Perfect Mint Juleps

3 bunches Spearmint (save  one for garnishing  juleps and spinach salad)

2 c. water

2 c. sugar

crushed ice

 Bourbon

Rinse mint and bruise in a bowl with a wooden spoon. Boil sugar and water for 5 min.  and pour the hot syrup over the crushed mint.  Let this steep overnite in frig.  The following day, strain the syrup in a sieve, mashing out the mint juices with a wooden spoon.  Store refrigerated in a quart jar (keeps for months).  Fill julep cups or glasses with crushed ice and place them in the freezer.  Just before serving, pour 2 oz. of syrup followed by 2 oz. bourbon over the ice & stick a sprig of mint in the ice as garnish.

Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

There’s nothing as wonderful as a hot biscuit-- or a cold one, especially with country ham.  This recipe yields about 24 two inch biscuits or 2 per person.  You may double this for more.

5 c. White Lily flour, sifted

3-1/2  tsp. baking powder

1 Tbsp. salt

½ c. lard, cold (un-hydrogenated)

1-¼ c. buttermilk

6 Tbsp. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 475° for 20 minutes. Sift together the dry ingredients.   In a food processor or working by hand in a bowl, pulse or rub lard into the dry ingredients.  About ½ of the mixture should be well blended and the remaining ½, should have pieces of lard about the size of a pea.   Put this mixture in a mixing bowl, add the buttermilk, and work it into a mass with a fork.  Turn out on a floured board and turn the dough several times with floured hands.  Roll about ½” and cut with a 2” biscuit  cutter .   Butter a baking sheet with 2 T. melted butter (or use an unbuttered Silpat) barely touching.  Put the baking sheet in the middle of the center rack of the oven.  Bake about 12-15 min, or until golden brown, checking them every 5 min. and turning as necessary.  Remove from oven and brush with remaining butter.  

Cool for several minutes, slice the biscuits in half, and make sandwiches with slices of country ham and/or the chicken salad which follows.

About  the Country Ham: We love“Father’s Country Ham” from Gatton Farms in Bremen, KY offers precooked & sliced country ham.  We can’t do it better:

http://store.fatherscountryhams.com/browse.cfm/2,2.html.

“D” Day Pie

I can’t call this 40 year old recipe, Derby Pie, because the name is now trademarked.  The commercial one is not half as good as this recipe, which requires two 10”, unbaked pie shells  and serves 12-16.  Halved, the following will do 1 pie shell.

8  eggs

1-1/2 c. white sugar

½  c. light brown sugar

2 T. Flour, all purpose

2 c. white corn syrup

½ lb. butter, melted

1 t. vanilla

2 T. bourbon 

2 c. pecans, chopped

2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350° and line each pie shell with 1c. each pecans  and chocolate chips. Cream the eggs and sugar well and add the syrup, vanilla, bourbon , and butter and mix again well.  Divide the mixture equally and pour over the pecans and chocolate chips.  Bake for 45 minutes.  Cool before serving and top with whipped cream.