Moon Pies and Memories

Moon Pies are cultural staples in the South, traditionally consumed with a cold RC Cola or thrown from floats during Mardi Gras parades. But how did this odd chocolate-covered, graham cracker, marshmallow fluff cookie sandwich come about? In the Project Muse article from which I pulled this blog post title, Lee Smith writes, "Earl Mitchell invented the moon pie in 1919 when he worked for the Chattanooga Bakery. While visiting a company store at a coal mine in Kentucky, Mitchell asked miners what kind of cookie they would like in their lunch pails. They said they preferred a big one. Mitchell then asked what size the cookie should be, and the miners pointed to the moon." 

Doug Marlette, a southern author, cartoonist, and (probably) Moon Pie enthusiast, writes that the pies are "part of our marinade", a consistent element of the cultural backdrop as weird, mystical, and somehow still unremarkable as the kudzo or humidity. 

The recipe we used in class follows, although I ended up changing it a little, because what is cooking if not calculated substitutions (full transparency, I also just googled "Moon Pie recipes" and picked the one that looked best to me). I subbed graham cracker crumbs for half of the flour in the cookies and decided I didn't need to buy cream of tartar for the fluff.


Moon pies

For the Cookies:
8 ounces (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt

For the Marshmallow Filling:
2 egg whites
Pinch cream of tartar
Pinch salt
2/3 cup light corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

For the Chocolate Coating:
12 ounces semisweet chocolate
¼ cup vegetable oi

DIRECTIONS:

1. To Make the Cookies: With a mixer on medium speed, beat the butter until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the brown sugar and beat at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium, add the egg and the vanilla extract, and beat to combine. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour and the salt, and mix just until a soft dough forms. Divide the dough in two, shape into disks, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line at least two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside. Working with one disk at a time, roll out the dough to about 1/8-inch thickness. Using a 2½-inch diameter round cutter, cut out the rounds and place them on the prepared baking sheets, about ½ an inch apart. Refrigerate the cookies (on the baking sheets) for 10 minutes.

3. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool on the pans for a couple of minutes, and then move to a cooling rack to cool completely.

4. To Make the Marshmallow Filling: Using a mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the the egg whites with the cream of tartar and the salt until firm peaks form, gradually increasing from medium-low speed to medium-high speed as the egg whites gain volume. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, boil the corn syrup over high heat without stirring until it registers 230 to 235 degrees F on a candy thermometer (thread ball stage). Slowly drizzle the hot corn syrup into the egg whites and beat at high speed until glossy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low, beat in the vanilla extract and the powdered sugar.

5. Using either a pastry bag or a spoon, mound about 1½ tablespoons of marshmallow filling into the center of a cookie. Top with another cookie and press lightly to spread the marshmallow to the edges. Add another mound on top of the second cookie, and top with another cookie, again pressing slightly to spread the filling to the edges. Repeat with the rest of the cookies.

6. To Make the Chocolate Coating: Using a double boiler or in the microwave on 50% power and in 30 second increments, melt the chocolate and vegetable oil together until completely smooth. Place the assembled cookies on a wire rack set over a sheet of wax paper. Spoon the melted chocolate over each cookie so that it runs down the sides and covers most of the cookie. Allow to set at room temperature for about 2 hours (or refrigerate to speed up the process). Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Happy cooking! 
-Madeleine Lewis

Black-eyed Peas and Cornbread

Black-eyed peas and cornbread are a staple in southern food. They are best known for making appearances on New Year's Day to herald good fortune for the New Year. This tradition is believed to have started with the Jewish religion around 500 A.D. They would eat black-eyed peas to show humility to the God during Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. More recently, the tradition carried into southern tradition during the Civil War when the northern troops left the black-eyed peas alone,  believing them to be food for livestock. This oversight allowed many southerners to survive the winters during the Civil War. Now, the peas have come to represent humility and an increase in wealth. The latter idea stems from the peas expanding as they cook. Black-eyed peas, cornbread and some kind of green (collared greens, green beans, mustard greens, turnip greens, etc) represent pennies, gold and dollars, respectively. In addition, some families add a penny or dime to the black-eyed peas and whoever is served it is supposed to receive extra luck.

This is one of my favorite snacks and, in reasonable proportions, is good for you. But who pays attention to proportions when faced with black-eyed peas and cornbread?

Black-eyed Peas
1 bag frozen black-eyed peas (24-32 ounces)
1 can Rotel tomatoes
2-4 slices of bacon
5-10 sharp beans
salt, pepper, and garlic to taste

In a large saucepan, place a few slices of bacon cut into strips in the bottom. Cook until brown. Add black-eyed peas, Rotel tomatoes, and snap beans. Rinse the can with water and add it to the pan. Bring everything to a boil and add salt, pepper, and garlic to taste (about 1 tablespoon of each). Reduce to medium and cook until peas are no longer crunchy (30-45 minutes)


Cornbread
1 egg
2 cups White Lilly Self-Rising White Cornmeal Mix
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cup Buttermilk
1/4 vegetable oil

Coat pan with oil and place in oven to heat the oil. Mix/whisk egg, cornmeal mix, buttermilk, and vegetable oil together in bowl*. If the batter is thick, thin with buttermilk until it is manageable. Remove the pan from the oven and add the batter (the pan should sizzle). Bake for 25-30 minutes.

*bacon, bacon drippings, onions, peppers, corn, cheese, etc, can be added per preference

-Madison Monnette