A Taste of Tradition: Baking
in the American South
By Bobbie Kitto
Recipe Included: Sweet Potato Pie
When I was asked to review Anne Byrn’s most recent book BAKING IN THE AMERICAN SOUTH, I had a Déjà vu moment.
Anne Bryn
I knew the name, but didn’t know why. Then it dawned on me why the author’s name was so familiar. For the past 20 yrs. I had been going to her book the Cake Dr. (deluxe edition) whenever I needed a spectacular cake, without the extra effort.
I agreed to review the book and impatiently waited for its’ arrival. I wondered what magic she would show me this time. Then I received the book, I knew I had been given a special treat.
I opened it up and felt like I had hit the lottery. Normally, I don’t like cookbooks that combine stories and family history about people I don’t know. This book was different. The stories and the people they were about were from time frames with which I could relate.
The first story is about President Lyndon Johnson’s family cook. Although Ms. Zephyr Wright was asked to become the White House chef, she could not travel on the presidential plane to Washington because of the Jim Crow laws in effect at the time.
President Johnson said her experiences were one of the reasons he signed the Equal Rights amendment. There are many more stories of about the South and how their recipes came about do to historical events, like the blockades during the Civil War restricting what food ingredients they had to cook with and about how the Southern cooks dealt with rationing in both World Wars. There are 200 hundred recipes and stories to go with them. I loved every one of them.
Anne starts her book out by giving us a lesson on cornmeal and the many ways it can be used besides cornbread. There is a lot more to this mainstay of the south then just its’ humble ingredients. The history is our nation’s history.
Next lessons are given on biscuit making from the simple to the elegant like Grandma’s French Biscuits (pg. 89) and tips on how to make your own homemade baking powder.
Next chapter, Quick Loaves, Griddle Cakes, Waffles, and Fritters will secrets to making French Market Beignets (pg. 134). Malinda Russell’s Lemon Drizzle loaves (pg. 116) and Bebe’s (the author’s mother’s recipe) Banana Bread (pg.122) recipes are a reminder that breads do not have to be a lot of work.
Looking for some interesting recipes for Roll, Breads, and yeast-Raised Cakes? The fourth chapter will be one of the most read chapters in this book. There are lots of tips for making these special treats.
Comforting Puddings is a chapter that will bring back a lot of childhood memories. This chapter covers everything from Grown-Up Chocolate pudding (pg. 203), Aunt Elizabeth’s Banana pudding (pg. 206) to Maria Malone’s Flan (pg. 208).
Pies Plain and Fancy are the next chapter in the book. George Washington Carver’s Sliced Sweet Potato Pie (pg. 286) is one of recipes that is demonstrated on the presentation link https://youtu.be/xYOqUrCr8zk.
The chapter starts out explaining how pies came about because people were too busy to make cakes and still wanted something sweet for the family. The chapter covers all kinds of pies from simple fruit pies, ice box pies, vegetable pies like Marion Flexner’s Green Tomato Pie (pg. 282), whip cream pies, to Martha Pearl Villas’ Frozen Mud Pie (pg. 301). Included in this chapter are several recipes for pie crusts of all kinds. The author also assures there is no shame in using a store-bought pie crust if your baking time is limited.
Mrs. Collins’ Sweet Potato Cake
In the chapter “Bake Me a Cake,” the second recipe showcased on the presentation link is Mrs. Collins’ Sweet Potato Cake (pg.346). Other recipes featured in this section include German Chocolate Cake (pg. 360), The Hummingbird Cake (pg. 365), various cheesecake recipes, and the Christmas Black Cake (pg. 353).
The penultimate chapter, titled “Cookies and Bars by the Dozen,” features a range of treats from sugar cookies to First Saturday in May Bourbon Bars.
The last chapter, is entitled Frostings and Flourishes. All the frostings the South is famous for can be found in this chapter.
Check out the Buttermilk Glaze (pg. 447) and the Ermine Frosting (pg. 457).
Anne Byrn is a renowned cookbook author known for her innovative and approachable baking recipes. Byrn’s expertise and creative flair have earned her a loyal following and established her as a leading figure in the culinary world.
Enjoy this recipe with the author’s compliments.
George Washington Carver’s Sliced Sweet Potato Pie
Scientist and inventor Dr. George Washington Carver, the child of a Mississippi slave, believed peanuts, sweet potatoes, and science could free Southern farmers from poverty. Cotton had exhausted the soil of the Deep South, and at Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute (now Tuskegee University) in southeastern Alabama in the early twentieth century, he showed farmers the benefits of planting sweet potatoes. They were well suited to Alabama, and he worked to grow demand by developing 118 products made from them, including flour, vinegar, molasses, ink, rubber, and even postage stamp glue. And, of course, he cooked with them, slicing them into this tantalizing pie where, with spices, molasses, and cream, they cook down inside the flaky pastry. When you fork into a bite, it’s a bit like pie and a bit like your favorite sweet potato casserole. This recipe is adapted from The Historical Cookbook of the American Negro (1958).
Serves 6 to 8
Prep: 30 to 35 minutes Bake: 62 to 67 minutes
2 (9-inch) piecrusts (pages 306 to 313)
2 medium (1 pound) unpeeled sweet potatoes
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
Dashes of ground ginger, cloves, and nutmeg
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick/57 grams) salted butter, cut into tablespoons
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar 1/4 cup molasses
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/3 cup hot water
- Line a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan or 1 1/2–quart casserole with one piecrust and set aside. Keep the other piecrust refrigerated.
- Rinse and pat dry the sweet potatoes. Place them in a large saucepan, cover with water, and boil in their “jackets” (unpeeled) until nearly tender, 15 to 20 minutes. They should be soft but still firm. Drain and set aside to cool.
- Heat the oven to 350oF, with a rack in the middle.
- When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them and slice lengthwise 1/3 inch thick. Lay the sweet potatoes on top of the crust. Sprinkle with the allspice, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Scatter the butter over the top, sprinkle on the sugar, and pour over the molasses and cream. Sprinkle the flour over the top and pour over the hot water.
- Lay the second piecrust on top and trim the edges. With a fork,
press the edges of the crust together to seal. Cut 6 (2-inch) slits in the top of the crust. Place in the oven and bake until golden brown and bubbly, 62 to 67 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes, then slice and serve.
Credit line:
Taken from Baking in the American South: 200 Recipes and Their Untold Stories by Anne Byrn. Copyright © 2024 by Anne Byrn. Photographs © 2024 by Rinne Allen. Used by permission of Harper Celebrate.
Review by Bobbie Kitto
Edited by Linda Kissam
Note: Roberta (Bobbie) Kitto is a freelance writer based out of Laughlin, NV. Her interests include travel, culinary pursuits and gardening. No fee was paid for this article review. Her opinions are her own.
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