The Sookie Stackhouse Companion (44 page)

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Authors: Charlaine Harris

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When the candy is all spooned out, press a whole pecan into the top of each praline, if desired. Allow the pralines to cool before serving.
Tip: Store the pralines in a tin lined with waxed paper to seal out humidity.
Cleanup note: Place the pan in the sink and fill it with hot water; let it sit for a little, and it’ll be a lot easier to clean. If it’s still a mess, fill it with water and place it on low heat on a burner. The sugars on the sides of the pan should soon melt away.
Submitted by Denise Little
PERDITA’S BREAD PUDDING WITH BOURBON SAUCE
 
TIME: PREP TIME 35 MINUTES, BAKING TIME 60 MINUTES • SERVES 8
INGREDIENTS:
 
Bread Pudding:
½ cup seedless golden raisins (or dark raisins)
Enough bourbon to soak raisins
10 day-old slices of white bread, torn into pieces
4 cups milk, scalded
1 cup heavy cream
4 large eggs, beaten
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
½ cup pecans, roughly chopped
½ cup apple, peeled and chopped
Warm water
 
 
 
Bourbon Sauce:
2 sticks butter
2 cups powdered sugar
2 eggs
3 Tbsp. bourbon (or more to taste)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a bowl, cover raisins in bourbon to soak. Combine the bread, milk, and cream in a large mixing bowl and stir until blended. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs and sugar together till well blended. Pour egg mixture into bread mixture and stir. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and stir well. Drain soaked raisins. Stir in the melted butter, raisins, pecans, and apple. Pour the mix into a greased 9 × 13” 2-quart baking dish, set the dish in a larger baking pan filled with warm water about 1” deep, and bake for 1 hour. Remove the dish from the pan of water and let the pudding cool.
To prepare the bourbon sauce, melt butter in a double boiler. Combine sugar and eggs in a mixing bowl and stir until sugar dissolves. Add sugar and egg mixture to butter. Whisk sauce in double boiler over hot water until sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat and add bourbon to taste.
Portion out the pudding and spoon bourbon sauce over each serving.
Bread pudding submitted by Belle Franklin; bourbon sauce submitted by Treva Jackson
PORTIA’S SWEET POTATO PIE
 
TIME: PREP TIME 15 MINUTES, BAKING TIME 60 MINUTES • SERVES 8
INGREDIENTS:
 
2 cups canned mashed sweet potatoes
2 eggs
1¼ cups evaporated milk
½ cup sugar
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp. rum
4 Tbsp. melted butter
1 unbaked pie crust (9”)
 
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Mix the sweet potatoes, eggs, evaporated milk, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, rum, and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Pour into the pie crust. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F and bake for an additional 50 minutes, or until the filling is firm.
Submitted by Ali Katz
WICKED PEACH CAKE
 
TIME: BAKING TIME 35–40 MINUTES • SERVES 8–10
INGREDIENTS:
 
1 box yellow cake mix
1 package peach Jell-O
½ cup peach schnapps, divided
3–4 good-sized peaches, chopped to make 1½ cups
½ box powdered sugar
 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a Bundt cake pan.
Prepare cake mix according to box directions. Add Jell-O and ¼ cup schnapps. Fold in peaches. Pour mixture into pan and bake for 35–40 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Let cake cool for a few minutes, then turn it onto a cake plate and let cool until just warm. Mix together ¼ cup schnapps and powdered sugar to make a glaze. Poke several holes into the top of the cake with an ice pick or similar-sized utensil before drizzling the glaze over the cake. Add more schnapps if glaze is too thick.
Submitted in memory of Sharon Hicks
Drinks
 
CLASSIC SOUTHERN SWEET TEA
 
TIME: 15 MINUTES FOR HEATING AND STEEPING • SERVES 8
INGREDIENTS:
 
1 quart water, preferably filtered
1 cup sugar
6 tea bags (flavor of your choice, but plain old Lipton is traditional)
Ice
 
Place a heavy 2-quart stainless steel saucepan on the stove. Fill just over halfway with water.
Add the sugar. Heat the water until the sugar melts, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat.
Drop in the tea bags. Allow to steep for roughly 5 minutes, or to taste. The longer the bags steep, the stronger the tea will be. Remove the tea bags and discard. Add ice to the mixture and stir. Pour the tea into a pitcher. Serve by pouring into ice-filled glasses.
Tip: Garnish with mint or lemon balm, if desired.
Submitted by Denise Little
COUNTRY PORCH LEMONADE
 
TIME: 15 MINUTES • SERVES 6
INGREDIENTS:
 
1 quart water, preferably filtered
1 cup sugar
3 lemons
Ice
 
Place a heavy 2-quart stainless steel saucepan on the stove. Fill just over halfway with water.
Add the sugar. Heat the water until the sugar melts, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat.
While the water is heating, slice the lemons in half. Cut six perfect round slices to garnish with, one from each cut lemon half. Set aside the garnish slices. Juice the six remaining lemon halves. Strain out the seeds and pulp. Add the lemon juice and ice to the warm sugar water. Stir. Pour the lemonade into a pitcher. Serve by pouring into ice-filled glasses. Garnish each glass with a slice of lemon.
Submitted by Denise Little
Inside
True Blood
 
Alan Ball Answers Questions from the Fans
 
A
lthough
True Blood
certainly wouldn’t exist without Charlaine’s celebrated bestselling novel series, there’s no doubt that the driving force behind the sexy, sassy television show is its creator, producer, and writer, Alan Ball, who was captivated with Charlaine’s wonderful characters at first sight and has reimagined them for television while staying true to their original versions at the same time.
When I approached him for an interview about the series and his work, Mr. Ball said yes quickly and graciously. Rather than ask him questions that have no doubt been covered in other venues, I decided to allow the fans a rare chance to ask Mr. Ball questions about his work on
True Blood
and just about anything else Sookie-related that they desired. The response was overwhelming, and I selected the best questions to pass along to him. I’m pleased to reveal his answers here.

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