the traditional temperature,” White writes in the recipe introduction. The caramels offered a hint of coffee flavoring and a luscious bite, not the slightest bit gummy.
Some of the book’s recipes come with lengthy sentences identifying contributors, often including names, occupations, graduate degrees and hobbies of family members. A colleague described these details as much more information than she needed to know before baking a pie. For example, White describes the old-fashioned coconut custard pie we tested as a composite of three submissions from her friends “using Brenda’s nutmeg, and Bernice’s buttermilk; the cream of coconut is from Norma, who hails from beautiful Jamaica.”
Perhaps the long tributes represent White’s way of thanking contributors for parting with treasured family recipes. Or maybe it is her small way of making up for a history of unheralded contributions by African-American cooks.
Coffee caramels
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Yield: About 60 caramels
From “Brown Sugar: Soul Food Desserts for Family and Friends.”
3/4 cup whipping cream
2 to 3 tablespoons instant espresso powder, such as Medaglia D’Oro
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Have ready a pastry brush, a cup of hot water for brushing the sugar crystals from the sides of the pan, a candy thermometer, a long-handled wooden spoon, and a metal spatula.
2. Butter generously an 8- to 9-inch metal baking pan and set aside. (Do not use glass; the piping hot candy may crack it!) Combine the cream and espresso powder in a 4-quart heavy saucepan. Place the pan on medium-low heat and heat the mixture, stirring with the wooden spoon, until the coffee dissolves. Add both sugars, corn syrup, butter and condensed milk.
3. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook the mixture, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved and the butter is melted, for about 5 minutes. Bring the syrup to a boil, cover the pan, and cook the syrup for 3 minutes. Remove the lid. Dip the brush in water and brush the sides of the pan. Attach the thermometer inside the pan.
4. Cook the syrup, without stirring, swirling the pan by the handle to cook evenly, until the candy reaches 240 to 245 degrees, frequently brushing the sides of the pan with the damp brush. This should take from 13 to 14 minutes.
5. Remove the thermometer. Sprinkle over the vanilla extract and swirl the pan to combine with the syrup. Immediately pour the candy into the baking pan. Smooth evenly with the wooden spoon or a metal spatula. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cool enough to touch.
6. Using a sharp knife, mark the top of the warm candy into 1-inch squares for easy cutting. If the candy is still not firm, let cool for a few more minutes. Then turn the candy out onto a chopping board, top side up. Using a large sharp, buttered knife, carefully cut into 1-inch pieces, using the marking on the top as a guide. Spread the candy on a sheet of buttered foil or wax paper and cool completely on wire racks. For storing, wrap each piece in a square of wax paper or a candy wrapper, or place between layers of wax paper in an airtight container.
Nutrition information per caramel (calculated by the Tribune):
60 calories, 30% calories from fat, 2 g fat, 1.3 g saturated fat, 7 mg cholesterol, 9 mg sodium, 11 g carbohydrate, 0.3 g protein, 0 g fiber
Three sisters coconut pie
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
From “Brown Sugar: Soul Food Desserts for Family and Friends.”
1 lightly baked 9-inch pie shell
3 large eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons flour or cornstarch
1/4 cup coconut cream, such as Coco Lopez or Coco Goya
2 cups buttermilk or undiluted evaporated milk
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg, or to taste
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the eggs, sugar and flour or cornstarch in a large bowl. Beat briskly with a whisk until well blended. Stir in the coconut cream, milk, salt and vanilla extract, mixing until blended. Add the coconut and stir again.
2. Pour the filling into the partially baked pie crust. Sprinkle the top of the pie with the nutmeg. Set the pie on the middle oven shelf and bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the pie is puffy and light golden, and a knife inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Don’t overbake.
3. Remove the pie from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack. If you must chill, bring to room temperature for 20 or so minutes before serving.
Nutrition information per serving (calculated by the Tribune):
390 calories, 42% calories from fat, 18 g fat, 10 g saturated fat, 110 mg cholesterol, 330 mg sodium, 50 g carbohydrate, 8 g protein, 1.4 g fiber
