COOKING WITH CLORIS--COCONUT CREAM PIE WITH GUEST AUTHOR IRENE PETERSON

photo by Stacy Spensley

Irene Peterson is a true Jersey Girl who loves going down the shore, Godzilla and her family, not necessarily in that order. Writing isn't something she wants to do, it is something she has to do. You can read more about her on her blog and website.

It’s autumn, my favorite season. Born in autumn, married in autumn, first kid in autumn…Halloween in autumn. Auspiciously wonderful time of year for me.

My new novella, Dead Meat, takes place in Charleston, SC in the end of October. They really celebrate the holiday well in Charleston and it was the perfect time for my hero Jim Ryan to go there to vanquish the vampire that has been causing death and horror in the city. He’s been called by the Reverend Jenkins who suspects evil-doing but really doesn’t believe in vampires…not completely. The Rev does get to change his mind, but only after his wife Abertha actually comes into contact with the undead.

Abertha is a lovely preacher’s wife who can really, really cook. She feeds Jim, the lignarius(fixer in Latin)some home cooking that makes him wonder how the South lost the war if their women could cook like this. While she makes a wicked coconut cake, I don’t know how to make a coconut cake, but I have in my possession a treasured old family recipe for coconut cream pie that has long been a carefully guarded secret.

When I told my husband that I was going to give it up to Lois and her readers, he, well, let’s just say he wasn’t happy about it. So if you make this pie, please give full credit not to me, but to Great Aunt Lee Shaw in heaven…a wonderful cook and baker who is probably upset with me now for publishing this. (The spelling of coconut is hers.)

Aunt Lee’s Cocoanut Cream Pie

1 baked, cooled pie shell

1 small package cocoanut—toast in medium oven, mixing occasionally

1 tablespoon gelatin

1-1/2 cups milk

3 eggs (separated)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup heavy cream, whipped

Soften gelatin in 1/4 cup cold milk. Heat rest of milk to scalding over boiling water. Beat egg yolks and salt, then slowly add milk, stirring constantly. Return to double boiler and cook until mixture coats spoon. Stir gelatin in until it dissolves. Chill until it begins to congeal. Beat egg whites until stiff, adding sugar gradually. Beat in milk mixture and flavoring. Fold in whipped cream, pour into pie shell, cover with cocoanut. Chill 2 hours before serving.

Dead Meat

Seen any vampires lately?  No?  That's because Jim Ryan, the lignarius, is on the job. He's been doing just fine, dispatching the undead all over the country, until...well, until he falls in love. Now the concentration necessary for his job is compromised by daydreams of the very alive twin sister of his last adventure in Dead Dreams. If he doesn't snap out of it, he'll be Dead Meat.

BuyLink