From the Kitchen of The Cypress House, Nov. 28, 1979:

Thanksgiving dinner was so good that we are already planning the Christmas day fare. It won’t be a repeat, because we like to try new recipes as well as menus. But there’s one repeat that we’d never leave out at Thanksgiving or Christmas or Easter or any big family holiday meal.

It’s Tipsy Pudding, a specialty of Jack Stamm’s mother, and it is the most delicious dessert I’ve ever tasted. It’s not exactly difficult, but a little tricky because you have to make an old-fashioned custard.

We know a modern day shortcut, however, and believe it or not, it’s almost as good as the real McCoy.

Thought maybe you’d like to have it early in the season to try, then repeat for your Christmas dessert; if you like it.

Easy Tipsy Pudding

1 large can evaporated milk

24 large marshmallows

1 package lady fingers

1/2 pint whipping cream

Dry sherry

Line dessert bowl with lady fingers split in halves and dribble sherry over the lady fingers. Cook milk and marshmallows in a double boiler until marshmallows melt. Let cool. Whip cream and add half of the cream to milk and marshmallow mixture. Stir in several tablespoons of sherry.  Pour custard into bowl and top with rest of whipped cream. Dot with cherries and place in refrigerator until chilled and set.

From the Kitchen of The Cypress House,

Dec. 19, 1979:

There seems to be a tendency this time of the year to reminisce of Christmases past, and never a December comes around that I don’t think back to the McLaurin family dinners served in the big dining room of what is now The Cypress House.

The standard dessert was Charlotte Russe, a scrumptious concoction prepared by my Grandmother McLaurin and my mother, Lucy McLaurin Fields. Their recipe came from the late Mrs. Ethel C. Long, and I still have the original copy in Mrs. Long’s own handwriting. It is truly, as my grandmother used to say, “larrapin.”

Charlotte Russe

1 quart milk

1 cup sugar

4 eggs, separated

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 envelopes plain gelatin

1 pint whipping cream

2 tablespoons vanilla

Pinch of salt

Add cornstarch to sugar, mix with egg yolks and cream well. Soften gelatin with 1/2 cup milk; set aside. Heat rest of milk and add slowly to egg and sugar mixture. Cook until thick.Add gelatin mixture to hot custard mix. Whip egg whites until stiff and fold into custard. Add whipping cream, vanilla and salt. Refrigerate. Serve in sherbet or custard dishes.