A secret ingredient for your peach and cherry cobblers

Chocoholics, take note: Today's requests have to do with chocolate things. "Yeast of the Ridge" saw a recipe somewhere for a cookie with chopped roasted almonds in the dough, along with Hershey's kisses pressed in the center immediately after taking the cookies from the oven, and now she cannot remember where she saw it. She is hoping one of you can solve this mystery. The second request is from R.K.G., who would like some hints for ideas to substitute dark and/or bittersweet chocolate in recipes that call for milk chocolate, along with recipes that were made for dark chocolate. A final request comes from a Rising Fawn reader, who wants good recipes for preparing and delivering to families with a new baby or other circumstances that indispose the regular cook.

Elsie Keith wrote to give the secret of peach cobblers. She wrote: "I am sure you will get many recipes for them, but the secret is almond flavoring. Peach and cherry cobblers with about 1/4 teaspoon of almond flavoring make a scrumptious pie. The same goes for peach ice cream. Coconut cream pie with 1/4 teaspoon almond flavoring in addition to the vanilla is to die for. The same is true for egg custard pies.

"For my coconut cakes, I add almond flavoring with the vanilla to the frosting. It brings out the taste and will make you 'smack your granny' as the saying goes."

If you clipped a recent recipe for corn gazpacho, you just might try this cornbread served alongside, sent from the same nameless reader.


Corn Cakes

1 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 large egg

1 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons melted, cooled unsalted butter

1 cup cooked corn

1 cup diced onion

1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil

Sour cream for garnish

In a bowl combine cornmeal, flour, salt and baking soda. In a separate bowl whisk egg, buttermilk and melted butter. Add to the dry mixture and stir just to combine. Stir in corn, onion and cheese.

Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Drop in the batter 2 tablespoons at a time; flip after 2 minutes and cook about 1 minute more. Cook in batches. Serve with sour cream. Makes about 25 cakes.


Kathleen Owen sent this recipe along with high praise.

Carolina Coleslaw

1 large cabbage, about 3 pounds, sliced fine

1 green pepper, seeded and minced

1 medium-large sweet onion, minced

Dressing:

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon celery seed

1 cup vinegar

2/3 cup vegetable oil

Cut cabbage into sixths. Slice or shred very fine. Combine with green pepper and onion in very large bowl. Mix sugar, salt, mustard and celery seed in a small saucepan. Add vinegar and oil, and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Pour over cabbage mix and toss well. Cool and refrigerate. Keeps almost indefinitely in the refrigerator.


The next recipe is from "Faithful Reader," who has been a longtime reader. She found this recipe in "Absolutely Avocado" by Geraldine Duncann.

Quick and Easy Avocado Fajitas

Each may assemble his or her own fajita by scooping up some of the mixture and rolling it up in a flour tortilla.

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, cut into thin slices

4 to 6 cloves garlic, sliced very thin

2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 roasted bell pepper, seeded and julienned

11/2 cups chunky-style salsa (mild or hot)

2 avocados, thinly sliced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

8 to 12 flour tortillas

Sour cream for garnish

Fresh lime wedges, for garnish

Heat olive oil in a large heavy skillet. Separate the onion into rings and gently sauté with the garlic until the onion is pinkish and translucent. Add the chicken breasts and continue to sauté until the met is opaque instead of translucent, letting it brown slightly around the edges. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the roasted red pepper and sauté just until heated through. Add the salsa, avocado and cilantro, and continue to cook over moderate heat until heated through. Season to taste with more salt and pepper. Serve with fresh warm flour tortillas, and offer sour cream and lime wedges for garnish.

Until next week ...

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