Sweet State of Mine

South Carolina - Benne Wafers

I love South Carolina! I lived in this amazing state for 8 years and enjoyed the upcountry mountains and the lowcountry beaches. One of the best things about South Carolina, besides the people, is the distinct feel and cultural influences you experience in various regions of the state.

For instance, Benne Wafers are a lowcountry specialty that date back to Colonial times and are still popular, especially in Charleston. Benne is the Bantu word for Sesame which was brought to the US from East Africa in the 17th century.

These simple, historic cookies are thought to bring good luck to those who eat them!

ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup toasted sesame seeds

recipe

cream butter, sugar, salt, vanilla, baking soda and egg together
add the flour and mix until smooth
stir in sesame seeds by hand
drop by tablespoons onto parchment lined or lightly greased baking sheets
bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 8 - 9 minutes or until golden brown
remove from oven, allow to cool for 1 minute on pan then transfer to wire rack to cool completely

These thin, crispy on the edges but chewy on the inside cookies are delicious and it's nice having a sweet sesame flavor for a change!

I can see why these beautiful cookies have such an important place in lowcountry culture and cuisine and have lasted for centuries!

Enjoy!
mbf

Rhode Island - Coffee Milk

While this might not be a traditional dessert recipe, Rhode Island's Coffee Milk certainly fits the bill for Sweet State of Mine: find something specific to each state that everyone there knows about, but that might be unfamiliar to people outside of the state.

Since I don't have a long list of ingredients or detailed recipe to share, I thought you might like to read more about Coffee Milk from Wikipedia:

History

"Coffee milk was introduced to Rhode Island sometime in the early 1930s. It came about from creative diner and drugstore operators trying to attract new customers with new and innovative drinks. One of these operators, the identity of whom has been lost to history, sweetened leftover coffee grounds with milk and sugar. This created a molasses-like extract that became popular. Coffee milk became a favorite among Rhode Islander and Southeastern Massachusetts residents, and created a demand for this coffee syrup. The demand was so great that, in 1993, it beat out Del's Lemonade as the official drink of Rhode Island.

Availability

In southeastern parts of the U.S. region of New England, it can be found in the dairy case of stores right next to other flavored milks such as chocolate, strawberry and vanilla, and is often found on the beverage menus of diners throughout the area.

The drink is difficult to find outside of the New England region, however, and travelers requesting it are often mistakenly served coffee with milk. One well-known brand of coffee syrup is "Autocrat", which also produces the Eclipse and CoffeeTime brands of coffee syrups, is based in Lincoln, Rhode Island.

Coffee milk is on tap in the dining halls of Brown University and the University of Rhode Island, confounding many of the students from outside the state.

Recently, the syrup became available as far south as Florida, but under different packaging. It is branded as "Coffee Time" syrup - still made by Autocrat in Rhode Island."

I was able to find Coffee Time syrup in Hoboken...

but, I wanted the original, real deal Rhode Island coffee syrup - Autocrat!

I found a source online, placed my order and a few days later, had my own bottle to make Rhode Island's Official state drink!

ingredients

So, to make your own glass of Coffee Milk, mix 2 Tablespoons of Autocrat syrup into 8 ounces of cold milk and drink up!

Coffee Milk is sweeter than an iced coffee but is a quick, easy treat perfect for the summer months!

Enjoy!
mbf

Pennsylvania - Shoofly Pie

"Shoo fly, get off my pie!" This seems to be the most common theory on how this famous, sticky sweet Pennsylvania Dutch pie got it's name. Like most popular recipes, there are many variations of Shoofly Pie. At a high level, Shoofly Pie is categorized as being "wet bottom" or "dry bottom". The type and combination of syrup / sugar used is also a point of distinction in PA: white sugar, brown sugar, molasses, corn syrup (light or dark), golden syrup, or honey.

I was not familiar with golden syrup until I started reading recipes and saw King Syrup listed as an ingredient. I read that many Pennsylvania bakers prefer using King Syrup in their Shoofly Pie because it lends a more subtle sweetness than a pie made with only molasses. I love trying new products, so I ordered a bottle to use in my Shoofly Pie!

One fun note, the name of the recipe I used is actually " Breakfast Shoo Fly Pie" - so I guess you can eat this for dessert & breakfast! : )

ingredients
1 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 heaping Tablespoon Crisco shortening
1 cup King Syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup boiling water
1 egg, beaten
dough for pie crust or pre-made 9 inch crust

recipe

preheat oven to 375 degrees
mix flour, brown sugar and shortening into crumbs. split the crumb mixture in half. set the one half aside for crumb topping.
pour the King Syrup in the other half of the crumb mixture
mix the baking soda in the boiling water. when this fizzes, pour on top of the King Syrup / crumb mixture. if the soda/water doesn't fizz, the water isn't hot enough or the baking soda is bad. dump out water and try again. the pie won't rise if it doesn't fizz.
add the beaten egg and mix with fork
pour mixture into unbaked pie shell then top with remaining crumbs
bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 10 minutes. DO NOT open the door, turn the temperature down to 350 degrees and bake an additional 30 - 40 minutes.

Super sweet and simple - and apparently, suitable for any time of day!

Enjoy!

mbf

Oregon - Hazelnut Trail Mix

Oregon is the largest producer of Hazelnuts (aka Filberts) in the United States contributing 98% of domestic supply - I had no idea!

I've never been to Oregon, but if you were to play a round of word association with me, Oregon Trail would be the first thing I would say when asked about the state. I guess that's a result of being a child of the 80's and loving the computer game, The Oregon Trail.

In my research, I found a recipe from the Oregon Hazelnut Commission that would allow me to combine Hazelnuts and The Oregon Trail - Oregon Hazelnut Trail Mix!

ingredients
6 cups Kix cereal
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped or whole, roasted Oregon hazelnuts
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup banana chips
1 small cook and serve (not instant) vanilla pudding mix
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup peanut butter

recipe

mix cereal, nuts, raisins and banana chips together
in saucepan, combine vanilla pudding mix and honey; bring to a boil and boil 30 seconds
remove from heat
stir in peanut butter, mix well
pour over cereal mix and mix until coated
put on cookie sheet to cool

The vanilla pudding gives this sweet trail mix a neat flavor and makes it a fun new treat for lunch boxes, parties and of course, hiking the trails!

Enjoy!
mbf

Oklahoma - Pecan Pie

The people of Oklahoma have taken the "official state food" game to a new level and covered all the bases by designating their official state MEAL!

Which is...
Fried okra, squash, cornbread, barbecue pork, biscuits, sausage and gravy, grits, corn, strawberries, chicken fried steak, pecan pie, and black-eyed peas.

WOW! I'm full just reading the list! I'm happy they chose such a delicious, southern classic as their official dessert!

ingredients
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup sugar
1 cup dark Karo corn syrup
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups pecans (chopped or halves)
1 unbaked or frozen deep dish 9 inch pie crust

recipe

preheat oven to 350 degrees
in large bowl stir first 5 ingredients together until well blended
stir in pecans
pour into pie crust
bake 55 - 65 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean and pie springs back when gently pressed
cool on a wire rack

*to use a frozen crust, do not thaw. preheat oven and cookie sheet (to catch spills). pour filling into the crust and then place on preheated cookie sheet to bake.

Y-U-M!!!

For some reason I seem to only think of Pecan Pie at Thanksgiving, but such a simple, all-season pie really should make it onto our plates more than just once a year. Thank's for the reminder Oklahoma!