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Lois Price asked for the recipe for overnight meringues that appeared in the Southern Living Party Cookbook, now out of print. A number of readers have this book and sent the recipe.
Whip up the recipe, put the meringues in the oven before you go to bed, and they are ready when you get up. Don't open the oven door, though, no matter how curious you are!
We are often fortunate to receive recipes that are variations on the recipe requested.
Mary Thomas writes that she is an octogenarian and was given her recipe by a 93-year-old friend, so the recipe predates Southern Living a bit. Mary includes chopped nuts, chocolate chips and coconut in her meringues.
These confections are easy to adapt to the occasion: Add food coloring to match a color scheme, or use chips other than semisweet.
Let imagination be your guide.
Rice pudding is a popular dessert in many homes, and rizogalo, Greek rice pudding, is an outstanding version.
These confections are easy to adapt to the occasion: Add food coloring to match a color scheme, or use chips other than semisweet.
Mary Lee Caracciolo enjoyed the pudding at the Greek Orthodox church in her community and asked for the recipe.
Barbara Moch shares her family's all-time favorite and notes that she is often asked for the recipe. Mamma Pappas' rice pudding, from the Pappas family's Tarpon Springs restaurant, appeared in a recipe booklet printed in 1965.
For: Lois Price of Largo.
From: Nancy Barlow of Seminole; Jackie Orr of Belleair; Leslie Bowman of Odessa; Pat Jordan of Palm Harbor; Anne Scott and Cynthia Glidhill of Largo; Anne deMarlor, Terry Major and Viv Greene of Clearwater; and Sarah Harris, Wilma George and Marjorie Dahl of St. Petersburg.
Recipe: Overnight Meringues from Southern Living Party Cookbook, 1972 and 1976.
Overnight Meringues
2 egg whites, at room temperature
Pinch salt
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon orange extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat egg whites with salt until foamy. Gradually add sugar; beat until stiff. By hand, fold in the flavorings, then nuts.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper and drop meringues onto sheet by teaspoonfuls. (It is unnecessary to allow room for spreading; they don't.) Place pan in oven and immediately turn off heat.
Allow to remain in oven overnight. Do not open oven door.
Makes 36 meringues.
From: Mary Thomas of Seminole.
Recipe: Forgotten Cookies.
Forgotten Cookies
2 egg whites at room temperature
Pinch of salt
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup flaked coconut
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat egg whites with salt until frothy. Add sugar gradually, and beat until very stiff. Fold in remaining ingredients. Drop by teaspoonfuls on ungreased foil.
Place in oven and immediately turn off heat. Leave in oven overnight. Do not open oven until cookies are to be taken out.
For: Mary Lee Caracciolo of Hudson.
From: Barbara Moch of Treasure Island.
Recipe: Greek Rice Pudding.
Greek Rice Pudding
1 quart whole milk
1/2 cup uncooked white rice
Pinch of salt
1 egg
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
Ground cinnamon
Combine milk, rice and salt in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Lower heat and stir frequently for 25 to 30 minutes or until rice is fully cooked.
Whisk together egg and sugar, and blend into rice/milk mixture. Stir frequently over low heat until mixture thickens slightly and has a smooth texture, 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and add vanilla, if desired.
Cool slightly. Pour into serving bowl.
Sprinkle ground cinnamon on top and chill in refrigerator before serving (although we've been known to eat it warm).
From: Eunice Pinta of Oldsmar and Sheila Goodbrand of Largo.
Recipe: Mamma Pappas' Rice Pudding from "Louis Pappas' Famous Greek Recipes," 1965.
Mamma Pappas' Rice Pudding
1/2 cup washed rice
1 cup water
1 quart milk
1/2 cup sugar
Grated rind of 1/2 lemon or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cornstarch in 1 teaspoon water
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon butter
Ground cinnamon
Cook washed rice in 1 cup of boiling water for 10 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Add milk and bring back to a boil, cooking gently with reduced heat for 30 minutes, stirring to keep from burning.
Add sugar, grated lemon rind or vanilla extract and cornstarch dissolved in water. Cook another 20 minutes.
Remove from flame and add 1 cup of the hot rice to beaten egg yolk. Combine the two mixtures and add butter, cooking about 2 minutes before spooning into dessert dishes.
Sprinkle with cinnamon before serving.
This dessert may be refrigerated and served with cream.
Recipe requests
It has been several years since we published recipes for Amish friendship bread, so we are printing the requests from Betty Sypniewski of Spring Hill, Beverly Shaarda of St. Petersburg, Brenda Cracchiolo of Spring Hill and Norma Anderson of Seminole.
They need the recipe for the starter and the directions for how to use it.
It is an interesting project, and the resulting bread is delicious.
Families and friends look forward to enjoying the benefits.
-- You Asked for It is a reader mail column. If you have a cooking question or the answer to someone else's question, write to: You Asked for It, the Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731. Be sure to include your full name, city and phone number with your letter. Letters without this information will be discarded. Requests cannot be answered by phone or mail.