2020-04-01 Taste of Home

74 APRIL/MAY 2020 TASTEOFHOME.COM

CONTEST

Third Place

Mom-Mom Bessie’s

Coconut Molasses Pie

I’m the keeper

of my husband’s

grandmother’s

handwritten recipe

book. Mom-Mom

Bessie was one of the best cooks

I knew, and we think of her every

time we make this pie. The flavor

combination of coconut and

molasses is a family favorite.

Susan Bickta, Kutztown, PA

Prep: 10 min. • Bake: 55 min. +

cooling • Makes: 8 servings

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup sour cream

¹₂ cup dark corn syrup

¹₂ cup dark molasses

2 large eggs, room temperature,

lightly beaten

¹₄ cup 2% milk

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

¹₄ tsp. baking soda

1 ¹₂ cups sweetened

shredded coconut

1 frozen deep-dish pie crust

Whipped cream, optional

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl,

combine the first 8 ingredients. Stir

in coconut. Pour into pie crust. Cover

Mom-Mom

Bessie’s Coconut

Molasses Pie

the edge loosely with foil. Bake pie

until center is set, 45-55 minutes.

Remove foil. Cool on a wire rack. If

desired, serve with whipped cream.

1 PIECE 486 cal., 19g fat (10g sat.

fat), 54mg chol., 243mg sod., 80g

carb. (66g sugars, 1g fiber), 5g pro.

test kitchen tip For less molasses

flavor, substitute ¹₂ cup additional

dark corn syrup in place of the

dark molasses.

Apricot Mud Hen

Cake Bars

These mud hen

bars have been

in my family for

generations.

I’ve been told the

name comes from the speckled

meringue topping that resembles

the coloring of hens’ eggs.

Kristine Chayes, Smithtown, NY

Prep: 20 min.

Bake: 30 min. + cooling

Makes: 24 servings

³₄ cup butter, softened

¹₃ cup sugar

2 large egg yolks,

room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 ¹₂ cups all-purpose flour

¹₈ tsp. salt

MERINGUE

2 large egg whites,

room temperature

¹₈ tsp. cream of tartar

¹₃ cup sugar

³₄ cup finely chopped pecans

1 cup apricot preserves

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a bowl,
   cream butter and sugar until light
   and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add egg
   yolks, 1 at a time, beating after each
   addition. Beat in vanilla. In another
   bowl, whisk flour and salt; beat into
   creamed mixture. Spread into a
   greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake
   until a toothpick inserted in center
   comes out clean, 12-15 minutes.


2. For meringue, with clean beaters,
   beat the egg whites with cream of
   tartar on medium speed until foamy.
   Gradually add sugar, 1 Tbsp. at a
   time, beating on high after each
   addition until sugar is dissolved.
   Continue beating until stiff glossy
   peaks form; gently fold in pecans.


3. Spread preserves over hot cake.
   Spread meringue over preserves,
   sealing meringue to edges of pan.
   Bake until meringue is golden brown,
   15-20 minutes. Cool completely on
   a wire rack. Refrigerate leftovers.
   1 PIECE 163 cal., 9g fat (4g sat. fat),
   31mg chol., 69mg sod., 21g carb.
   (12g sugars, 1g fiber), 2g pro.

Apricot

Mud Hen

Cake Bars