The Hammett Hex (27 page)

Enjoy this old time treat with family or friends.

1 chicken, about 3 ½–4 pounds

4 cups fresh buttermilk

4 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp sea salt

½ tsp ground pepper

1 cup flour

¼–½ tsp cayenne pepper (depending on how spicy you like it!)

2 tsp paprika

2 tsp dried thyme

2 cups Canola or corn oil

½ cup butter

Additional salt and pepper to taste

Cut the chicken into eight to ten pieces. Gram cuts each breast in half if the chicken is large. Combine buttermilk
with Dijon, salt and pepper. Cover chicken with buttermilk mixture and marinate overnight if you can.

Add flour, paprika, dried thyme and cayenne to a large plastic bag with a zipper closing. Shake well. Add chicken piece by piece and shake to coat. Remove and place on a dish until ready to cook.

In a large cast iron skillet (or regular skillet if you don't have cast iron) heat oil and butter until very hot. Cook half the chicken at a time, covered, reducing heat to medium or medium-high to keep it from smoking. Turn when brown (eight to eleven minutes depending on the size of the pieces) and cook about ten minutes until done.

Place on a platter with paper towels to soak up excess oil.

Serves four.

Memories of childhood desserts will come flooding back with this, a favorite for all ages.

1 ½ tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

⅞ cup sugar

1 tablespoon lemon zest (1 large lemon)

¼ cup lemon juice

¼ tsp salt

3 extra large eggs, at room temperature, separated

1 ½ cup milk or cream

Preheat oven to 350°F for 30–35 minutes.

Beat butter and sugar until well combined. Add lemon
zest, lemon juice, egg yolks, salt and flour. Beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add milk and blend well.

Beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into lemon mixture. Pour into GREASED 6-cup baking dish or casserole.

Bake at 350°F for about 35 minutes until puffed and golden.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves four (or six small portions).

These are the meringue kisses that Smiley remembers from his childhood. They're very easy, as long as your eggs are at room temperature and there's not a speck of anything greasy near bowl or beaters and that means not a single drop of yolk, according to Gram.

4 egg whites (from extra-large eggs, at room temperature)

1 cup minus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 tsp good quality vanilla

½ tsp almond extract (optional)

⅛ tsp cream of tartar

¾–1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 225°F.

Beat the egg white with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add vanilla and almond. Slowly add sugar tablespoon by tablespoon, beating well after every addition, until stiff peaks have formed.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Scoop out meringue and shape into “kisses.” Bake in pre-heated oven
at 225°F for about 50 minutes. Turn off oven and let kisses dry for at least an hour. Don't let them brown at the edges. If your oven runs hot, reduce temperature.

Store in a cookie tin in a cool, dry place.

Makes about eighteen depending on size of kisses. They keep well if no one finds them.