Food Desserts & Baking Soul Food Desserts By Hannah Agran Hannah Agran Hannah Agran is executive editor at Midwest Living, where she oversees travel, food, home, garden and culture content. Born in Wisconsin, raised in Ohio, and now living in Iowa, she's a proud lifelong Midwesterner (aside from that stint in Massachusetts for a B.A. in American Studies from Brandeis University). On her off time, she loves to travel, here and abroad. (A perfect trip involves hiking, art museums and pastries, in equal measure.) At home, she's either puttering in the kitchen or garden--or on the couch with her cat, Clementine, bingeing a good show when she should be reading her book club book. Midwest Living's Editorial Guidelines Updated on January 11, 2023 Trending Videos Photo: Andy Lyons Patty Pinner's childhood in Michigan was all the sweeter thanks to the soul her family baked into desserts. Try 9 of her recipes, including oatmeal cookies, sweet potato cheesecake, apple butter pie and bourbon balls. 01 of 09 My My's Brown Sugar Pound Cake Andy Lyons Patty's grandmother sifted together the flour and baking powder three times before adding them to the batter. We had good results just whisking them together. This recipe comes from Patty Pinner's cookbook Sweets. Ultimate Cake Recipes View Recipe 02 of 09 Sister Chestermae Hayes's Apple Butter Pie Andy Lyons Imagine a pumpkin pie made with jarred apple butter in place of the usual canned pumpkin. It's the perfect home-baked treat to cap off a cozy autumn supper. Patty suggests sprinkling pecan pieces over the whipped cream or ice cream before serving. We opted for grated fresh nutmeg. This recipe comes from Patty Pinner's cookbook Sweety Pies. View Recipe 03 of 09 Aint Sug's Punkin' Puddin' Andy Lyons Baked in a casserole dish, this unusual dessert channels the spirit of marshmallow-topped sweet potato, with the added spice of pumpkin pie. This recipe comes from Patty Pinner's cookbook Sweets. Pumpkin Recipes We Absolutely Love View Recipe 04 of 09 Vertamae Grosvenor's Coconut Custard Meringue Pie Andy Lyons A cloud of toasty meringue tops creamy coconut pudding in a recipe from Patty's friend and fellow soul-food queen. Though not difficult, the filling for this pie does require attentive cooking. This recipe comes from Patty Pinner's cookbook Sweety Pies. Make Your Best Pie Ever View Recipe 05 of 09 Aint Helen's Sweet Potato Cheesecake Andy Lyons Besides tinting the cake a lovely pale orange, sweet potatoes lend a pleasant texture to the rich, creamy filling. This recipe comes from Patty Pinner's cookbook Sweets. Rich and Creamy Cheesecakes View Recipe 06 of 09 Miss LaLou's Bourbon Balls Andy Lyons Vanilla wafers, cocoa powder and pecans form the base of these boozy, no-bake bonbons that keep up to 2 weeks in the fridge. This recipe comes from Patty Pinner's cookbook Sweets. View Recipe 07 of 09 Redemption Hazelnut Pie Andy Lyons This über-sweet pie is essentially a traditional pecan pie made with hazelnuts. This recipe comes from Patty Pinner's cookbook Sweety Pies. View Recipe 08 of 09 Apricot Jam Tart Andy Lyons Butter-rich pastry holds a four- ingredient filling of apricot jam, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg. For best results, be sure to use cold butter and cream in the lemony pastry. This recipe comes from Patty Pinner's cookbook Sweety Pies. View Recipe 09 of 09 Miss Rosa Lee's Oatmeal Cookies Andy Lyons Nothing fancy here; this is the perfectly chewy lunchbox classic, pebbled with walnuts and plump raisins. A combination of vegetable oil and butter ensures a chewy texture and rich flavor. This recipe comes from Patty Pinner's cookbook Sweets. The Midwest's Best Cookie Recipes View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit