Once a week during the warm weather months, we eat that Oriental cabbage salad that just everyone makes. You know the one with the ramen noodles, almonds, sesame seeds and cabbage. I make it a complete meal by adding a protein like chicken, shrimp or beef. Since I make the salad often, I purchase sesame seeds each time I go to the grocery store. Just the other day I looked in my pantry and noticed I had three tins of sesame seeds. That's when I decided to make this recipe for Benne Wafers.

I've lived in the south my entire life, but somehow have missed ever having these delightful cookies. Just so you'll know, not only do they have a rich taste, but I really like the nutty texture, too. Benne Wafers are definitely going to be a regularly made cookie in my house from now on.

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Photo © Carroll Pellegrinelli

Click on the photo for the recipe.

Congratulations to Susan Boyle of DeBary, Florida for winning the Best of Show Professional Division, Open Category for entering her Coffee Toffee Crunch a Bunch Pie at the 2012 APC/Crisco National Pie Championships.

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Photo © Carroll Pellegrinelli

Instead of baking the strawberries in the pie crust, this recipe calls for most of them to be cooked ahead on the stove. The leftover strawberries are put in the baked pie crust first and the cooked ones are added. This is what gives this recipe for Fresh Strawberry Pie a delightfully fresh sweet-tart flavor.

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Photo © Carroll Pellegrinelli

I have to thank my mother for my love of baking desserts. Besides learning the various dessert making and baking techniques, she taught me that you can make people feel special when you bake for them. Mother always made me feel special when she made one these treats.

Happy Mother's Day, Mother. A day doesn't go by that I don't think about you. I miss you so much!

1995 Photo of My Mother and Daughter (c) by Carroll Pellegrinelli

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