20 mom tom recipes

A decadent butter icing made with crushed pineapple that is perfect for cakes and muffins.

Mom's old-fashioned watermelon rind pickles soaked in lime water, then simmered in sweet spiced vinegar syrup until jewel-like and translucent. A Southern heirloom canning recipe worth the wait.

Old-fashioned date and nut candy rolled in a wet towel and sliced into rounds. Just five ingredients, no thermometer fuss, with a soft fudge-like chew.

Mom's small-batch pecan pralines with brown sugar, Karo corn syrup, evaporated milk, and pecan halves. Cooked to soft-ball stage and dropped on wax paper for classic Southern candy.

Roast leg of lamb the old-school way: studded with raw garlic slivers, doused in lemon juice and salt, slow-roasted until fork-tender. Three ingredients, Sunday-supper centerpiece.

Classic white cake with buttermilk and egg whites for a pure white, tender crumb. Easy two-layer recipe with a marble cake variation built in.

Josephine's pineapple salad: retro molded gelatin salad with cream cheese, crushed pineapple, and whipped cream. A classic potluck centerpiece from grandma's recipe box.

Low-calorie lemon Bavarian mousse made with no added sugar, using apple juice concentrate, pineapple juice, and whipped evaporated skim milk for a light, airy gelatin dessert.

Mom's peppered ham: poached ham shank coated in cracked black peppercorns and dried in a low oven for paper-thin deli-style slices. Old-school deli cooking at home.

Old-fashioned divinity candy with fluffy egg whites, crunchy pecans, and vanilla. This no-bake Southern classic melts on your tongue and comes together with just a few pantry staples.

Peach Melba parfaits with peach-amaretto vanilla ice cream layered with raspberry coulis and fresh berries. Escoffier's classic dessert in parfait form.

Two-ingredient ham glaze: peach jam stirred with chopped candied ginger and thinned with water. Sweet, gingery shine that caramelizes into a sticky lacquer over baked ham.

Mom's shepherd's pie: leftover lamb cubed and simmered with onion, red pepper, rosemary, and parsley under a mashed potato crust. The classic Sunday-roast reinvention.

Country-style braised chicken: flour-dredged chicken breasts browned, then simmered in a marjoram-scented broth and white wine that turns into a silky pan gravy. Spoon it over biscuits or rice.

Sliced sweet potatoes baked under a golden, flaky pie crust with cinnamon and sugar. This old-fashioned Southern cobbler is simple as can be and twice as good.

Crunchy candied pecans coated in a cinnamon-vanilla meringue and slow-baked in butter. These addictive Swedish Nuts are the holiday snack your guests will fight over.