dessert

Besides October's crisp air, deep blue skies and the opening of New Jersey bow season, it's also apple-harvest time. When we still had a house full of gomers, we would make apple fritters each fall. There were never any leftovers. If you're rushed for time, substitute Aunt Jemima's original (not the version where you just add water) pancake mix for the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.

Peel, core and slice the apples into rings approximately 1/4 to 1/3 inches thick. Dredge lightly in 1/2 cup of flour. Separate the egg yolks and whites. Whip the yolks, then add the milk, butter and either lemon juice or Laird's Apple Jack and whip thoroughly. Sift the baking powder, salt, sugar and 1 cup of flour together and add to the liquids. Beat egg whites until stiff, then fold gently into the batter.

Heat oil in large skillet, preferably iron, to 375º. With tongs, dip apple slices into the batter and cover completely. Fry in the oil until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with confectioners sugar and serve hot.

Prepare sweet cr�pes. Plump raisins in warm water. Peel and core the apples. Slice them into �-inch rounds and lightly brown them in butter. Remove to plate and coat with table sugar. Break up the walnuts into manageable size pieces, but not too small.

Arrange the apples, walnuts and raisins on � of a cr�pe and fold over. Arrange the completed cr�pes on a plate and dust lightly with powdered sugar. The finished cr�pes may be flamed with apple jack or – for those with a large income – Calvados.

There are no measurements for the ingredients. The number of eggs and half & half is the amount we used with a half loaf of day-old French or Italian bread. We adjust the seasonings by tasting the mixture before it goes into the ramekins – salmonella not withstanding. Try to avoid overcooking so as not to dry out the pudding.

Whisk all the ingredients except bread butter and powdered sugar. Put raisins in a cup. Boil some water and pour over raisins to plump them; chop nuts to a manageable size. Add bread, raisins and nuts to mixture and let set awhile, about an hour or so. Preheat oven to 350�. Butter ramekins, then add mixture and bread. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Dust with powdered sugar. Optional: Top with scoop of ice cream.

Prepare stuffing by boiling 3 tablespoons of confectioner's sugar in � cups of water until a heavy syrup is formed, about 30 minutes. Put ricotta in bowl and add syrup; mix well. Add � tablespoon of the confectioner's sugar, cinnamon, and refrigerate for about 2 hours.

Cut citron and orange peel into small pieces and add to cooled mixture along with superfine sugar and rose water. Refrigerate until needed.

Make a mound with flour and make well in center. Separate 1 egg and reserve whites. Place yolk and 2nd egg, Marsala, and butter in well; mix with fork until blended. Incorporate almost all of the flour bit by bit, then begin kneading until dough is elastic an smooth, about 10 minutes.

Let dough rest, wrapped in a dishtowel in a cool place for a half hour. Roll out 1/8-inch thick and cut into squares a little smaller than canolli molds. Roll the squares from point to point on mold and seal with egg white. Fry at about 375�. Fill just before use an dust with confectioner's sugar.

Add the lemon juice and water to the sugar in a HEAVY sauce pan. Melt over high heat, tilting the pan to insure evenness, until the mixture melts and just begins to turn a light amber. Remove immediately and use as needed.

The stuffing:	The shells:
1� cups cold water	8 ounces flour
3� tablespoons confectioner's sugar	2 extra large eggs
15 ounces ricotta	3 tablespoons sweet butter
1 tablespoon superfine sugar	3 tablespoons sweet butter
1 tablespoon cinnamon	About � cup dry Marsala
4 ounces glaceed citron	Plus:
4 ounces glaceed orange peel	Crisco to cook in
1 tablespoon rose water	� cup confectioner's sugar

Note: Have a larger container of water close by. The sauce pan can be dipped in it to stop further cooking and prevent burning the caramel. Egg custard.

This is a tough recipe to find, yet as recently as 10-ears ago it was printed on the side of the Kingsford Corn Starch box. I've only seen it in two cookbooks: one published in 1908 and the other 1888. None the less, it's a Roadkill keeper. What follows is not a true cornstarch pudding; it's a hybrid. By adding the egg yolks, it is similar to pastry cream (confectioner's custard).

Bring 1� cups milk to a slow boil and add the sugar, continue stirring. Mix the cornstarch with � cup milk, add to simmering milk and stir constantly while the mixture thickens. When pudding is almost finished, add butter and vanilla. Keep stirring until elapsed cooking time is over 15 minutes. Temper the eggs with a little hot sauce, then drizzle them slowly into the sauce. Be very careful not to scorch the bottom. When done, pour into buttered molds or custard dishes and refrigerate, or use hot for strawberry shortcake, Cape May.

Note: You may want to use a double boiler to avoid scorching. It will take a little longer, but it's much more forgiving. Another alternative is to use a flame tamer on the burner.

We gave this a five-star rating because of its simplicity and its haunting taste and texture. It's an egg custard with an attitude.

Heat the cream and split vanilla bean to almost a boil. Beat the egg yolks and sugar to the ribbon stage. Temper the egg yolks with the hot creme, then slowly add cream to the yolks. Strain to remove any lumps that may have developed. Pour into buttered ramekins or custard molds. Place the ramekins or molds into a water bath of boiling water. Bake at 350° for about forty-five minutes. A table knife should come out clean. Allow to come to room temperature, then chill in refrigerator.

To unmold, place the ramekin or mold into very warm water for a few seconds then unmold onto an ovenproof serving plate. Spread light-brown sugar evenly over the top of each, place in a cold water bath to prevent further cooking and brown quickly under the broiler or with a propane torch.

Note: To prevent burnt spots from a propane torch, buy a flame spreader and keep the flame far enough away to control the browning.

Often, as the Zen expression goes, less is more. Such is the case with egg custard. It is among the finest desserts, yet it is really quite easy to make. Add caramel to the bottom of the mold and you have a dessert for which many restaurants charge at least $5. Your cost? Less than 50� per serving.

Bring the milk to a boil and remove the vanilla bean. Mix the rest of the ingredients. Very slowly add the boiled milk, while whisking constantly. Pour the contents equally into the molds.

Put the molds into a bain marie (a nine- by fourteen- by two- inch baking pan will work well) and fill halfway with boiling water. Put the bain marie into a preheated 400� oven for about 35 minutes.

Allow to cool to at least room temperature. To unmold, run a thin knife between the mold and the custard to separate. Place in a pot with an inch of very hot water for several seconds. Remove and quickly dry off the water. Place the mold upside down on serving dish and shake until it drops free of the mold.

Touch to tell when done, or until a knife inserted in the custard comes out clean. Return to Roadkill Inn scampi.

Actually they should be called Pennsylvania German Funnel Cakes. Lancaster County was settled by Germans, not the Dutch. The bulk of the German speaking immigrants came from the German Rhineland, Switzerland and Alsace, arriving between 1683 and 1807. Dutch was a derogatory term for deifsch, the German word for Germany, used by English colonists who couldn't pronounce it.

Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk until it is thoroughly mixed. Separate the eggs into whites and yolks. Whisk the whites until they froth, then whisk the yolks. Add half the milk to the egg yolks and whisk, then add the egg and milk to the dry ingredients; continue whisking until the batter is a too thick to work. Slowly add the remaining milk until you get the consistency you want, then gently fold in the beaten egg whites.

In a nine-inch iron skillet, pour about an inch of the oil and heat. Test for proper temperature, 375�, by dropping a spoonful of batter into the oil and observing it. It should brown on one side in about one minute. Holding a funnel with one hand covering the end with a finger, fill the funnel with batter. Hold the funnel over the skillet and allow the batter to run into the skillet while making concentric circles from the outside to the center of the skillet. They should be about 1� inches thick. Return unused batter to the mixing bowl. When one side is done, carefully turn the funnel cake over with two forks and finish. When done, transfer the funnel cake to paper towels to absorb excess oil, then place on a plate and sprinkle with confectioner's sugar. Serve hot. Continue the process until the batter is gone.

Notes: There's an easier way than using a funnel. Use a teapot with a tight fitting lid. We use our stainless steel tea pot, which works just fine. Though not traditional, maple syrup can be substituted for confectioner's sugar.

Sprinkle the sugar onto the coconut, add the cream and mix gently. Roll the dough into balls that have a 1 inch diameter. Put the cinnamon in a platice bag. A few at a time, place the balls in the plastic bag and shake until they are evenly coated.

The first time I had key lime pie, I knew it was a winner, especially as a dessert to complement fried seafood. But there was always something nagging in the back of my mind. Then I realized why I immediately took to key lime pie; it reminded me of one of my favorite pies: lemon meringue.

Why not replace the traditional Graham Cracker crust with a regular pie crust and replace the whipped cream topping with meringue? Ergo key lime meringue pie. We still like the traditional version as long as the whipped cream is freshly made and doesn't come out of an aerosol can. We prefer, however, the tarter version that follows below. The Pillsbury pie crust is almost as good as homemade pie crust and a good time saver. Don't hesitate to make your own crust; it'll probably improve the pie.

Reserve the egg whites for meringue. Combine condensed milk, egg yolks and key lime juice. Blend until smooth. Pour into pie crust, then spread meringue onto mixture. Bake at 350� for about 20 minutes. When done, cool for 30 minutes, then put in refrigerator. Serve cold. Return to deviled crab cakes, Roadkill, the Feast of the Seven Fishes.

Whip the egg yolks in a copper bowl. Add the confectioners sugar and whip until the whipped cream has peaks that don't curl over. Spoon onto pie pulling toward the center while creating peaks, or pipe onto the pie with a pastry bag. Return to key lime meringue pie, Roadkill.

1 pint molasses	¼ teaspoon ginger
½ cup sugar	1 egg
¼ cup Crisco	3 teaspoons baking powder in 1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon cinnamon	4½ cups flour

Mix all the ingredients together. Drop by large spoonfules onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes. Makes 5 to 6 dozen 3-inch cookies.

MOLASSES COOKIES, WEST CAPE MAY

One of my memories from growing up in West Cape May in the 40s and 50s was my Grandmother Meyer's molasses cookies. Unlike everyone else's, hers were not tan; they were dark brown, and everyone in the borough wanted them. As far as I know she never shared the recipe—if she even had one. From what my mother has told me, she usually cooked by sight, feel and taste, not unlike a piano player who plays by ear because he doesn't read music.

After my grandmother died, my mother never made them. For years we've searched for a recipe that would duplicate the dark brown cookies, but with no success. Ten-years ago we were doing research at Plymouth Plantation and chanced upon a cookbook: Plimoth Plantation New England Cookery Book by Malabar Hornblower. We bought it because I was looking to improve our recipes for New England Clam Chowder, New England Fish Chowder and Boston baked beans. It had all three. Back at home the following day I examined the book in greater detail. Three recipes from the end was one for Joe Froggers.

There it was. It looked like I'd finally found a recipe for dark brown molasses cookies. The only difference that I can tell is that I don't think my grandmother put any rum in hers. My grandfather was a teetotaling, amen-corner Methodist. We have altered the original slightly. We've increased the flour by a ½ cup, changed the sugar from a ½ cup of granulated to a ¼ cup each of granulated and dark brown and reduced the rum from a ½ cup to ¼ cup..

In a large bowl, sift the flour, ginger, cloves, nutmeg allspice and salt together. In a small bowl, combine the molasses and baking soda, stirring briskly with a fork. Set the mixture aside until it stops foaming. In a large bowl cream the butter and granulated sugar until they are light and fluffy. Stir in the brown sugar to combine. Beat in the molasses mixture. When the ingredients are well blended, add the rum and stir well. With a wooden spoon, beat the flour and spices into the into into the molasses mixture ½ cup at a time. After all the flour has been combined, form the dough into a round about 1-inch thick. Wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375�, then generously butter two cookie trays. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll out to about 1/3-inch thick. Cut the dough into 3-inch rounds with a cookie cutter and place them on the baking sheets about 2-inches apart. Bake for about 10 minutes or until they are puffed and the edges are slightly browned. Remove with a spatula and set them on cooling racks. Yields about 25 to 30 cookies.

Note: Southern Comfort, bourbon or Laird's Applejack may be substituted for the dark rum.

While this isn't a Roadkill original, it is a Cape May original. The first strawberry shortcake I remember was made my Grandmother Meyer's. It was then and still is unique to Cape May. As a child, it was something I looked forward to every June when fresh local strawberries were in season. Now we often make it out of season with California strawberries. We've always suspected that California was good for something besides the Beach Boys, great wine and earthquakes.

I was well over 18 before I tasted the standard strawberry shortcake with whipped cream usually Ready Whip—unfortunately. It was a shock to learn that what I had been eating wasn't the real thing. But it was better. Once you eat strawberry shortcake, Cape May, you, too, may be disappointed with the standard version.

Rinse strawberries under cold running water. Remove stems and quarter lengthwise. Put in bowl and add the sugar. Mix with hands so the strawberries don't get broken up. Let stand as least fifteen minutes.

Prepare shortcake using recipe on the Bisquick box. Make either individual cakes or a sheet. When done place shortcake on individuals plates, add strawberries and top with hot corn starch pudding, Roadkill Inn.

Note: If you don't want to use corn starch pudding, at least make whipped cream from heavy whipping cream, seasoned with a little sugar. Don't use that junk in a can. An added plus: If you make your own whipped cream, you're politically correct. Ready Whip comes in an aerosol can, which destroys the ozone layer like millions of politically incorrect, flatulent cows. So please don't join the farting cows.

Mention Thanksgiving dessert and most folks think of pumpkin pie. I suppose that's what the Mayflower survivors ate in 1621. That's because they didn't have sweet potatoes and Southern Comfort. I've never been especially fond of pumpkin pie, so when I first tasted sweet potato pie I was a skeptic. It only took one bite. It's been many years since we've had pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving dessert. What follows has replaced it.

Boil the sweet potatoes until tender; err on the side of over cooking. Mix all ingredients together and place in pie crust shell. Place whole pecans, each touching each other, around the outer rim of the pie. Place in a 400� oven; immediately turn down to 325�. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the center of the pie is set. Test by inserting a table knife into center. If it comes out clean, the pie is done. The pie can be served with homemade whipped cream as a topping. Return to roast turkey.

4 to 5 large apples	2 teaspoons baking powder
1½ cups flour	¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs	¼ cup granulated sugar
½ cup milk	Vegetable oil to fill skillet with 2 inches
2 tablespoons butter, melted	Confectioners sugar for topping
1 tablespoon lemon juice or apple jack

1 apple per cr�pe	Table sugar
2 teaspoons walnuts per cr�pe	Confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon raisins per cr�pe	Laird's Apple Jack, optional
Butter

Day-old cubed bread	Raisins
4 eggs	Pecans or walnuts
� cup sugar	Vanilla extract
Half & half (about 1 cup	Jack Daniel's or Apple Jack to taste)
Cinnamon	Butter
Grated nutmeg	Powder sugar for dusting
Pinch of salt

2 cups milk	4 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons corn starch	4 tablespoons butter
3 beaten eggs yolks	1 teaspoon pure vanilla

1 quart cream	8 egg yolks
1 vanilla bean, split	¾ cup sugar
	Light-brown sugar to coat

� cup granulated sugar	1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 cups milk	2 eggs
1 vanilla bean, split or � teaspoon pure vanilla extract	4 egg yolks
	� cup superfine sugar

2 eggs	� teaspoon salt
2 cups milk	2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cup flour	confectioner's sugar
3 tablespoons sugar	Canola Oil

1 cup confectioners sugare ½	1½ tablespoons cream
1 7 oz. Bakers shredded and sweetened coconut	2 tablespoons cinnamon

1 cup Nellie & Joe's Key Lime Juice	1 9-5/8 inch large Pillsbury Pet.Ritz pie crust
2 14 ounce cans of sweetened Condensed Milk	meringue
8 egg yolks

2½ cups flour	½ teaspoon salt
½ cup black strap molasses	½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger	5 tablespoons butter
¼ teaspoon ground cloves	¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ freshly grated nutmeg	¼ cup dark brown sugar
¼ allspice	¼ cup dark rum

1 quart strawberries	Bisquick
� cup sugar	corn starch pudding

2 cups cooked, peeled, and mashed sweet potatoes	1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 tablespoons butter	1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 eggs, beaten	� cup Southern Comfort
1 cup sugar	1 9-5/8 inch large Pillsbury Pet.Ritz pie crust
1 teaspoon vanilla	whole pecans

Desserts