About Dawson County news. (Dawsonville, Georgia) 2015-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 26, 2022)
10A I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I dawsonnews.com Wednesday, October 26,2022 Now’s time for apples I realize apples are available all year long. Still, there is some thing about this time of year that screams for eating apples and cooking with them. I love all apples—from the tart Granny Smith apples, to the sweet Honey Crisp apples—all apples are delicious. For most reci pes, I like to mix a variety of apples—but feel free to use whatever type of apples you love. Apple Pie Bars for 15 minutes. In a bowl, com bine apple slices with 2 tablespoons flour, 2 table spoons sugar, 1 teaspoon cinna mon, and 1/8 tea spoon nutmeg. When crust comes out of the oven, raise oven temperature to 350-degrees. Top with apples. In a bowl, combine streusel ingredients and press onto the apples. Bake 30-35 minutes. Cool on a rack for 20 minutes and then lift the parch ment paper out of the pan. Cut into bars. Drizzle with caramel sauce. ADLEN ROBINSON Columnist Shortbread Crust: • Vi cup butter, melt ed • 14 cup sugar • 1 teaspoon vanilla • 'A teaspoon salt • 1 cup flour Filling: • 2 apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced • 2 tablespoons flour • 2 tablespoons sugar • 1 teaspoon cinna mon • 1/8 teaspoon nut meg Streusel Topping: • Vi cup oats • 1/3 cup brown sugar • 14 teaspoon cinna mon • 14 cup flour • 14 cup butter, cubed • Store-bought cara mel sauce Line a baking pan with parchment paper and let the paper come over the edges of the pan. Preheat oven to 300-degrees. In a bowl, combine melted butter, sugar, vanilla, salt and flour to form the crust. Press the dough into the bottom of the parchment paper. Bake Apple Fritters • 1 cup flour • 2 tablespoons sugar • 1 Vi teaspoons baking powder • 14 teaspoon salt • 2/3 cup milk • 1 egg yolk • 1 tablespoon but ter, melted • 2 egg whites • 4 apples, peeled, cored and sliced into rings • 3 tablespoons lemon juice • 2-3 inches vegeta ble oil • Powdered sugar for serving Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, whisk milk, egg yolk, and melted butter. Add flour mixture. In another bowl, toss apples with lemon juice. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into bat ter. Dip apples into the batter and fry in 375-degree oil. Fry 2 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove to paper towel lined plate. Dust with powdered sugar. Be sweet As a teenager, I was leav ing my purely Southern mother’s house one day with a salutation of “See you later.” “Okay,” she replied. “Be sweet.” “Be sweet.” It’s the man date of mothers across the South when sending their daughters off on a trip or social engagement. Not “be careful,” mind you, but “be sweet.” That’s because to Southern mothers, being sweet is more important than avoiding an accident. “You can catch more flies with honey than vine gar,” Southern matriarchs warn repeatedly. And being the dutiful daughters of the South that we are, we prac tice mightily that com mand. Because they’re right. Numerous are the men and adversaries who have found themselves stuck-fast in Southern women honey. Our syrupy sweet ways, on the other hand, often make escape impossible. Once, Mama was fuming over a repairman who had promised repeatedly to show up but had not. “I’ve had it!” she stormed. “I’m gonna call him and give him a piece of my mind.” I smiled and winked. “Be sweet now.” The brilliance of my advice dawned across her face. She grinned. “Right,” she agreed, nodding. She picked up the phone and used so much sugar that he was on her doorstep within a couple of hours after not showing up for two weeks. It was rewarding to see her practice effectively what she preached for my entire lifetime. Years ago, I got to think ing about the immense importance of sweetness to Southern women after I appeared at a book event with two other sweet Southern women (yes, “other” because I consider myself to be real sweet, too. Mostly. I prac tice it routinely except when crossed one too many times or someone has been ugly to a loved one of mine or made fun of the way I talk. On those occasions, I become anything but sweet). Best-selling authors Dottie Benton Frank and Cassandra King were both enveloped by passion, determination and the sweetness that Southerners demand of their women. We started out in the pub lishing business at the same time which bonded us. In many of her beloved beach books, Dottie often threw my name into her acknowledgements because she was loyal. Her unex pected death was a loss to her readers, her friends and a society which needs all the sweetness it can get. Cassandra King is the pen name of Sandra Conroy, who was called “the nicest woman on earth” by hus band, Pat Conroy, who, too, has left us. She wrote a delightful book - Same Sweet Girls - which is a trib ute to the sweet ness of our feminine Southern ways. She, too, agrees that the art of being sweet was necessary in her mother’s eyes and, there fore, a critical part of her Alabama upbringing. “My mother was the quintessential Southern lady and I was pretty much a disappointment to her,” Sandra admits. “I was a tomboy as a kid then a wannabe Bohemian as a teen and college student. But at least I was sweet.” Mama was so good at “sly” sweetness that she could slip a criticism in between multiple compli ments and it would take you two days to figure out what she said. This is the mark of correction perfect ed by Southern women: Load ‘em down with com pliments then slip in the critical comment and slide quickly into more flattery. My friend, Mary Ellen, discovered this when Mama, a dressmaker, was taking her measurements for a bridesmaid dress. “You have the most beau tiful bustline I’ve ever seen,” Mama commented. “I know women who would kill for your bustline.” Mary Ellen smiled. “And the tiniest waist I ever saw,” Mama continued. Mary Ellen’s smile broadened. Mama measured her hips and sighed woefully. “It’s your butt that’s so big.” Slight pause. “Of course, it just looks bigger because your waist is so small.” That was my mama for you. Wasn’t she sweet? Ronda Rich is the best-sell ing author of What Southern Women Know (That Every Woman Should). RONDA RICH Columnist We celebrate the Small Business Women who blaze trails and are making a big impact on the futures of our business and communities A full-service Tax Accounting and Business Consulting Firm SERVING DAWSONVILLE & NORTH GEORGIA Kimberly Christine Hinton, CPA Sunny CHRISTINE HINTON CPA C: 706-522-3025 F: 678-550-7765 Christine@ChristineHintonCPA.com ■ Tax Preparation and Planning ■ Small Business Accounting ■ Payroll Part-Time CFO Services ■ Personal Financial Planning 86 Highway 53 W • Suite 200 Dawsonville, GA 30534 Monday-Friday: 8am - 6pm ChristineHintonCPA.com
