In the event you serve Chess Pie, someone inevitably will ask about the origin of the dish and name. Even today, I  am unsure of the origin based on my research. The name has a bit of mystery behind it. I was unable to find one definitive answer about the name . Internet search yielded several reasons ranging from  the following:

Corruption of word cheese
Ingredients stored in pantry or chest
Sugar content meant pie could be stored in chest  in lieu of refrigerator
Southern cook accent referring to “Jes’ pie”

My favorite version is the southern “Jes Pie”. Lord knows at times some people may have trouble understanding our Southern accent. The Chess Pie recipe is attributed to different regional locations. No matter the origination, it is a delicious and easy to make recipe.

Why make a Coconut Chess Pie?

I have served Chess Pie as a standard offering when I entertain for many reasons.

The ingredients are always in my pantry
Inexpensive to make
Quickly mixes by hand in one bowl
Bakes in 30 minutes
Cools quickly and is easy to transport
Magically it will always disappear

The Chess Pie is a favorite of my friend Jazz-Girl. I hope that she will like this Coconut Chess Pie recipe as well. I adapted this recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks Talk About Good published originally 1969 by Jr League of Lafayette, Inc.  Talk About Good is celebrating its 50th birthday this year. Buy one for yourself or as a gift, the money supports a great cause.

In conclusion, Coconut Chess Pie is a great addition for any holiday table. Prepare ahead and served as needed. Pour a hot cup of chicory coffee and I am a happy girl. I may need to have a slice now.

Alexa, Shout out to Darius Rucker “Southern State of Mind”.Darius sings “You can take the guy out of the south, but in my heart I’m always there”

The post Coconut Chess Pie Recipe appeared first on Dining With Mimi.

As I review the recipes on my site, I have discovered my favorites, sweet and spicy. Sweet and spicy are delicious on their own but they certainly may be paired together for a succulent bite. The recipe focus today is cheesecake, chocolate and coffee. I have enjoyed learning how to  combine ingredients to blend flavors and sharing them with you. Of course, the best part is eating them.

My dessert marries together addictive ingredients that are hard to say no to chocolate and coffee. The farm fresh eggs add a delicious addition to the addictive pair.  Farm Fresh eggs are healthier for you to eat and taste better. Check the link for further information. If you live near a local farm, pick up fresh eggs. You won’t regret it.

This is an easy cheesecake to make in your home. A cheesecake is a great dessert to make ahead for company. The topping aids the flavor and assists if the cheesecake cracks a bit. The small amount of pecans and ganache are just enough to take this cheesecake to another level. It has just enough chocolate to satisfy without going overboard.

I hope that you enjoy my version of Cafe’ Cheesecake with pecans and chocolate. Each time that I make a cheesecake, they magically disappear. On my site you may also find a St Germain Cheesecake. It is a simpler version of this cheesecake. Both cheesecakes would be a great dessert  choice to serve for your next dinner party , event or St Patrick’s Day party.

In conclusion, this recipe pairs well with a cup of chicory coffee or your version of Cafe au lait. Enjoy!

Shout out to Alexa for Tina Turner.

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

The post Cafe’ Cheesecake with Pecans and Chocolate appeared first on Dining With Mimi.

When I think of New York Cheesecake, only one Deli comes to mind, Carnegie Deli. I am happy to report  that I was able to have a piece of the Carnegie Deli Cheesecake before they closed their New York City place after 79 years last month. 79 years is an  impressive run for a restaurant in any city let alone New York.

I love cheesecake sweet or savory. There is nothing better than one made at home from farm fresh eggs and quality ingredients. The cheesecake melts in your mouth. I have a couple of friends that adore cheesecake as much as I do. I won’t name names but you know who you are.

My go to recipe as always been Praline Cheese Cake from the Vintage  Vicksburg cookbook. It is hard to beat that cheesecake flavor with a Praline Sauce. The Praline sauce speaks to the New Orleans in me. I have never served this recipe without someone asking for the recipe.

In creating a cheesecake, I wanted to use the lovely flavors from this cheesecake but lower the fat and sugar content without compromising the flavor. I don’t use low-fat products in my cooking, which left lowering the amounts.  I served it at a dinner party the other night and my  guests made it disappear. This version is not as heavy and dense as the New York Style cheesecake.

Our friend AKA Focus had a friend from out-of-town visiting. Grill Man and I planned a yummy meal for Focus and his Snow Bunny. Pierre and Jazz joined us to welcome Snow Bunny to our sweet little corner of the world. Friends, food, fire and fresh cocktails, how could you fail?

Grill Man cooked a beef loin on the grill to the perfect temp and whipped up the mashed potatoes into a delicious frenzy. I cooked onions, mushrooms, butter and garlic for the beef and a quick dish of zipper peas with garlic. With a delicious entrée, homemade bread and dessert, I elected to not serve appetizers. This worked well and allowed us time to sit in front of the fire before dinner with a cocktail.

It all paired nicely with the homemade bread whipped to a frenzy in the bread machine. Did you hear the angels singing?  Fresh, hot bread out of the oven. When we heard the  bread timer go off, we were forced to taste test try before dinner. Why wait?

Bread Machines are easy to use and make lovely bread while you move on to another task or the couch for a quick nap or a glass.   I am most happy to report that I purchased my bread machine at a yard sale for $5. Angels singing! If you need a brand suggestion, send me an email. I will be share the brand name and model.

The cheesecake was the last bite to end the meal. My taste testers approved the cheesecake. It was a lovely meal with friends new and old.  The recipe for a great evening.

Shout out to Alexa for Eric Clapton. It is hard to beat his soulful music.

Save

The post St Germain Creamy Cheesecake appeared first on Dining With Mimi.