The books about the Benedict clan will carry as titles the names of their heroes. This is in keeping with another of my goals, which is to explore the many sides of that mythical being, the Southern gentleman. The heroes of these books, then, will be men who embody all the virtues and faults of that fine breed, men who are slow-talking but fast to resent an insult, who never start a fight but end many, who are easygoing yet hard-loving, and who hide deep emotions behind their devil-may-care smiles. Above all, they will be men of honor. The heroes of these books have begun to live and breathe for me, lounging around my desk and bending over my shoulder to point out my errors. If I don’t succeed in capturing their essence, the fault is not theirs but mine.
Food is such an integral part of the mystique of Southern hospitality that it’s virtually impossible to leave it out of a story set in the region. Two recipes are mentioned in Kane, then, one for fig cake and the other for a fruit dip to be served with fresh strawberries. For those who may be interested in a taste of the South, here are:
FIG CAKE
2 cups self-rising flour
1½ cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ginger
3 eggs
1 cup cooking oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup fig preserves
1 cup pecans or walnuts
(optional)
Grease and flour a 9½ x 13" baking pan. Preheat oven to 350°F. Sift dry ingredients, including sugar and spices. Add eggs, oil and buttermilk. Mix thoroughly. Add vanilla, fig preserves. Mix until figs are chopped into the batter, some chunks may remain, according to taste. Fold in nuts as desired. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. The traditional fig preserves of the South are made with Celeste figs, an old-fashioned, candy-sweet variety that turns a dark brown when preserved. With the addition of the spices, they give the cake a distinctive dark mahogany color.
CARAMEL FROSTING (optional)
2 cups sugar
1 cup milk
2 tbsp butter
½ cup pecans
1 tsp vanilla
heavy cream
Place 1 cup sugar in a heavy saucepan and caramelize slowly over low heat until it turns brown. In a separate pan dissolve milk and remaining 1 cup sugar thoroughly, then bring to a boil. Add caramelized sugar. Cook, stirring constantly, until a soft ball forms in cold water. Place butter in a separate bowl and pour hot mixture over it. Stir. Add vanilla, cream and pecans until spreading consistency.
FRUIT DIP
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 8-ounce can cream of coconut
In a mixer, combine all ingredients until smooth. Serve with fresh fruit—good with melons and strawberries.
I hope you enjoy the recipes—and also the first of my three Southern gentlemen, Kane. If you have comments, please write to me at PO Box 9218, Quitman, LA 71268, or via [email protected].
Warmest regards,
If you liked this novel, look for these other titles by Jennifer Blake always available in eBook format:
The Louisiana Gentlemen:
Kane
Luke
Roan
Clay
Wade
Masters at Arms:
Challenge to Honor
Dawn Encounter
Rogue’s Salute
Guarded Heart
Gallant Match
Garden of Scandal
ISBN: 978-1-4603-0504-1
Kane
Copyright © 1998 by Patricia Maxwell
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