Lemon Pecan Chess Pie/Sadie's Easy Fudge

While traveling home from the beach through Alabama, we stumbled upon a real gem for junk food connoisseurs, like ourselves! We were trucking along, minding our own business and making pretty good time. Then, we began to see.....the billboards. Really, they had us from the very first sign! By the time we reached Fort Deposit, we were ready for some of the advertised confections we’d been reading about for the past 30 miles. At the same time, we were afraid of getting our hopes up too much. Not everything is always what it’s built up to be, you know! Could this place really deliver all their ads promised? As we approached the car-filled parking lot, we saw that this place was basically a confection-lovers compound. All our concerns quickly dissipated, when we opened the door and entered Priester’s Pecans. I am sure our eyes looked as though they were about to pop out of our heads! For starters, this place is jammed full of candies, nuts, ice cream, sodas, etc.! It is basically a Stuckey’s on steroids! I know I’m showing my age here, but oh, how I loved a stop at a Stuckey’s during my childhood family vacations for a package of divinity rolled in nuts, otherwise know as a pecan log! Priester’s not only had the divinity variety, but several others as well, including caramel! During lunch, they serve a buffet meal, and the store had every "knick-knack" imaginable - from candles to Life is Good t-shirts. Of course, I was immediately drawn to a rack of cookbooks. As I stood there drooling over one entitled, Priester’s Presents Dining on the Victorian Verandah, Larry walked over and simply said, “Get it, and come on.” (I have the best little husband, y’all!) The continued trip home was filled with my oohing and ahhing over all the great recipes in this book! It also contains some little ramblings (and you guys all know I love a little rambling!) about the Priester family and the origins of their pecan business. It is really quite interesting. Larry decided it was money well-spent, when I made a Lemon Pecan Chess Pie, which was inspired by a recipe in this cookbook. The recipe is below.

Priester’s also had a wide variety of fudge! Now, I have a real treat for you all today! A quick and easy fudge recipe! My sweet and dear friend, Julie R. sent this recipe to me yesterday! Her friend, Sadie, gave it to her over the week-end. A recipe is a gift that you should "re-gift", and in my opinion, is just about the best freebie you can give - or receive! It’s third on my list, following only a hug, and the best-of-all-free-gifts - an “I love you or I appreciate you”! So, please be sure to share your recipes, especially with me! :)

If you’re passing through Fort Deposit, AL stop by Priester’s Pecans. You are sure to find something you just can’t do without! If you’re not headed down that way, there’s still hope. Priester’s does a bustling mail order business. Here’s the websites for both the retail stores and mail order operation:

Retail Stores:

http://www.priesters.com/about/dispStoreInfo.cfm

Mail Order:

http://www.priesters.com/?gclid=CI378f-XkpsCFQq3sgodCR7koA

Lemon Pecan Chess Pie

Lemon Pecan Chess Pie

2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 tablespoon self-rising corn meal
4 eggs, lightly beaten
¼ cup milk
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup chopped pecans, dusted with a teaspoon of flour
¼ cup chopped pecans, for sprinkling on top of pie
1 unbaked pie crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine sugar, flour, and corn meal in a large bowl. Toss lightly with a fork. Add eggs, milk, lemon juice, and the flour-dusted pecans. Whisk all ingredients until thoroughly blended. Pour into unbaked pie curst; sprinkle with remaining pecans.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. I watch for my chess pies to just begin to “crack open” on top. That’s when I remove them from the oven. Tent with foil, if pie becomes too brown before getting done.

Two of us like really brown pie crust, and two of us prefer it less brown. The backside of the pie will usually be a bit browner than the front. This works out great for us!

Sadie's Easy Fudge

Sadie’s Easy Fudge

Per Julie’s recommendation, I made this using the Heath Toffee Bits. As a garnish, I also sprinkled a few toffee bits on top of the fudge immediately after pouring it into the pan. The kids and I each ate a piece, I saved a couple of pieces for tonight’s dessert, and I sent the rest with Logan to some friends. It was a great way to minister through our kitchen, and honestly, it was too dangerous for us to have around!!

Melt 1 stick butter in med. sauce pan on low heat.

Add:

4 Tbsp. buttermilk,
4 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder,
1 tsp. vanilla
1 box of powdered sugar

Optional:
Add one cup of nuts or 1/2 bag of Heath Toffee Chip.
As a garnish, sprinkle top with a bit of the Toffee chips or chopped nuts.

Stir, and pour into an 8x8 wax paper lined pan. (I lined my pan with foil, and sprayed it with cooking spray. Either way works great! Just use what you have on hand.)
Sprinkle with garnish. Refrigerate.

Many Blessings and Happy Cookin' ~ Connie